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Christine Quinn has made good on most of the public promises she made before becoming speaker. But one item noticeably absent from the agenda is an effort to reform term limits, which she and most members had said they were very eager to do.
Quinn commissioned a poll last summer to feel out how New Yorkers might respond to extending term limits, or eliminating them altogether.
Though the full results were kept private, the response was apparently strong enough against the idea of changing the law to keep Quinn from putting forward any bill on the topic.
Dick Dadey, executive director of Citizens Union, said he hopes the Council restarts the discussion.
"The city does really need to have a full-blown discussion, and I think that the Council could lead us in that and should lead us in that," he said, while stressing that the Council simply voting through an extension without input "invites a response from the public which would be justified."
Were term limits extended, Quinn would be able to get a few more years of seasoning before making a run for citywide office, which some political analysts believe would help her down the line.
She is not discussing any preference, though, or what impact the issue might have on her politically.
"The reality is term limits are on the books," she said. "Whether or not we change that is a decision I'm going to make with my colleagues together."
—EIRD