CITIZENS UNION CALLS FOR A "TIME OUT"
ON TERM LIMITS BATTLE
Voter Approval is Needed for Any Change in Term Limits

Citizens Union, an historic civic group formed 111 years ago in response to the corruption of Tammany Hall and which has served as this city's conscience of good government, calls upon the Mayor and the Council Speaker to call a "Time Out."

We ask them to bring all sides together and ask all of us to temporarily disarm, and see if we can collectively find the common ground to work together to put this important question to the voters in a way that brings it to a quick resolution, does not subject the city to countless lawsuits, and doesn't throw the 2009 election process into chaos.

Our city is being divided at a time when it needs to be united. New York faces uncertain economic times - possibly unlike any that we have seen in decades - and we are needlessly distracted from the work at hand as we work at cross purposes with one another on an issue that is fundamental to our democracy.

Citizens Union is concerned over the increasingly heated tone of the debate and the entrance of more big money now into this fight. This will further polarize us and increase the cynicism of New Yorkers about their local government and how money influences the making of important public policy decisions.

The issue of whether to extend term limits is a matter of principle and the vote an act of conscience. Council Members should be open to persuasion but not subjected to an unusual amount of arm twisting. With their consciences as their guides, Council Members should be allowed to vote how they see fit without fear of retribution. Non-profit civic leaders, who rely upon city taxpayer dollars to provide valuable services, should not feel the subtle pressure of being asked to weigh in on an issue for fear that if they don't, it puts their future funding in jeopardy.

This vote in the Council should not be taken out of fear. Fear of the uncertain economic times. Fear of the possible loss of funding. Fear of retribution. The vote should be taken on principle.

What concerns Citizens Union is that there now is an attempt to change term limits through Council action - a process that the Mayor previously described as "disgusting" and the Speaker as "anti-democratic and anti-reform." This new desire to circumvent the will of the voters on an issue that they have spoken on twice before now puts the Mayor and the Speaker squarely at odds with their records of reform. We also are concerned that no matter what the outcome, the Mayor and the Speaker are compromising their ability to lead as effectively in the future as they have in the past.

Mayor Bloomberg has governed in a non-partisan manner - which Citizens Union has strongly supported - that has pulled together New Yorkers, most noticeably after 9-11, when so much about our future was uncertain. The Mayor's pragmatic approach to dealing with the city's challenges, its public policies, and the delivery of city services has won him rightful respect for his leadership and his accomplishments.

The Speaker has also risen above partisan division to reach rightful agreements with the Mayor on important citywide issues and avoided the usual politics of division, which are sometimes made for the sake of simply being a counterpoint.

The effort to win a Council vote at all costs threatens to undermine that which the Mayor and the Speaker have worked together to make possible - a safe, stable, secure, largely united city, one rooted in principle, reform and non-partisan governance.

New Yorkers are genuinely torn on this issue. A great majority would like to have the chance to vote for the Mayor for a third term, but are deeply troubled by the way in which this chance is being pursued. It goes against New Yorkers' sense of decency and fair play, and how our democracy should work.

Citizens Union believes that the form of our democracy and the functioning of our government should not be subject to situational ethics. There are two questions being asked: should term limits be extended by four more years and should certain elected officials be returned to office? It is not right to provide only one opportunity in November 2009 to answer these two totally different questions with only one vote.

This battle has become far too personal. This is not about the Mayor or the Speaker, or for that matter, the many other elected officials for whom there is self-interest in the issue's outcome. No, it is, and should be, about whether term limits have been good for city government and whether New Yorkers want to change term limits. So let's ask them. Now.

Almost all who testified last week at the City Council agreed on one thing - they oppose term limits in the current form. But those who oppose term limits are divided as to how they should be changed. So Citizens Union calls upon the Mayor and the Speaker to call all of us together and see if in agreeing to change term limits, we can agree on how it should be done.

Citizens Union opposed the enactment of term limits in the 1990s, believing that it restricts voter choice. After the city's seven years of experience with term limits, CU believes that the time is now to evaluate their impact on city government.

Though Citizens Union believes the voters should decide whether to change the term limits law, we are not thrilled about the idea of holding a special election. We would have preferred that this question be decided in a general election. But given the choice between the Council changing the law and a special election in early 2009, we choose a special election.

Though special elections are problematic, the City has never held a citywide special election, except for the replacement primary election in September 2001. Past single district special elections usually have had abysmally low voter turnouts. We believe that given the high profile of this issue, the intensity of the interest, and the popularity of the mayor, voters would be particularly motivated to turn out for this citywide special election.

The Council may have the authority to change the term limits law, but should it? New Yorkers have been asked to think about this important issue, but they have not been given the necessary time to thoughtfully discuss and consider it. Regardless of how this gets done, New Yorkers need and deserve more time, but not too much so as to totally upset the political calendar and create a compressed timetable that will unfairly favor incumbents in the fall of 2009.

This fight has become a civic circus. It has to end. Citizens Union asks the Mayor and the Speaker to unite us together and let's address this issue fairly by involving the voters before it is too late.

*Prepared in advance of the announcement that the Council will vote on extending term limits on Thursday, October 23rd.

Citizens Union of the City of New York, a nonpartisan force for good government for more than 100 years, works to inform and engage New Yorkers, to ensure local and state government values its citizens, addresses critical issues, and operates in a fair, open, and fiscally sound manner.

299 Broadway, Suite 700, New York, NY 10007-1976
Peter J. W. Sherwin, Chair • Dick Dadey, Executive Director • info@citizensunion.org