The Term’s the Limit

One can easily understand why being mayor of New York City might be a difficult job to give up. Michael Bloomberg is having a particularly difficult time dealing with his upcoming separation from mayoral power. For one thing, he has installed enormous countdown timers in several government offices that measure the time he has remaining in office (440 days, as of today). More insidiously, he is now proposing a change in city law that would allow him to run for a third term, claiming that the current financial crisis requires continuity in municipal leadership in New York.

The current law regarding term limits in New York City limits the mayor to two terms, and voters have twice approved the legislation through referendums. While voter support is clearly in favor of term limits, the proposal—which would be decided on by the City Council rather than voters—is very troubling. Bloomberg commands the full power and resources of the city and receives millions of dollars worth of free publicity. The term limits on the office are in place to prevent incumbents like Bloomberg from abusing their position to establish themselves as effective monarchs. Term limits were designed precisely to prevent situations like these, in which a mayor amasses enough political capital to change election law to his benefit. Allowing Bloomberg to tweak the rules in this instance would set a dangerous precedent for future public officials, who might take advantage of crises to extend their own reigns indefinitely.

Overturning the term limit law in New York City has implications that reach beyond the five boroughs. These restraints are not only important for Bloomberg’s office, but for any political position in which an incumbent has an automatic and significant advantage. Term limits are an effective check on the concentration of power, ensuring a level playing field between challengers and those already in office.

The fact that Bloomberg himself has been the one leading the charge for revoking the term limits should make anyone skeptical of the idea that the proposal is much more than a cynical attempt to stay in power. Bloomberg has not always been such a fervent opponent of term limits—in 2002, he vetoed a measure that would have extended terms for several City Council members—and his current effort smacks of political opportunism. There is no case to be made for overturning term limits in New York—and even if there were, Mayor Bloomberg himself is certainly not the one to argue it.