By DAVID SEIFMAN
Posted: 4:33 am
October 11, 2008
The 16 freshman members of the City Council were promised yesterday they could serve until 2017 under a new provision.
Under a proposal put forward by Mayor Bloomberg, term limits would be changed from eight to 12 years starting in 2009.
But in 2010, to satisfy the objections of term-limits advocate Ron Lauder, a Charter Revision Commission would ask voters to approve a rollback to eight years.
That would allow 35 veteran council members to run again and serve until 2013, having put in a total of at least 12 years.
But if the rollback is enacted, the freshman members would also be out in 2013, after just eight years.
Councilwoman Darlene Mealy (D-Brooklyn) said Speaker Christine Quinn's staff assured the freshmen that the referendum would include a provision allowing them to serve 12 years as well, or up to 2017.
"We're going on a promise," she said.
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