Thompson Canvasses Against Term Limits Extension

New York, NY —

Our latest count has 17 city council members in favor of Mayor Bloomberg's bid for a term limits extension. Nineteen are against and 15 remain undecided. Opponents of the plan were out in full force this weekend, including Comptroller Bill Thompson, who's planning to run for mayor. WNYC's Arun Venugopal has more.

REPORTER: Comptroller Thompson crisscrossed the city yesterday urging voters to speak out against Mayor Bloomberg's legislation. In Jamaica, Queens, he spoke at the Calvary Baptist Church. Thompson said the rules were being changed in an undemocratic fashion, and urged his audience to push for a referendum on the issue.

THOMPSON: In 1993, and again in 1996, the voters of New York said term limits. Now they said it. Not the mayor of New York. Not the City Council of New York. The people of the city of New York.

REPORTER: Elsewhere members of the Working Families Party gathered signatures of voters who favor a referendum. The party targeted the districts of three council members who are still undecided. For WNYC, I'm Arun Venugopal.