The New York Building Congress, New York City’s largest and most diverse coalition serving the design, construction and real estate industry, appreciates this opportunity to express our support for Proposed Int. No. 845-A, which would extend term limits on all citywide offices, borough presidents and members of the City Council from two to three full consecutive terms.
The Building Congress has long held the position that term limits have a negative impact on New York City, including the building industry, and has criticized the current term-limits law as a prescription for municipal inefficiency and shortsightedness. Very simply, term limits fail to advance the long-term planning critical to ensuring the City’s continued economic growth and vitality.
The New York construction business is an industry that has long lead times and requires multi-year public policy and budget commitments. Experienced public officials committed to this long-term perspective are needed to help bring to fruition the major infrastructure and development projects essential to the City’s continued economic growth and vitality.
Building in New York is difficult in the best of times, let alone when the City is faced, as it is today, with a slowing economy and growing budget deficits. The availability of governmental knowledge and experience on the complexities of urban investment and management are essential for New York City in the years ahead.
We urge the Government Operations Committee to approve this legislation and recommend it the full City Council. Furthermore, the Building Congress believes that the next Charter Revision Commission should recommend permanent removal of term limits in New York City. We hope this position will be endorsed by the City Council and that a citywide referendum on eliminating term limits will be held as soon as possible.
