CITY COUNCIL ELECTIONS
There are 51 Council districts in the City of New York, with an average population
of 157,025. The voters in each district elect one representative to the
City Council every four years, except for the elections immediately following
the completion of the federal census. The Charter requires a reapportionment
of the Council district lines based on the census. After 2000 census, Council districts were redrawn in 2003.
Since 1993, the three citywide elected officials, five borough presidents and 51 members of the City Council have been limited to serving two consecutive terms in office. In October 2008 the City Council approved, and the Mayor signed, a bill that extends this limit to three terms. This will allow those incumbents who are completing two consecutive four-year terms in 2009 to run for a third term in November.
This action followed several public hearings at which alternatives were proposed such as having a Charter Revision Commission review term limits, or putting the proposal on the ballot for a vote by New York City voters since that is the way term limits were first put into effect.