NEW YORK, NY October 06, 2008 —Democrats will meet behind closed doors today with Council Speaker Christine Quinn to decide what to do with Mayor Bloomberg's call to change the city's term limits law. WNYC's Bob Hennelly reports.

REPORTER: For two-thirds of the Council's 51 members the debate will be very much personal, since under the existing law they would be forced out next year. Several have already set their sights on citywide office. Others hope to be promoted by voters to seats in Albany or in Congress.

Today's private debate will center not on the merits of term limits but on the best way to repeal them. Mayor Bloomberg favors the Council acting without a public referendum. But there are several council members and good government groups like Citizens Union who insist that repealing term limits should be left up to the voters who on two occasions in the 1990s voted to keep them in place. Council members pushing for a public referendum concede they have an uphill battle with just 15 of 51 members in their corner. For WNYC I'm Bob Hennelly.