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Updated 10/09/2008 10:42 PM

Voter Groups Join Term Limits Fight As Quinn Remains Undecided

By: NY1 News

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A pair of good government groups are questioning Mayor Michael Bloomberg's term limits deal with billionaire Ronald Lauder, as City Council Speaker Christine Quinn continues to mull her position on the issue.

Two voters groups – NYPIRG and Common Cause – on Thursday called on the Conflict of Interests Board to investigate Bloomberg's offer to put Ron Lauder on a charter revision commission in exchange for the cosmetics heir's support for legislation which would increase term limits by four years.

In their complaint, the groups say that "We believe that Mayor Bloomberg has used his position in a prohibited manner to obtain personal advantage in a quid pro quo deal with Ronald Lauder."

Conflict of Interests Board members have yet to respond to the letters.

In a statement, a spokesman for the mayor said the complains were without merit.

“There is no conflict whatsoever," the statement said. "The conflicts of interest law is meant to prevent public officials from misusing their position for their monetary or other personal benefit. This is purely a publicity stunt by people who are distorting the intent of the conflicts law because they disagree with the mayor on a matter of public policy.”

In the meantime, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn says she has yet to make up her mind on whether on not she will support extending term limits.

As for complaints that the deal between Bloomberg and Lauder cuts voters' opinions out of the equation, Quinn says it will be up to her and her members – who have been elected by New Yorkers.

"At the end of the day, if these changes go through, they'll have to be voted on by 51 individuals that have been elected by districts in all five boroughs, and then the mayor will have to sign the bill or veto the bill," Quinn said. "So whatever agreement these two men have come to really only comes to fruition if the council decides to make those decisions."

Quinn had expected to make her decision earlier this week, but she said she needs more time to talk with other colleagues and labor leaders.

On Wednesday, Lauder said he would support the law being changed from two term to three in exchange for being part of a charter revision commission that would put term limits on the ballot after the 2009 mayoral race.