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Former City Council Speaker Peter Vallone Sr. wants to see the number of terms Council members can serve extended. Tough economic times, paired with the public’s almost palpable desire to see Michael Bloomberg stay on as mayor, may give the effort the boost it needs, Vallone said.

City Council term limits can be adjusted by the City Council itself or through a referendum. Private citizens, the council and the mayor all have the power to add a referendum to the ballot.

Vallone, who would prefer it to go through with a referendum, said he doubts it will be placed on this November’s ballot.

The issue is, however, time sensitive. Should the referendum wait until November 2009, it would be too late for the 37 council members approaching their term limits.

“It could be done with legislation any time the council wants to do it,” Vallone said. “But it’s highly unlikely they’d do it unless they get mayoral support or public support and it’s really too early to say.”

Historically voters have supported term limits for council members. A two-term limit was first imposed on the Council after a 1993 referendum. Then, in 1996, voters rejected a Council proposal to extend term limits.

But Vallone remains adamant.

“Just because you don’t like some person in office that doesn’t mean you get rid of the whole body,” he said, adding that extending the amount of time the mayor and borough presidents can stay in office would be beneficial as well.

“It emasculates the council before it even gets going,” Vallone said, adding that there is no opportunity for council members to advance within the body.

Vallone’s own son, Peter Vallone Jr. (D-Astoria) will reach the end of his term in 2009. His other son, Paul, is running for the City Council District 19 seat, currently held by Tony Avella.

“There are many, many qualified people who deserve to stay in office,” Vallone said. “But it’s not so much the individual member, it’s for the council as an institution. That’s what affects the balance of power.”

Although he would rather see term limits abolished all together, Vallone said he would start with extending them to three from two.

“Especially in these bad economic times, it’s good to keep some institutional memory,” he said.

Vallone represented Astoria from 1974 to 2001. He became the City’s first Speaker of the City Council in 1986.