Inside the council chambers, members debated the change -- making impassioned pleas for their colleagues to vote for or against it.
"We are stealing like the thief in the night [voters'] right to decide the shape of our democracy," Councilman Bill de Blasio of Brooklyn said.
"We are forgetting who we work for."
Bloomberg, 66, has enjoyed high approval ratings during his time as mayor. He is an independent.
Supporters note that since he was sworn into office, the city's crime rate has declined, high school graduation rates have climbed, smoking among teens has been cut in half and carbon emissions have been reduced.
But some say Bloomberg's aggressive maneuvering to stay in office may hurt his popularity.
Councilman Charles Barron said that although the mayor may have won the fight for extended term limits, "he is a big loser because he lost democracy, he lost the faith of the people."
In a statement Thursday, Bloomberg said it was time to move forward with crucial decision-making.
"Particularly finding ways to soften the fallout from the economic downturn and balancing our budget as revenues decline," the mayor said. "We have a lot of work to do together to get New York through these tough times."
--
erika.hayasaki@latimes.com
