Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, who is barred by term limits from running for re-election this fall, is trying to extend his term, a source close to the mayor said yesterday.
"He is going to make an announcement about his efforts to continue his term," said the source, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The source said the announcement would be made Monday.
Giuliani, widely praised for his handling of the city since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, is scheduled to leave office Dec. 31 because of term-limit laws.
It was unclear whether the mayor would try to amend those laws so voters could elect him for a third term or whether he would try to extend his current term. The mayoral primary, which was postponed after the terrorist attacks, is now set for today. The mayoral election is Nov. 6.
He was expected to address the issue directly as early yesterday, less than 24 hours before voters are to go to the polls in the rescheduled mayoral primary.
"The mayor has said he doesn't want to talk about politics," said one City Hall official last night of Giuliani's stance in the days since the destruction of the World Trade Center. "Tomorrow [today], he will talk about politics."
For Giuliani to be eligible to continue serving beyond a second term, the Legislature and Republican Governor George Pataki would have to enact emergency legislation to extend his term, or the City Council and city voters would have to amend the City Charter.
Neither scenario is likely because mayoral candidate and City Council Speaker Peter Vallone -- as well as top legislative leaders -- have said they do not want to override city voters, who enacted the term limits law in 1993 and again in 1996.
A bid to repeal term limits failed in the City Council at committee level in March. Giuliani was a strong supporter of term limits when they were first considered in the early 1990s.
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