Melissa Mark-Viverito is leaving the City Council at the end of the year and in January the council members will elect a new speaker. There have been several forums to allow the candidates to explain their position on issues. At a forum in November, all 8 of the speaker candidates said that they believe that City Council members – but not the mayor, public advocate or comptroller – should be allowed to serve 3 terms. The fact that NYC voters have voted multiple times in favor of a limit of 2 terms for all offices was of no concern to any them. The council speaker candidates are: Mark Levine, Corey Johnson and Ydanis Rodriguez of Manhattan, Jimmy Van Bramer and Donovan Richards of Queens, Robert Cornegy and Jumaane Williams of Brooklyn and Ritchie Torres of the Bronx.