Mayor Michael Bloomberg of the New York City plans to announce Thursday that he will probably seek a third term as mayor if a local law limiting the mayorship to two consecutive terms is revised, media reported Tuesday.

Local news media cited sources who were reportedly briefed on the mayor's plan as saying that Bloomberg, whose current term must legally end in January 2009, is expected to argue on Thursday that the city's financial crisis requires his ongoing leadership.

The reports could not be confirmed on Tuesday, however.

Bloomberg, first taking office as New York's mayor in 2001 and was re-elected in 2005, oversaw the economic revival of the city after the September 11, 2001 attacks.

If re-elected again next year, he will have been the fourth city mayor to win a third term. Three mayors did so before the term-limit law was enacted 15 years ago.

Although New Yorkers rejected twice the idea of repealing term-limits in the past, it was reported that Bloomberg could still "in theory" make the legal change through the City Council, amid mixed reactions of New Yorkers to the idea and the current crisis on Wall Street.

(Xinhua News Agency October 1, 2008)