A proposal to add two at-large seats to the Prince George's County Council will head to the ballots in November. The charter amendment, which expands the legislature from nine to 11 members, has reignited a lengthy and bitter battle over proposed changes to the council.Local civic groups and activists said the amendment is an unwarranted, expensive and desperate attempt by the council to circumvent term limits and advance political careers."It was slid on your ballots behind your backs" said Tom Dernoga, a former Prince George's councilman from 2002 to 2010, at a public forum at the Greenbelt Community Center on Monday night.If passed by voters, the change would allow five council members who have reached term limits to run for reelection in 2018. Council members could serve up to four terms on the council by switching between at-large and district-based seats, doubling the two four-year term limit the law requires.Voters have struck down three attempts to extend term limits in nearly two decades -- including a 2014 move to increase limits from two to three terms.The added seats would cost $831,000 in 2019 and $1.1 million in 2020, according to a county audit.But supporters, including seven council members who voted for the measure, said the change fights parochialism and encourages at-large council members to prioritize the county's needs instead of stirring political in-fighting and wrangling over district-level concerns.In public meetings, chairman Derrick Leon Davis said the county needs councilmembers who are not focused on grabbing "a piece of the pie" for their district.Dernoga said he found it "ironic" that the council is asserting it is incapable of doing its job because it does not have at-large seats."If you have the right representative, it doesn't matter if they are at-large at at-district," Dernoga said, adding "Won't at-large seats be parochial to wherever they live?"Supporters also said allowing council members to switch between at-large and district-based seats increases the county's competitiveness opportunities on regional boards and gives council members more leverage to influence and rework legislation.A ballot question committee "ReCharge At-Large" has formed to push the charter amendment, which has drawn opposition from community groups at recent public hearings.Councilman Joseph Solomon of Hyattsville said political effectiveness is difficult without at-large seats.At-large council members would be able to pushback against the county executive and could reel in economic development by drawing in contributions from the entire county, he said."You need someone who has a broad perspective of the jurisdiction you are legislation for," Sullivan said. "We all know it just doesn't happen when you have everybody who fights for every resource for their district," Sullivan said Monday.Organizers of Monday's forum said Councilman Todd Turner declined an invitation to defend the proposal because his staff said state law prohibits council members from lobbying or speaking on ballot questions.The Council voted to send the measure to the ballot by a 7-0 vote, with Councilwoman Mary Lehman opposing and one abstaining vote.Local activist Suchitra Balachandran said the high costs of campaigns for at-large seats would deter grassroots candidates from running and favor deep-pocketed interests."There is an incentive to say that hey, I can make a career out of this," Balachandran said.Changes to term limits in the county have long and beleaguered history in the county.In 1971, voters approved increasing the Council from five at large-seats to one-at large seats and five district-based seats. A 1980 ballot referendum shrank the number of seats to nine district-based members. A citizen-led push led to the imposition of terms through a ballot referendum in 1992.Since then, voters have struck down three attempts to extend terms limits in more than two decades.Surrounding jurisdictions like Arlington and Montgomery County have at-large positions.