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March 25, 2023

Another Charter change shifting power to Council

Frequent changes to Philadelphia’s local constitution, the Home Rule Charter, have been a hallmark of Darrell Clarke’s 11-year City Council presidency. Some have been fairly inconsequential, while others were important and needed. But Council members have also realized they can reshape the other branch of government, putting forward changes that increase their power at the expense of the mayor’s. The current proposal to create a Chief Public Safety Officer—one of four on the ballot in May’s primary—may do just that. And its path to final passage was telling: Clarke rammed it through in a way that skirts (at best) the state Sunshine Act and the Charter itself. Mayor Kenney vetoed the legislation Thursday morning, but Council overrode it.

Seventy says: The Chief Public Safety Officer amendment as drafted could potentially complicate and convolute the current duties within city government for keeping residents safe and addressing gun violence. Read the full statement.

And the other three proposals? One would create a Division of Workforce Solutions in the Commerce Department. Another would make changes to the city's “Rainy Day Fund.” And the third would exempt employees of the city’s new Citizen Police Oversight Commission from civil-service hiring requirements. The Inquirer has details.

Philly’s May 16 primary: What does the mayor do?

The Inquirer likens the mayor to a CEO and describes the office's responsibilities and scope. Current mayor Jim Kenney sees his role as one of building consensus among city leadership and the public, and C70 Interim President and COO Lauren Cristella stresses the importance of selecting subordinates. "The hiring is probably the first and most important job of any new mayor," Cristella told the Inky. "Everything from the managing director, city representative and the police chief and fire commissioner. All of those executive department heads...that's all in the mayor's purview.”

And what’ll be on the mayor’s plate? Last week’s Every Voice, Every Vote poll found that crime and gun violence are the biggest reason why 65% of respondents say the city’s on the wrong track. Meanwhile, the Board of Education wants Kenney’s successor to prioritize funding for school-building upgrades, incentives to attract and retain teachers and other staff, and (last but hardly least) deal with gun violence.

Philly Primary: Where did the candidates go?

The challenges to Philly candidates’ nomination petitions took quite a toll this year, knocking off both of Register of Wills Tracey Gordon’s primary opponents, one of Sheriff Rochelle Bilal’s, and all the challengers to incumbent Council members in Districts 2, 4 and 9. And in District 5, six of the seven would-be Democrats running to replace Darrell Clarke were kicked off the ballot or withdrew, leaving just one survivor.

No Republicans are running for any district seat, except District 10, where 43-year incumbent Brian O’Neill is running uncontested in the primary (though he’ll have opposition in November).

Before you vote: We’re updating our Philadelphia Primary Voter Guide in real time as nomination-petition challenges are evaluated and candidates withdraw following the ballot-position lottery. Stay tuned for our Interactive Voter Guide to the primary races in Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties as well as in Philly.

Caught Our Eye

Are you a teacher looking to introduce your students to elections in an informative, experiential, and nonpartisan way? Sign up to receive our #C70ed Newsletter, a new initiative in our statewide effort to reinvigorate civics education in PA. Learn more about C70 youth civics.

On Our Radar

Ballot curing OK: Commonwealth Court judge Ellen Ceisler allowed PA counties to help voters fix minor, technical errors on their mail-in ballots if they choose to do so, dismissing a GOP claim that state law doesn’t allow for it.

Newbies on Council: No matter who wins in November, the City Council that convenes in January will have less collective experience than in any time since 1983, according to an Inquirer survey that also weighs the balance between what political consultant Mustafa Rashed calls the “balance of new ideas and proven experience.”

Harrisburg clout: The Inquirer reports that Democratic control of the House has given Philly more power than it has had in at least 12 years. Women have more, too, but Spotlight PA finds that “big hurdles remain.”

How your neighborhood stacks up: The City Controller’s new Progress PHL dashboard measures how Philly neighborhoods fare and compare in a range of areas, including population, income, housing, medical care, access to the internet and environmental quality.

Voting updates around the U.S.: Politics PA explains how the multi-state Election Registration Information Center (ERIC) maintains voter-roll accuracy but is becoming subject to partisan politics and conspiracies.

Events

PA’s Unequal Voting Rules and How They Impact You

Thurs., March 30, 6-7 pm

Online

A Spotlight PA and Votebeat analysis reviewed election policies in all 67 counties for the 2022 midterms and found a patchwork of rules around ballot curing, drop boxes and other procedures that can affect voter access. Learn more about the consequences of these disparities and how we can address them from an expert panel featuring Khalif Ali of Common Cause PA, Jonathan Marks of the PA Department of State, and Lisa Schaefer of the County Commissioners Association. Register.

PHL Arts and Culture Mayoral Forum

Thurs., March 30, 6:30-8:30 pm

Taller Puertorriqueno, Inc.

2600 N. 5th St., Philadelphia

Every Voice, Every Vote, the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance and C70 host Philadelphia’s mayoral candidates for a discussion of issues facing the city’s arts and culture sector—a generator of almost 40,000 Philly jobs and more than a thousand social-impact programs. Register.

Counting the Vote in PA: Why Business Supports Pre-Canvassing

Fri., March 31, 12-12:30 pm

Online

Business and a stable economic environment depend on government being prepared to run elections in Pennsylvania and deliver timely results. For too long this has not been the case, as PA’s delayed election results have become a national embarrassment and unwelcome tradition. Business for America presents Philadelphia City Commissioner Seth Bluestein (R ), PA Rep. Scott Conklin (D-Centre County) and Demme Learning CEO Ethan Demme, who’ll discuss efforts to support an election code change that would allow pre-canvassing of mail-in and absentee ballots. Register.

Understanding the Judicial Rating Process

Tues., April 4, 12-1 pm

Facebook Live

Seventy will welcome Matt Olesh and Chimdi Tuffs of the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Campaign for Qualified Judges for a conversation about how the association issues ratings for judicial candidates, why these ratings matter, and what you can do to inform your community about judicial races this year. RSVP on Facebook.

Philadelphia City Council At-Large Candidate Convention

Tues., April 11, 4-7 pm

WHYY Independence Civic Space

150 N. 5th St., Philadelphia

Seventy, WHYY, the Philadelphia Inquirer and Every Voice, Every Vote are sponsoring a convention for voters to come meet directly with the 35+ candidates running for at-large positions on City Council. This event will run like a reverse job-fair. Voters can approach candidates at their table to discuss issues. This event is made possible with the support of the Lenfest Institute’s Every Voice, Every Vote project. RSVP.

Voter Hub at FDR Park

Sun., April 16, 11 am-4pm

FDR Park, 1500 Pattison Avenue & S. Broad St, Philadelphia

C70, Friends of FDR Park and the League of Women Voters of Philadelphia host a five-hour opportunity for eligible citizens to register to vote, apply for a mail-in ballot, question experts on voting and receive nonpartisan resources in several languages to prepare them to vote in the May 16th primary election. We'll also have bilingual volunteers on-hand and election related crafts for kids. Join us!

Our Vote, Our Future Mayoral Forum

Mon., April 17, 6-8 pm

Columbia North YMCA

1400 N. Broad St., Philadelphia

The Urban Affairs Coalition, the Greater Philadelphia YMCA and One Day at a Time host a mayoral forum that will offer Philadelphians an opportunity to voice their hopes, concerns and what they know will make Philadelphia an ever-better place for all of us. The focus will be on such top-of-mind issues as education, youth development, health equity, substance abuse recovery, housing, equitable economic development and gun violence. Moderators: Urban Affairs Coalition CEO Sharmain Matlock-Turner and Shaun Elliott, the president and CEO of the Greater Philadelphia YMCA. Register.

Appellate Courts Candidate Forum

Tues., May 9, 6-7:30 PM

Zoom

Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts will host a virtual forum with the candidates for Pennsylvania's appellate courts: the Supreme Court, Superior Court and Commonwealth Court. All of the candidates have been invited to participate, and virtual attendees will have the opportunity to submit questions for the candidates. Co-Sponsors include the Allegheny County Law Library, the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, the Free Library of Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Bar Association, the League of Women Voters of Greater Pittsburgh, the Montgomery County Bar Association, the Pennsylvania Bar Association and the C70. Register.

Get Involved

Poll Worker Training Sessions

Mon.-Thurs., 7:30 pm, Now through May 4th

Online

Seventy, the League of Women Voters and veteran poll workers have partnered as part of the Pennsylvania Poll Worker Project to offer resources and supplemental info sessions for individuals seeking to staff polling places on Election Day across Pennsylvania. (Note: These sessions are not official trainings from a County Board of Elections, and participants are not compensated for their attendance.) Learn more about our poll worker sessions, and sign up.

Seventy's membership program broadens, diversifies, and expands our community of champions of local democracy. Become a member and receive notification about Event signups, Annual Membership Impact Reports, C70 swag and Invitations to members-only experiences and receptions.

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