PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphia City Councilmember Derek Green planned to propose a package of election reforms at Thursday's Council session.
Green called it his “civics” legislative agenda.
He said in a statement that it’s designed to encourage civic engagement, in response to the 21% turnout in the November 2021 election. He believes that can be turned around by increasing trust and participation in the process.
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To build trust, he proposes stricter definitions and disclosures for conflicts of interest from outside sources of income. Green himself reports outside income from a law firm.
He also proposes a charter change to create a permanent Office of Inspector General, which investigates waste, fraud, and abuse.
That’s something good government groups have long endorsed, but this would be the first time City Council considers it.
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To increase participation, Green will propose a charter change to lower the minimum age for candidates for mayor to 21, and for City Council to 18, even though even the youngest Council members are a decade older than the current minimum of 25.
He also said he would renew his call for public financing of campaigns. Another bill would end the practice of candidates keeping multiple campaign accounts.
