PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Voters — even those registered as Independents or in third parties — are being asked to approve four changes in the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter on the upcoming primary ballot.
Up until the last 20 years, charter changes were rare and monumental. Now, they have become all too common.
“Part of the reason for this is because City Council has realized that it is very easy to make policy or change the executive branch whenever they want to by getting something to the ballot, because voters will almost always approve it,” said Pat Christmas, policy director of the Committee of Seventy.
Of the four primary ballot questions, one makes a controversial attempt. In question No. 4, City Council is attempting to create a new, permanent position called chief public safety officer, who it will have approval authority over — contrary to the charter’s intention to leave that power with the mayor.
Related
The Kenney administration said the role duplicates the managing director’s job and could actually harm public safety by causing confusion about lines of responsibility.
“I put this in the category of City Council gradually shifting power away from the executive branch and toward it probably in ways that are not going to be helpful,” Christmas said.
He said voters are choosing a new mayor, who should have some say over this big of a change. However, council rushed the question onto the ballot — so fast, in fact, that former city solicitor Mark Zecca believes it was illegal, because it was amended on council floor and immediately voted on without the five-day waiting period, as required by the charter after legislation is changed.
“This is terrible policy,” said Zecca. “This violates at least the spirit of the charter. I think it goes further and violates the actual letter of the charter.”
Zecca thinks it shouldn’t even be on the ballot, but he hopes, at least, voters will take time to understand what they’re being asked before the deciding vote on May 16.
Related
