PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphia Mayor-elect Cherelle Parker introduced an Intergovernmental Roundtable Tuesday that she says she’ll be relying on to advance her agenda.
Standing in the Mayor’s Reception Room surrounded by city and state lawmakers, she said the group would be crucial to keeping her campaign promise to make Philadelphia the safest, cleanest, greenest city in the country, with economic opportunity for all.
“I can’t get any of it done without the people who are here today.”
The group includes 11 City Council members, 13 state representatives, four state Senators, and, though they weren’t present, the city’s entire congressional delegation, including Senators Bob Casey and John Fetterman. Parker called them her “kitchen cabinet.”
“Everyone you see standing here today, they have one thing in common. Everyone has a vote on the budget,” she said.
State Senator Vincent Hughes called this level of collaboration unprecedented.
“Look at this gathering. People from all over the City of Philadelphia, from all communities, coming together to make sure that we are successful,” he said, “and the thing I’ve heard from everyone in every part of Philadelphia is, they want this mayor to be successful.”
There were some notable absences. The Roundtable is made up entirely of Democrats, though Parker said she intends to also work with Republican Martina White. In addition, some of the Democrats missing from the group are those on the progressive side, including state Senator Nikil Saval and state Rep. Liz Fiedler. Councilmember Jaime Gauthier was added after the press conference.