PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphia City Council President Darrell Clarke has decided to let voters fill two empty at-large Council seats after all. A mayoral veto apparently convinced him Council needs all 17 members.
On Thursday, Clarke called a special election to fill the seats of Council members Allan Domb and Derek Green, both of whom recently resigned to run for mayor.
The special election will be included on the general election ballot Nov. 8.
Clarke had previously scheduled a special election for that day to fill two district Council seats, vacated by Cherelle Parker and Maria Quiñones Sánchez, who also resigned to run for mayor. But it looked as if he might leave the at-large seats open.
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Then at Thursday’s Council meeting, the mayor vetoed a zoning bill. Twelve council votes are needed to override a veto, and with all the resignations, there are currently only 13 members.
On Wednesday, ward leaders selected the candidates to replace Parker and Sánchez. Anthony Phillips, a 33-year-old nonprofit leader, will fill Parker’s seat. Sánchez’s seat goes to her former chief of staff Quetcy Lozada.