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Tuesday, December 30th, 2008 at 2:07 pm - by Its Our City Staff. Filed under: Budget.
The breaking news is that Judge Idee C. Fox has issued an order stating that Mayor Michael Nutter can NOT go ahead with his planned library closures on or after January 1st without City Council approval.
The Inky has some details but it appears that the Nutter administration will appeal the verdict.
WHYY’s Tom MacDonald reports even if the Nutter administration appeals the ruling, the libraries must remain open until the appeal is decided. Click here to hear Tom’s report:
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Here’s the City Ordinance Judge Fox is basing her decision by:
Section 16 - 203 of the Philadelphia Code (Closing or Abandonment of Any City-Owned Capital Facility): No City-owned capital facility shall be closed, abandoned, or allowed to go into disuse without specific approval therefore from City Council, by Ordinance.
The plaintiffs in the lawsuit referenced the above ordinance as the backbone for their case against Nutter. Here’s a link to the lawsuit.
The Mayor’s Office plans to appeal the decision in Commonwealth Court. Philly Clout has reaction from City Solicitor Shelley Smith.
What do you think of all this?
January 9th, 2009 at 8:21 am
[...] a judge ruled that Nutter does not have the authority to close the libraries himself, and now the City Council will have to decide what to do about 11 [...]