Mayor's new thinking about how to announce bad news (click to see really really big version)

The City of Philadelphia is stepping up its effort to win public support for the next round of budget cuts. Over the weekend, the Mayor Michael Nutter made visits to several neighborhoods to explain face-to-face the toll the national recession is having on this city’s finances. This handshake diplomacy is being accompanied by budget 101 lessons.

Today, for the first time in his administration, the city used its televised PhillyStat meeting for a “State of the City” update on the budget. In this meeting which will be aired in Philadelphia on cable Channel 64 at 7:00pm featured everyone from the Managing Director Camille Barnett to the Economy League’s Steven Wray. The next budget discussion is scheduled for Wednesday 1:30pm at the Municipal Services Building. Room 1450.

Then there will be the budget workshops “Tight Times, Tough Choices” where citizens will be asked how they would balance the budget using various budget scenarios.

It’s believed by some in the administration that the approach Nutter took in November by first announcing budget cuts, then holding public meetings to explain why, didn’t go over so well. So with everything he’s doing to get the public more involved in the budget process, what do you plan to do? I’ve already seen some skeptics planning to sit this one out saying on blogs that the mayor’s “new way” is just political cover for the upcoming cuts. But you could also see it as a mayor who got it wrong the first time, and is sincerely trying to work with the citizens who said they wanted change when they elected him. If you have any thoughts I’d love to hear them.

Related Link:

Special city budget website

FAQ’s on budget workshops

Elmer Smith column that includes this great line about the upcoming workshops “There will be light refreshments served to compensate for the fact that you won’t get to take a bite out of the mayor or his Cabinet.”