Nutter to Council: Deal or No Deal?

By Jason Kleinman

With all of the commotion and coverage surrounding the Vince Fumo trial, some people may have lost track of the fact that Mayor Michael Nutter is scheduled to present his budget proposal to the City Council tomorrow. This will be one Nutter’s biggest speeches as mayor. His plan will outline the necessary steps to overcome a massive deficit. While his budget cuts and revenue enhancements may not please everyone, the transparency of the whole process has been a vast improvement from the first round of reductions last November, which included unpopular cuts to libraries, fire departments, and swimming pools.

This time around, they mayor decided to ask questions before taking action. On January 15, he announced an additional $1 billion budget gap over the next five years. Since then, his administration has tirelessly trekked through the city to involve its residents in the decision-making process. In just two months, city leaders met with key stakeholders, surveyed their employees, reviewed a citywide quality of life survey, and participated in four public budget forums. The mayor even went to different neighborhoods, stopping at barber shops, salons, and kitchen tables to personally speak with community members about the budget shortfall. This was an innovative approach that most cities would not have been able to accomplish.

However, as a Philadelphia Inquirer editorial points out, despite these efforts, there were plenty of people who may have been left out of this process. It states, “…maybe the silent majority was too busy working to pay their already high taxes to attend any of the mayor’s budget forums.” As such, it warns that the mayor should not think that he has a mandate to raise taxes.

Tomorrow, after two long months filled with budget overload, we will learn the full details of the mayor’s plan. At that point, the City Council will hold public hearings and work with the mayor to determine which programs get cut and which taxes get increased.

From what you have read in recent news reports, does it sound like the mayor is incorporating the recommendations from the budget workshops in his budget? Should the City Council be expected to honor the findings from these workshops? Do you think there will be any surprises in tomorrow’s announcement?

Jason Kleinman is an intern for It’s Our City. He is currently a Master’s of Public Policy candidate at Rutgers University.