Phila. council OKs $100K for PR firm
Thursday, December 17th, 2009
By: Tom MacDonald
tmacdonald@whyy.org
Philadelphia City Council has approved a one-year contract for strategic public relations help. The city will pay up to 100 thousand dollars for advice.
Ross Associates, a firm run by Bill Miller, won the contract to offer communications advise to City Council in 2010. Miller has worked for various members of the city's Democratic Party for years.
Councilwoman Marian Tasco says Miller's services are needed.
Tasco: The city mayor has a communications department with eight people. This city council deemed it important to us to have a strategic communications person to help with our strategies with the budget next year…the ethics issues we have to deal with.
Council already has a full-time public relations staffer, who is a veteran in dealing with the media. Councilman Frank DiCicco opposes the deal, saying the money would be better used to keep libraries open, or pay for more police officers.