Councilman pushes Nutter to carry out new laws

A Philadelphia City Councilman says he will head to court to enforce laws that the Nutter Administration does not intend to comply with.

One bill calls for the city to provide an electronic option for every piece of business a resident can currently do with the city by mail or in person. The other calls for a public information technology or IT plan blueprint for a five-year period.

Councilman Bill Green says he’s been told the mayor — who never signed the bills — is claiming executive privilege.

“I completely disagree with that, there was a specific charter change two years ago,” Green said. “City Council has the right to require any information be presented to us with the annual budget. The IT strategic plan is simply an enactment of that charter change.”

Green says he plans a challenge if the mayor doesn’t carry out the bills, which became law when Nutter did not sign them.

“If he ignores the law, of course I will go to court and seek a declaratory judgment action and force them to uphold the law,” Green said.

The councilman says he probably won’t need outside attorneys for the paperwork; instead, he will ask his staff to file the suit.