Mayor Nutter’s tough budget sell

Mayor Nutter has presented his budget. Now he has to sell it to City Council and the people of Philadelphia.

Mayor Nutter has presented his budget. Now he has to sell it to City Council and the people of Philadelphia.

[Audio: 100305TMNUTTER.mp3]

Mayor Nutter admits he has a difficult budget and that tough choices had to be made to balance it, including a tax on sugary beverages and a fee for trash pickup. The mayor says he will travel the city to explain his spending plan.

Mayor Nutter: I’m out with people all the time. When last year’s budget was passed it’s not like I stopped talking to people about their concerns. Philadelphians aren’t shy, so they tell me anyway. But in the near term, much like last year, we’ve been actively engaged meeting with block captains, neighborhood action councils, the clergy community, the business community.

The mayor says he was surprised that his predecessor John Street stood outside City Council, complaining about the soda tax and was shocked when he saw a picture of Street holding a soda bottle to illustrate how much the tax would cost.