Neilson plan would give Council a say on Philly cabinet appointments

A Philadelphia councilman is preparing legislation to give council a say in the next round of mayoral cabinet selections.

Councilman Ed Neilson said he believes the mayor’s top cabinet picks should be vetted and approved by City Council, the way it’s done in other jurisdictions.

“Most high-level positions are confirmed by a secondary body. I don’t believe it’s a power grab, it’s not about that,” he said. “It’s just making certain that we are putting highly qualified people in the right places, and their ability to do the job.”

The change would require an amendment to the city charter. Neilson, who has a draft bill, wants to fine-tune the measure more before formally introducing it for Council consideration.