North Philadelphians to weigh in on budget

This week North Philadelphians get to tell City Council what they think of Mayor Nutter’s proposed budget. This is the first official City Council public hearing held in the community. Mayor Nutter says he used public input to develop the plan. Now Councilmembers say they’re ready to listen too.

This week North Philadelphians get to tell City Council what they think of Mayor Nutter’s proposed budget. This is the first official City Council public hearing held in the community. Mayor Nutter says he used public input to develop the plan. Now Councilmembers say they’re ready to listen too.

Transcript:
Councilmembers admit it’s hard for many Philadelphians to get to daytime budget hearings in City Hall. So they’re taking it to the streets.

Tony Radwanski is Communcations Director for City Council. He says Council will hold at least 2 more official public hearings in other parts of the city. He says Council’s waiting to see what happens Wednesday night at Temple University.

Radwanski: “As we do this one on April 1st we may tinker with the process a little bit. If we need to modify it in some way to increase public availability or public access to it… times. If there’s one specific department that seems to engender a lot of public interest we may ask the Commissioner of that department to be present.”

Radwanski says Council’s holding hearings in the community because public interest in this year’s city budget is at an unprecedented level.

Listen:
Click on the play button below or right clock on this link and choose “Save Link As” to download. [audio: reports20090330council.mp3]