Philly Council president calls for alternative revenue gatekeeper

With Philadelphia struggling to balance its budget, City Council President Darrell Clarke wants to create a “revenue czar.”

Clarke explains a revenue czar would screen any and all proposals to generate funds for Philadelphia other than by raising taxes on residents and businesses.

“Over the last several years, council members have come up with a number of issues that will allow us to generate revenue, will allow us to save money for the city of Philadelphia, but there is no one individual or department that is responsible” for vetting those provisions, Vlarke said Thursday.

Clarke says the new position would be part of a new department, an office of revenue generation.

“I’ve been discussing not necessarily this particular proposal but revenue generation for the last two years,” he said. “And I have one very aggressive proposal for municipal marketing coming up for a public hearing, it’s time to move forward.”

In the past, Clarke raised eyebrows by proposing ads on city-owned buildings, maybe even on City Hall.