A new report from the Pennsylvania Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority - a state agency that oversees the city budget - estimates that the city could save $13 million to $15 million annually by eliminating four independently elected "row offices" and moving their functions to city agencies or the court system.

The offices are the clerk of Quarter Sessions, responsible for much of the court system's record-keeping; the city commissioners, a three-person panel in charge of the city's elections; the register of wills, whose office records wills and estates, collects inheritance taxes and issues marriage licenses; and the sheriff, whose portfolio includes providng courtroom security, transporting prisoners, serving warrants and auctioning real estate on which taxes or mortgage payments are delinquent.

Titled "A History We Can No Longer Afford: Consolidating Philadelphia's Row Offices," the PICA report also argues that eliminating the offices would increase transparency and government efficiency. It follows similar recommendations earlier this year from the political-watchdog group Committee of Seventy.

"Do you need these offices to be elected?" asked PICA Executive Director Uri Monson. "These are not policy positions. These are administrative positions. There is no need for them to be elected."

Eliminating the clerk of Quarter Sessions could be done through a vote by City Council. Abolishing the three other offices would require voter approval.

Mayor Nutter suggested in December that the city should consider eliminating some of its minor row offices to save costs.

Doug Oliver, a spokesman for Nutter, yesterday said that the administration was reviewing the report as part of its analysis of the row offices. He didn't know if there was a time frame for the review process.

PICA compared the expense of the four offices with similar offices in the 14 other most populous Pennsylvania counties. Some of their findings:

* The city commissioners had the highest administrative spending in the group, spending $9.3 million or $9.18 per registered voter in the 2009 fiscal year. The median on the list was $4.68 per voter.

* The register of wills spent $3.6 million in the 2009 fiscal year, or $2,300 per case, putting it third on the list. The median in the group was $1,037 per case.

* The clerk of Quarter Sessions was also highest on the list, spending $4.7 million in the 2009 fiscal year, or $169.70 per case. The median was $109.99 per case.

* The sheriff's office spent $15.2 million in fiscal 2009, which averages to $10.50 per capita. That put it fifth on the list of 15. The median was $8.56 per capita.

"We were very surprised by some of the discrepancies between Philadelphia and some of the counties of similar size," Monson said. "There's always going to be some discrepancies. When you're at 100 percent more, that's a problem."

PICA's savings estimate is based on the money that the city would save if the local costs were in line with the median cost of peer counties.

Of the six elected officials in the four offices, only Ron Donatucci, who has served as register of wills for 30 years, spoke with the Daily News. He said that his office has repeatedly cut costs and taken salary cuts to respond to the budget crisis, and stressed that he provides more complex services than some of his suburban counterparts.

"There are so many issues in an urban area that they don't have in Montgomery County," Donatucci said.

A call to the clerk of Quarter Sessions, Vivian Miller was returned by her daughter, first deputy Robin Jones, who directed calls to attorney Sam Stretton. Stretton said that Miller was talking with First Judicial District President Judge Pamela Dembe about the future of the office.

Deputy City Commissioner Renee Tartaglione, the daughter of City Commissioners Chairwoman Marge Tartaglione, said the commissioners would respond when they found time to read the report.

Sheriff John Green did not respond to a call for comment.

In 2005, voters in Allegheny County - which includes Pittsburgh - approved a plan to get rid of the clerk of courts, coroner, jury commissioners, prothonotary, recorder of deeds and register of wills. The offices were consolidated and elected officials replaced with three appointed posts, for a savings of more than $1 million and reduced political influence in city government.

Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato was behind the Pittsburgh reform. Democrat Onorato challenged his own party to make the change.

"This was not an easy push; this was a battle," said Onorato, who is running for governor. "This was a battle among my own party. There were a lot of people for and against. My argument was that its time has come."