The promise came as the mayoral hopeful rolled out a package of proposals on an issue that has been at the center of local news since word of the City Hall corruption probe first broke nearly four years ago.

Speaking at the Ethical Society on Rittenhouse Square, Fattah promised reforms including:

Ending the pay-to-play system where political donors get an inside track to city contracts.

Studying ways to eliminate the award of no-bid contracts, which has been abused in the past.

Examining a ban on outside employment by elected officials.

Zack Stalberg, executive director of the Committee of Seventy, the good-government watchdog group, praised Fattah for taking a stand that he said mirrored much of the ethics proposal that his own organization put forth earlier this month.

"Congressman Fattah seems to be drawing a big distinction from how he would govern and the pay-to- play culture that has existed in Philadelphia for some time," he said.

But Stalberg said he was dismayed by the lack of specifics and the number of promises that were modified by vows to "study" various issues: "Given the time he's had to work on it, I guess I expected a more finished proposal."

Fattah's speech was the second in a series of events at which Fattah has introduced key campaign proposals. Last week's event, on crime policy, drew a large crowd to hear the congressman speak about what pollsters say is the number-one issue for Philadelphians. But yesterday's announcement drew only a small crowd, most of them reporters.

Most of the questions yesterday focused on Fattah's expansive promise to take his administration out of City Hall and into the neighborhoods.

The accessibility plan was full of specifics.

Fattah vowed to work one day four times each year from each of the city's 10 councilmanic districts. And he said that, once a month, he would keep his schedule open for meetings on a first-come, first-served basis with members of the general public.

That adds up to 52 days a year - once a week - when Fattah would forgo the trappings of mayoral power in order to listen to the gripes and ideas of ordinary people.

The plan would mark a significant contrast to Mayor Street, who is often accused of being imperious and detached. Ironically, Street began his administration by wading deep into neighborhoods for open town meetings, but those eventually stopped.

One pledge that may require more specifics was Fattah's promise to give contracting preference to firms that employ Philadelphians. The promise would mean another loophole in the principle of awarding contracts to the lowest responsible bidder.

Fattah said it was worth it to promote jobs. But he did not say exactly how much of a boost city employers would get.

"It is not my desire to have an extreme preference," he said. "It is my desire to find a reasonable and responsible preference."

The city already has a law that grants local business entities a 5 percent bid preference on most city contracts. The measure was introduced in 2003 by then-Councilman Michael Nutter, who is now among Fattah's rivals in the mayoral field.