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Thursday, February 26, 2009

City Council Holding Secret Meeting On Budget Issues

City Council members are right now gathered in a closed-door City Hall meeting and refusing to let reporters come inside. Mayor Nutter briefed Council leaders earlier today on budget issues so Council members could be discussing that. There's no way to know for sure since we're locked out. Reporters gathered outside the meeting believe there is a quorum of Council members present, which means the meeting must be open to the public, according to state law.

Tony Radwanski, an aide to City Council President Anna Verna, told reporters the meeting is about how Council will hear public testimony on the city budget during upcoming hearings.  There is no provision in the state's Sunshine Act -- which covers public records and open meetings -- to close a meeting so public officials can discuss how to run hearings.

We've been down this road before.  Mayor Nutter last fall shut reporters out of meetings where he briefed a majority of Council members about the city's budget woes.  Nutter insisted he had the right to hold secret meetings -- one had an armed guard posted at the door -- because Council was taking no action on the budget at the time.

A Common Pleas Court judge later sided with Nutter when the Daily News and Inquirer went to court in November, asking for access to the meetings.  The judge's ruling said the newspapers had not presented any evidence about what went on at meetings where reporters were not allowed attend.  We did not make up that last line.

UPDATE, 4:10 pm:  After the meeting, Verna told reporters the Council members had debated whether to hold hearings on the city budget out in their districts rather than just City Hall.   There was no debate about the budget itself, she insisted, because Council has no updated information on the finances.  Verna seemed surprised by the questions about closing the meeting.  "If that is against the law, it's news to me," she said.
Posted by Chris Brennan @ 3:13 PM  Permalink | 4 comments
Comments   
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 8:07 PM, 02/26/2009
    Hey Mayor Nutty, so it's a "New Day - New Way". Right. So much for transparency and openness. Guess those rules don't apply to you or City Council.
    — Smokey
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 6:46 AM, 02/27/2009
    Smokey - only the most open and transparent budget process ever...maybe you should change your name to "Dopey".
    — Philly Phorever
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 9:16 AM, 02/27/2009
    Hey Philly Phorever -- saying that this is the "open and transparent" ever doesn't mean much in this city. It's like slapping a blind man on the back and saying, hey, you're a little less blind today. Don't give up the dog.
    — WaltRiceJr
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 2:35 AM, 12/27/2009
    That is so funny that Young Philly Politics is worried about the Sunshine Act. YPP censors and covers up their own.
    — maggieanne


4 comments
About The Philly Clout Team
PhillyClout
Chris Brennan, a native Philadelphian and graduate of Temple University, joined the Daily News in 1999. He has written about SEPTA, the Philadelphia School District, the legalization of casino gambling, state government, the mayor, the governor, City Council and political campaigns.
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David Gambacorta spent a small eternity writing about cops, drug dealers and serial killers. Now he’s writing about power and politics ­– which sometimes reminds him of the old crime beat. He joined the Daily News in 2005. And yes, he knows you’re not quite sure how to pronounce his last name. E-mail tips to gambacd@phillynews.com
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Catherine Lucey joined the Daily News in 2002 and has written about murderous drug gangs, political protesters and Harry Potter. After covering the 2007 mayoral election, she moved over to the City Hall bureau where she has been reporting on the Nutter administration.
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Jan Ransom, a native New Yorker, joined the Daily News in 2010 after graduating from Howard University. She has since written about the difficulty of filing police complaints, tax deadbeats and life after violent home invasions. She joined the Daily News City Hall Bureau in 2011 and has plunged headfirst into reporting on administration budget battles and City Council shenanigans.
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Catherine Lucey
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Chris Brennan
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