City Hires Budget Deputy To Oversee Stimulus Funds
Get inside the halls of Philadelphia power with PhillyClout: Inside City Hall, the blog by the Philadelphia Daily News' city hall reporters.
City Hires Budget Deputy To Oversee Stimulus Funds
Catherine Lucey
Almost a year after the $787 billion federal stimulus package was announced, Philadelphia has hired a staffer to manage the city's grant applications, spending and reporting to the federal government.
Budget Director Stephen Agostini said Maari Porter -- who currently works for the government in the United Kingdom -- has accepted the job of deputy budget director for recovery. She will start work on February 8 and her salary is set at $97,000, but with furlough days, it will be $95,000 this year.
Agostini said that he will retain the title of recovery officer and will continue to oversee the city's efforts, along with communications with the federal government and other municipalities. But Porter will handle more of the day to day management of the city grants, contracts and the detailed reporting required by the federal government.
"Having a person dedicated to following those rules and requirements is very critical," Agostini said.
President Obama signed the $787 billion economic stimulus package -- designed to boost the economy through tax breaks, enhanced social programs and grant funding -- into law almost a year ago. Through October, Philadelphia had received $157 million in grant funding for projects like street repaving, hiring police officers and green jobs training.
But the city's management of stimulus dollars was somewhat bumpy last year. Responsibility for overseeing grant applications and spending shifted among several officials before landing with Agostini in the fall. When Agostini took the helm, he said that the city's efforts to manage stimulus dollars had been hampered by limited communication between departments. And actually getting funds and spending them moved more slowly than expected.
Porter currently works for the prime minister's cabinet office in the United Kingdom, Agostini said. She previously worked in the deputy prime minister's office, focusing on local issues.
Isn't the Stimulus package supposed to put AMERICANS back to work? You mean to tell me they couldn't find a qualified Philadelphian willing to work for $95,000?!?— girardo19122
Comment removed.- Comment removed.
- Comment removed.
- So why the freckle did I got a graduate degree in government administration? Eff you Nutter.— johanna
- Comment removed.
- I couldn't possibly top any of these comments!— jzgirl
- See, all you doubters, it did create a job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
- Comment removed.
- Comment removed.
- Comment removed.
- Comment removed.
- Comment removed.
- girardo19122 said it best!!!!!!!!— gemini48
- I have read key parts of American Recovery...........blah blah blah "Stimulus Act" and it was rushed through with multiple lying claims made by our Pres. + Pelosi......they wanted to throw a large amount of money and move on to THEIR agenda as quickly as possible (Health Care, Climate Fraud) >> the Stimulus Act essentially had very little direct Federal job creation involved - each of our fifty states was / is to receive a chunk of the pie and each Governor had to give his or her WRITTEN CERTIFICATION that the funds would be used in a stimulatory manner - very little oversight - a total absence of meaningful "shovel ready" jobs. Now, 1 year later, Obama is giving lip service and some additional money for jobs jobs jobs. In fact, think about it - the federal government spent $800+ BILLION a year ago with the "Stimulus / American Recovery Act" and WE WERE ASSURED it would meaningfully create jobs right away. But of course nobody listened when nonpartisan economists who studied this 'Act' concluded that very very little was actually stimulatory spending. It turns out these economists were correct (which also included some arguably partisan groups like Kaiser) - so now, with a renewed and focused determined Obama saying nothing but JOBS JOBS JOBS, his proposal is a targeted $80B ?? It just shows by comparison that the naysayers were correct last year - that the Recovery Act wasn't targeted or timely. It WAS ill-conceived but these politicians refuse to step back and reconsider and listen to anyone but themselves -— zen
Follow Chris on Twitter
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
Follow Dave on Twitter.
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. E-mail tips to ransomj@phillynews.com
Follow Jan on Twitter
Sean Collins Walsh is from Bucks County and went to Northwestern University. He joined the Daily News copy desk in 2012 and now covers the Nutter administration. Before that, he interned at papers including The New York Times, The Dallas Morning News and The Seattle Times. E-mail tips to walshSE@phillynews.com
Follow Sean on Twitter
