Web Search powered by YAHOO! SEARCH
share
email
font size
options
 
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Goode wants to shrink City Council
When City Council returns in two weeks, Councilman W. Wilson Goode Jr. will propose a charter change that would reduce the number of at-large Council seats from seven to five -- a move that would effectively eliminate the two at-large seats set aside for Republicans.

"We should really consider whether we need seven at-large members," Goode said.

Currently there are 17 seats on Council, seven of which are at-large spots. No political party can nominate more than five candidates for at-large, which essentially leaves two seats open for the minority party Republicans. Goode's legislation would reduce the total number of seats to five and still allow parties to nominate five candidates. Given that registered Democrats outnumber Republicans 5-1 in Philly, the GOP would find it much harder to win any at-large seats under the proposed legislation.

"I believe there should be open and fair competition for the seats," said Goode, who added that the two current Republican at-large Councilman Jack Kelly and Frank Rizzo are in the Deferred Retirement Option Program (DROP) so he expects them to retire before the next election.

But Rizzo has not actually committed to leaving.

At-large Councilman Jim Kenney said he hadn't seen the legislation, but that the issue deserved review.

"Certainly it has merit to have discussion about," Kenney said. "I never understood the set-aside for the Republicans anyway."
Posted by Catherine Lucey @ 10:36 AM  Permalink | 3 comments
Comments   
Posted 11:15 AM, 09/04/2008
JimMcBrook
Are the seats set aside for "Republicans" or for Minority partys?
Posted 11:43 AM, 09/04/2008
DCExpat
the DROP program for elected officials is total BS. that needs to be ammended WITHOUT grandfathering in those that have already elected it. Bilking city taxpayers.....
Posted 03:47 PM, 09/04/2008
Adam Lang
Set aside for minority party. If they are going to redesign the layout of the council, they should eliminate At-Large entirely and redraw 15 district seats... but that would affect Goode's job, so I am sure he isn't keen on that idea.
3 comments
About Chris Brennan and Catherine Lucey
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.

Catherine Lucey joined the Daily News in 2002. Since then she has written about murderous drug gangs, political protesters and Harry Potter. For the past two years, she covered the 2007 mayoral election. Now that the battle is over, she has moved down to the City Hall bureau where she will report on the Nutter administration.

Share your tips

Catherine Lucey
luceyc@phillynews.com 		Chris Brennan
brennac@phillynews.com
Advertise Here