Since about 9:30 a.m., Mayor Nutter, City Council leadership and about 15 members of Philadelphia's Harrisburg delegation have been meeting in a ballroom at the Bellevue hotel on Broad Street. The topic, naturally, is the city's budget crisis, specificially the city's request for help from Harrisburg in the form of pension restructuring and authorization for a temporary penny-per-dollar increase in the Philadelphia sales tax.

On Friday, Nutter said the meeting was meant "to make sure everyone is as informed as possible."

Nutter said he expected "certainly to discuss what the potential consequences would be" should the legislature refuse to pass the legislation the city is seeking.

At least one state lawmaker has taken issue with the informational session.

»  More High stakes budget meeting underway at Bellevue

It hasn’t been easy street for Mayor Nutter when it comes to making appointments to various city boards and commissions.

That’s in large part due to a Philadelphia Board of Ethics ruling just before he took office that barred members of 25 such boards and commissions from being politically active, including raising campaign funds.

That included wearing a Barack Obama button.

It was no surprise, then, that the mayor a few weeks ago sought to find out if the 15 members of one of the newest panels — the Commission on Parks and Recreation — would be subject to the same prohibition.

»  More Restrictions eased on Parks and Rec board members

With the city's 311 call center now six months in operation, city officials this week acknowledged there are a number of kinks to be worked out.

Among them: 311 operators may answer the phones timely, but they continue to transfer callers where they shouldn't - including to newspaper reporters.

The Inquirer's City Hall Bureau has heard from a number of callers who seem equally shocked to find themselves suddenly talking to a reporter. Calls this week alone came from one person seeking information about getting Mayor Nutter to issue a proclamation; another wanting to register complaints about business taxes; and yet someone else wanting to tell the mayor about alleged police brutality against her son.

Supervisors at 311 were alerted about the glitch on Tuesday, and could not explain why it was happening other than possible mistakes made by new hires.

»  More "Hold on. I'll Transfer You."

Good as gold.

When it comes to keeping the patronage-driven Philadelphia Parking Authority off your back, what's better than FOP plates or a press parking placard?

Well duh. Obviously a placard noting that you're a big wheel in the Democratic machine. This one was spotted in a press parking spot outside City Hall. Needless to say it had not been ticketed.

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City Controller Alan Butkovitz, who has been going after city employees who owe back taxes and utility payments with gusto, is now calling on the city to shut off water service to 723 city employees who owe $705,973 in unpaid water bills. He first brought the issue of late-water bill payments by city workers to light in early June. Full press release follows below:

Butkovitz Urges City to Comply with Water Shut-Off Policy
Controller targets more than $700,000 owed by city employees for water service

PHILADELPHIA - As part of an on-going effort to collect outstanding delinquencies for city services and back taxes, Controller Alan Butkovitz today urged the City to comply with its water shut-off policy for 723 delinquent city employees owing $705,973.

According to the Water Revenue Bureau, customers are delinquent if they are two months behind and have an outstanding balance of $75 or more. Eighty percent of all current, delinquent accounts are six months and older. According to a recent audit of the City’s new water billing system, delinquent water and sewer customers owe a total outstanding balance of $167 million.

In a letter to the Revenue Commissioner, Butkovitz stated, "Allowing city employees to get away with not paying for water service is inappropriate and sends the wrong message."

"City employees should be held to a higher standard and should set a good example to the citizens they serve by paying their water bills on time," said Butkovitz.

»  More Controller keeps after city workers who owe

Dozens of taxi drivers are circling City Hall in their cabs right now, leaning on their horns in protest of the Philadelphia Parking Authority, which regulates taxis in the city. Their list of grievances with the agency is long, and they've protested before. This time they're protesting what they say is the agency's practice of "drive-by ticketing," in which the agency tickets taxi drivers by mail, never putting the citation on the windshield. The PPA disputes the taxi drivers' characterization of their ticketing procedures.

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State employees in the Westmoreland County in western Pennsylvania had a message for Gov. Ed Rendell on Monday: “Let us eat cake!”

According to the anonymous worker who had this cake made up, the workers pooled their money Monday for a tasty dessert that shows a classic 1999 Daily News photo of Rendell stuffing his face with the 1 billionth cheesesteak.

It was a way to take their minds off the budget crisis and the fact, as noted by the cake, that no money would be coming their way in the form of paychecks.

“The cake symbolizes…the audacity of the Governor and legislators dining on steak and what-not while state workers are being forced to resort to applying for food stamps because a budget cannot be passed,” said the worker, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of losing her currently non-paying job.

»  More Cake instead of paychecks

PICA's detailed report on the city's five-year financial plan is available on their website.

One interesting element is the report's focus on the city's beleagured property tax collection system, from the BRT's challenges at setting property values to increasing delinquency rates (begins on page 15).

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Commenters weighing in on recent stories about tax delinquent city workers have questioned the city's authority to deduct up to 20 percent of the salaries of past-due workers. While it is true Philadelphia has no legal authority to deduct tax payments from the paychecks of non-employees, state law appears to give the city the right to do so when it comes to city workers. See the laws cited below:

§ 16084. Cities of first class may deduct delinquent taxes from wages of officers or employees

Any city of the first class shall have the right to collect delinquent taxes due to such city or the school district of such city by any public officer and employe, whose compensation is paid from moneys in the city treasury, by deducting from the salary or compensation of such officer or employe, semi-monthly or periodically, an amount not in excess of twenty per centum of the amount of any current salary or compensation due such officer or employe, as shown by the payroll from which such deduction is made as hereinafter provided.

§ 16086. City controller may certify name of employee to paymaster; payments may be deducted from salaries

»  More Deducting wages from tax delinquents