Heard in the Hall

Council giving row offices a pass

When independent groups look for potential budget savings within the City of Philadelphia, they can't help but focus on the city's little-known row offices, obscure patronage-rich departments led by independently elected officials.

23 comments

Council giving row offices a pass

POSTED: Tuesday, April 20, 2010, 11:42 AM

Patrick Kerkstra

But City Council apparently sees no waste whatsoever in these politically influential offices, many of which are led by party heavies.

In budget hearings this morning, council members have scarcely questioned the leaders of these offices. Council members had nothing but praise for Ron Donatucci, a powerful democratic ward leader and the chief of the Register of Wills. He was in and out of the witness chair in less than 20 minutes.

Sheriff John Green did not show for his office's budget hearing, but council let his deputies slide with precious little questioning either, even though the office has exceeded its overtime budget. They too were in and out in record time.

The City Commissioner's office is testifying now. Marge Tartaglione, chair of the City Commissioners, is absent, but one of her deputies is now in the witness seat and getting gentle treatment. Indeed, council members seem to be dedicating as much time to praising the performance of row office officials as they have to questioning their budgets.

All of this is a huge contrast with the way Council has treated city departments that fall under the direct control of the Nutter administration. Those officials are grilled, at length, as council probes for potential budget savings and uses the opportunity to critique the performance of the administration.

Typically, Councilman Bill Green takes the lead on questioning. His approach to Nutter administration officials who appear at the witness table may be combative at times, but there is no denying that it is also thorough and his questions are well researched.

But Green apparently has no questions for the row offices that many outside entities consider ripe targets for budget savings. The councilman has not yet shown up for today's hearings.

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23 comments

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Comments (23)

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 2:39 PM, 04/20/2010

larrydalliopolis - I AM 500% WITH YOU - LET REPLACE THEM. I WILL GET FIRED IF I SHOW LATE TO MY WORK. I AM SHAME - I VOTED FOR MOST OF THEM.

— phillythink

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 2:48 PM, 04/20/2010

Whew, BRT is an interesting case.

— EAvila

Comment removed.

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 3:13 PM, 04/20/2010

Remember this the next time you vote the straight Democrat ballot. Better yet, remember it BEFORE voting. The one-party rule is killing this city.

— DonQ

Comment removed.

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 3:36 PM, 04/20/2010

More evidence of the political machine at work, perpetuating the culture of entitlement in City government. VOTE THEM ALL OUT!!!

— citylumberjack

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 7:09 AM, 04/21/2010

Another fluff piece for Patrick. If Nutter stopped quick....

— jzgirl

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 7:30 PM, 04/25/2010

BRT employees become civil service and the CQS's become patronage. Guess who has more employees? Guess which office controls tons of monies? As to V. Miller "quitting" as CQS, check her DROP which actaully took effect in April of 2009. Lots press about her daughter, who was first deputy then left, was replaced by her husband, then she came back, husband got another city job and the new replacement as second deputy is a nephew. This was all very carefully planned to wrest civil service from the rich mine of monies and jobs under CQS.

— PERESEPHONE