Heard in the Hall

Council moves closer to abolishing BRT

Philadelphia City Hall and political coverage from the Philadelphia Inquirer City Hall bureau.

20 comments

Council moves closer to abolishing BRT

POSTED: Wednesday, December 9, 2009, 12:40 PM

Patrick Kerkstra

A City Council committee this morning approved 12-1 sweeping legislation that would abolish the embattled Board of Revision of Taxes, and replace it with a property assessing agency under the mayor's supervision and an independent appeals board.

The vote, which was widely anticipated, sets the stage for final approval in City Council on Dec. 17.

There was no public testimony, and - apart from BRT workers who fear they may lose their jobs - there appears to be no organized opposition to the reforms, which come in the wake of an Inquirer series that exposed widespread mismanagement, inaccurate assessments and possible corruption at the agency.

Yet the vote was nearly derailed by council hand-wringing over the fate of over 80 patronage workers at the BRT who are currently paid off the School District payroll to skirt city rules banning political activity by city employees.

The council members wasted hardly a moment discussing or debating the broader impact of the legislation, which stands to effect every property in the City of Philadelphia. Instead, the entire debate centered on whether or not the administration would do enough to preserve the livelihoods of the patronage workers, some of whom owe their jobs to council members who used their political clout to secure their jobs.

Speaking on behalf of the Nutter administration, city Finance Director Rob Dubow repeatedly refused to outline just what the administration plans to do with the workers, though he promised to have an answer for Council ahead of the anticipated Dec. 17 final vote.

With some difficultly, Councilman Bill Green, who introduced the landmark legislation, convinced his colleagues to go ahead and vote for the bill even though the fate of the patronage workers is unclear. He urged fellow council members to use the leverage of future non-cooperation with Mayor Nutter to ensure that the administration protects the jobs of the patronage employees.

Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell was the only council member to vote against moving the bill out of committee.

If approved by Council next week, voters will be asked during the May primary election to approve the abolition of the BRT.

The Nutter administration already has day-to-day control of the assessment wing of the formerly independent agency. In a vote this morning, the BRT signed off on a memorandum of understanding that cedes oversight of its property valuation employees and policies to Dubow.

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20 comments

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Comments (20)

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 12:57 PM, 12/09/2009

Do these council members realize tax increases based on actual value will hit all their constituents two months before they themselves face reelection? The power to tax is the power to destroy - and get thrown out of office.

— anti-tax

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0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 1:28 PM, 12/09/2009

Here's a suggestion on what to do with the patronage workers - FIRE THEM. Unless they are actually qualified for their positions, and can pass a civil service exam to prove so, they have no business being there in the first place! People get fired in private industry all the time through reorganizations; since when did City jobs become guaranteed income for life? Oh, and boo-hoo, the AVI will go into effect just before Council elections. GREAT - that way two good things come of it: proper taxation for correct valuation in the City, and all the Council bums get tossed out as well! Can't imagine anything better!

— citylumberjack

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0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 1:45 PM, 12/09/2009

wow, I'm speechless.

— dreinterests

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 1:58 PM, 12/09/2009

Good move by Council. But I'm wondering which Committee this is that has 13 members out of a 17 member Council? That seems like a strange committee structure.

— amc312

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0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 5:05 PM, 12/09/2009

We know that Cleanup and Dave like to praise Kirkstra. The series seems more analitics and little empirics. I am not saying it is Kirkstra-gate, but wonder about Dave, Kirkstra, and Cleanups real est- ate qualifications(?).

— joseph shay stivala

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 7:51 AM, 12/10/2009

Hey cleanupphilly and all others that are against the brt. Wait until 2011 when yor taxes double and triple under the mayor. And guess what, YOU ALL DESERVE IT!

— tellsitlikeitis

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 7:51 AM, 12/10/2009

Hey cleanupphilly and all others that are against the brt. Wait until 2011 when yor taxes double and triple under the mayor. And guess what, YOU ALL DESERVE IT!

— tellsitlikeitis

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 12:12 PM, 12/10/2009

Mayor has us all the out halls. Now the deficit with disappear and we will all be paying for it with higher real estate taxes. This will not be about being fair as the Mayor will still have favorites..like the Water Billings1

— Clark_Kent_SuperHero