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No SRC but voters will face questions on debt, sustainability and prisons

Now that we know the question of whether voters want the School Reform Commission to be dissolved will not be on the November ballot, we look at what questions will be on there.

As I reported in today's City Council story, the question of whether voters want the School Reform Commission to be dissolved will not be on the November ballot.

Thursday was essentially the last day to pass any ballot question bills for the upcoming election. The City Commissioners' office said Monday is drop dead date but that was giving a couple extra days for Mayor Nutter to sign any of the ballot question bills.

So, what will questions will voters have to answer come November?

One is a routine debt question on whether the city should borrow $137.3 million to spend in capital projects.

Another asks: Shall the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter be amended to establish and define the functions of the Office of Sustainability, headed by a Director of Sustainability?

The charter change would make the sustainability office, created by Mayor Nutter in 2008, a permanent office. The office would oversee programs regarding energy use, air and water quality, tree canopy and climate change preparedness.

The third question asks: Shall the Home Rule Charter be amended to transfer responsibility for managing and operating the City's jails from the Department of Public Welfare and the Board of Trustees of Philadelphia to a new Department of Prisons and Board of Trustees?

The prison oversight initiative would create a Department of Prisons in which the prison commissioner would rise to same level as fire and police commissioners. The commissioner would also be responsible for managing a reintegration program for prisoners leaving incarceration.

All three of those questions are binding. The SRC vote would not have been a binding resolution. It was simply meant to send a message to Harrisburg. (Read more HERE.)

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