Saving money in the Commissioners' office?
Candidates for City Commissioners say they will take pay cuts, skip city cars. But what about those currently in the office?
No matter who wins the races for City Commissioners in November, one thing seems certain: The office is going to save some money.
The three elected Commissioners perform the crucial task of overseeing city elections.
Last week, Republican Commissioner Candidate Al Schmidt said he would take a 10 percent pay cut if elected. Now Democratic candidate Stephanie Singer says she would decline the most recent pay raise for that office. In July, Commissioners' salary rose from $117,991 to $120,233.
Both Schmidt and Singer also said they would not use city cars.
Schmidt said he also would take a 25 percent pay cut in election years. In those years, commissioners who are on the ballot are temporarily replaced to avoid conflicts of interest. Singer, however, said she would use the extra time to do community outreach and education about elections.
Commissioner Marge Tartaglione did not win her primary. Commissioners Joseph Duda and Anthony Clark, who are running in November, did not return requests for comment on their plans.
But the mayor's press office tells Heard in the Hall that that Duda has been returning his raise via payroll deduction.
Clark does not use a car, but Duda does, and Philadelphia Weekly recently reported that taxpayers spent $2,860 paying for his gas last year. The average city employee used 685 gallons of gas, but Duda used 1,350. Some parks or streets department employees must drive a lot for their jobs, but that's not true for Commissioners.
Voters, start your engines!
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