It's not that she's in a hurry, but . . .

Joyce Wilkerson will be the one to turn out the lights when the Street administration leaves office next year, and you get the feeling she won't be sorry to do it.

Mayor Street's chief of staff has held the job since 2000. She's the last member standing of the mayor's original cabinet, and she's been in City Hall since 1992, when she joined to work for then-Council President Street.

So what are her plans once Street's second term ends?

"Get the hell out of here. I want to get out of heeeeere," she said last week.

Beyond bolting City Hall, Wilkerson said she doesn't know what the future holds. She describes herself as one of those "public-sector people" and said she had loved working in city government and was "enormously proud of some of the things we've accomplished."

"But I know I won't be in local government. I'm done. Done. Put a stick in me," she said.

- Patrick Kerkstra

Rumors of a Bob Brady-Johnny "Doc" Dougherty reconciliation were all the rage a few weeks ago. But so far, there's been no sign that Brady's mayoral candidacy is getting backing from Dougherty, the politically powerful leader of electrician's union Local 98.

But someone else might be.

It seems Dougherty spent much of Friday morning breaking bread with Tom Knox, the millionaire candidate who has been leading in every known poll for weeks.

For three hours, Dougherty and Knox sat at the Famous Deli in Queen Village - where else? - and Dougherty introduced Knox to some of the young progressive types who, well, happened to be there.

"Knox refused to take a call or text message the entire time, out of respect for Doc's time," reported Dougherty spokesman Frank Keel, who said the breakfast was arranged at Knox's request.

The benefit of a Dougherty endorsement is tons of money; the union's PAC is flush with $2.5 million in cash, and a related political committee, Philadelphia Phuture, is sitting atop almost $100,000.

But money is hardly what a millionaire needs.

Rather, it's Dougherty's union members who are desirable - 4,600 loyal foot soldiers who could provide Knox with an instant street organization, something he doesn't have.

No endorsement has been made, Keel said, but "John continues to be impressed with Tom."

Question: How do you know the mayor's race is heading into the final stretch?

Answer: When two of the U.S. congressmen who are running to lead City Hall rack up more and more missed votes in Washington.

Chaka Fattah has already established himself as a chronic absentee: He missed an average of 9.2 percent of votes cast since the start of the 105th Congress in 1997. The average for all lawmakers was about 4.2 percent.

Bob Brady, elected in 1998, came in at 4.3 percent.

Neither man did himself any favors last week.

Fattah, while making it to a candidate forum and a Walnut Street news conference, where he captured the endorsement of the city's white-collar union, made it to the nation's capital just one day last week.

Brady made it for two.

The tally: Out of 31 House votes cast between Tuesday and Friday, Fattah managed to make it for nine votes and Brady for 10.

Your government in action.

Mayoral candidate Michael Nutter suddenly slipped off the Convention Center board last week, resigning his chairmanship.

But that's not the only recent change on the board.

Anthony LePore, a board member since 2003, resigned his seat a few weeks ago. LePore is chief of staff to Pennsylvania Senate Minority Leader Robert J. Mellow (D., Lackawanna), who by law gets to make an appointment.

In reality, though, the person who actually has signed off on Mellow's appointments has been State Sen. Vincent J. Fumo (D., Phila.).

Not this time. The newest Convention Center board member? Lawyer Carl Singley.

"[State Sen.] Shirley Kitchen nominated me," Singley said. He is backing state Rep. Dwight Evans for mayor as fervently as Fumo is pushing for U.S. Rep. Bob Brady.

Is this another responsibility that Fumo, as he fights 139 federal fraud and obstruction-of-justice counts, is shedding, or one that is being shed for him?

"Draw whatever conclusions you want," Singley says, "but it means there has been a shift."