Don’t count on an SRC ballot question in the general election

You know that non-binding ballot referendum City Council approved Thursday to ask voters if the School Reform Commission should be abolished?

Don't count on seeing it on the Nov. 4 general election ballot.

The deadline to get the measure, sponsored by City Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell, placed on the ballot passed on Monday.

The City Commission, which runs elections in the city, yesterday mailed out absentee ballots, military ballots and ballots for civilians overseas. The question is not on those ballots.

Mayor Nutter is still mulling whether to sign the referendum legislation into law. His spokesman, Mark McDonald, said Nutter has until Oct. 2 to sign or veto the legislation.

So no big rush there.

Blackwell has said she would aim for the May 19 primary election for the ballot question if it does not make it onto the ballot in time for the November election.

City Commission Chairman Anthony Clark, in an Aug. 25 letter, advised City Council President Darrell Clarke that the deadline for ballot questions was 5 p.m. Monday.

"The deadline given to City Council was set for a reason - to meet all our obligations under federal and state law," City Commission Vice Chairman Al Schmidt said yesterday.

The City Solicitor's Office, in a memo last week to City Council, the City Commission and the Mayor's Office, repeated the Monday deadline for ballot questions.

Blackwell had planned to bring the issue up for a vote in last week's Council meeting but held off after hearing concerns from colleagues that it might complicate efforts to get the state General Assembly to vote on a local $2-per-pack cigarette tax to help close the Philadelphia School District's $81 million budget deficit.

The state House is scheduled to vote on that tax Monday.

Union members and education activists packed Thursday's Council meeting, demanding a vote on the legislation. It passed 15-1, with loud cheering from the audience after the vote.

The state established the SRC in 2001 to take control of the financially troubled school district.

The referendum, if voters approved it, would have had no power to change the SRC's status.