GOP mayoral candidate Bailey calls for L&I chief's resignation

Melissa Murray Bailey, the Republican nominee for mayor of Philadelphia, called Wednesday for the immediate resignation of the head of the city's Department of Licenses and Inspections, vowing to "reform this corrupt institution."

A spokeswoman for Democratic nominee Jim Kenney said Wednesday that L&I Commissioner Carlton Williams would not keep his job in a Kenney administration.

"If Jim's elected, Carlton Williams won't be the L&I commissioner in 2016," said Lauren Hitt, the spokeswoman.

Kenney did not believe it was fair to blame Williams "for L&I's long-term, systemic problems, but there's clearly a desire for change," Hitt said.

The Inquirer reported this month that Williams personally allowed a building demolition to proceed without a permit. Earlier articles raised questions about how the department was being run.

Bailey cited a Philadelphia Magazine report Tuesday that the department had purchased three pro-L&I advertorials on Philly.com - labeled as "branded content" - for $15,000, calling it "just another example of Philadelphia wasting our hard-earned tax dollars." Philadelphia Media Network owns The Inquirer and Philly.com, as well as the Philadelphia Daily News.

Bailey continued: "While the everyday actions of L&I have resulted in multiple building collapses, unlicensed inspectors inspecting our homes, and political vendettas against beer gardens, the commissioner tries to sell the city's citizens on the improvement of the department with words instead of actually improving the department."

Regarding Bailey's remarks, Mark McDonald, a spokesman for Mayor Nutter, said that candidates "will say and do what they think will help them win favor with voters."

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Staff writer Alfred Lubrano contributed to this article.