Letters: Kromer is well-qualified to be the city's sheriff
The characterization of John Kromer, candidate for sheriff, as "part of the city's old housing apparatus" in Sunday's editorial ("Williams for sheriff") implies that there was something wrong with the city's housing agency and programs when Kromer was director of the Office of Housing and Community Development and that he is not a capable public administrator. Such implications are completely inaccurate.
The characterization of John Kromer, candidate for sheriff, as "part of the city's old housing apparatus" in Sunday's editorial ("Williams for sheriff") implies that there was something wrong with the city's housing agency and programs when Kromer was director of the Office of Housing and Community Development and that he is not a capable public administrator. Such implications are completely inaccurate.
As the founder and first director of the OHCD and an active community development consultant for many years, I can say from first-hand experience that the OHCD was extremely well-run during Kromer's tenure. Kromer was a skilled public administrator of a large and complex public agency who worked extremely effectively with other city departments and public agencies to bring about innovative housing and community development programs.
If the office of sheriff needs a leader who has actual experience administering a public agency and who can organize and implement complex programs with integrity, openness, innovation, and responsiveness to community needs, Kromer is in fact the only candidate for sheriff who has such experience.
John Andrew Gallery
Philadelphia