Ahead of the Democratic mayoral primary in 2023, The Philadelphia Citizen asked voters to think a bit differently about how they approached the ballot box: What if we treated politicians like they were asking us to hire them for a job?
Of course, policy positions are important but, to accomplish their goals, politicians need to be able to compromise, work with others, lead teams and learn from their failures — the skills most job applicants need to demonstrate in interviews.
So, we asked Philadelphians what should go into a job description for our city’s mayor. Then, we invited seven of the Democratic mayoral primary candidates to treat citizens like their hiring committee and participate in public interviews, assessing if they have the experience needed for the job.
In the spirit of treating this like a hiring process — and in keeping citizens civically engaged beyond Election Day — we asked each candidate to commit to participating in a one-year performance review to help Philadelphians evaluate how well they’re doing at their job.
To our delight, all of the candidates, including now-Mayor Cherelle Parker, agreed to participate in a public performance review. It’s been a little over a year since Mayor Parker took office, so we’re challenging her to make good on her promise and join us for a public job interview, to be open to the public, at Fitler Club Ballroom. We’re partnering with 6abc to moderate the event; WURD, which will be broadcasting it live on air; and Spotlight PA. The series is supported by the Lenfest Institutes’s Every Voice Every Vote program.
Ahead of the event, we want to ask you: How’s she doing? Please re-read the job description here, then rate Mayor Parker on a scale of 1-5, with 5 being phenomenal and 1 being abysmal. Fill out your numerical grade below, and feel free to submit your additional feedback.
Job Title: Mayor of Philadelphia
Job Responsibilities
- Manage the city’s nearly 25,000 employees and $6 billion operating budget in a way that prioritizes equity and opportunity for all
- Focus on public safety and peace-keeping in the city, working with other stakeholders to lower violent crime
- Oversee quality-of-life issues, including but not limited to fixing potholes, street sweeping, and anti-blight initiatives
- Recommend legislation to City Council
- Oversee the School Board and schools’ superintendent in a way that pushes for change and experimentation in pre-K through 12 education
- Implement measures to compassionately and meaningfully address our city’s opioid use disorder epidemic and behavioral/mental health crises
- Gain firsthand experience and understanding of the day-to-day life of Philadelphians by using city services such as public transportation and regularly visiting all of the city’s neighborhoods
- Foster transparent, open, and effective two-way communication
- Successfully negotiate with municipal unions without overlong work stoppages, to meet the needs of both the communities and workers
- Champion our city, both to residents and to people and businesses outside of Philadelphia, and instill residents with a sense of pride not only in our sports teams, but in our schools, businesses, arts, food, parks, and beyond
- Work well with other levels of government – state and federal
Review Mayor Parker's Job Performance
Send us your grade and feedback, and we’ll tabulate the results and publish your report card ahead of the event. Once we have a date for her live performance review, you’ll be the first to know!
Every Voice, Every Vote funds Philadelphia media and community organizations to expand access to civic news and information. The coalition is led by The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Lead support for Every Voice, Every Vote in 2024 and 2025 is provided by the William Penn Foundation with additional funding from The Lenfest Institute for Journalism, Comcast NBC Universal, The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Henry L. Kimelman Family Foundation, Judy and Peter Leone, Arctos Foundation, Wyncote Foundation, 25th Century Foundation, and Dolfinger-McMahon Foundation.
CITIZEN COVERAGE OF MAYOR PARKER
Cherelle Parker (red flower patterned top), Mayor-elect Thousands gathered at the Sheet Metal Workers Local 19 at Columbus Blvd and Washington Ave to celebrate the 100th Mayor of Philadelphia: Cherelle Parker. November 7, 2023 for The Philadelphia Citizen