Do Something

Join The Citizen’s Charter Commission

Professor Richardson Dilworth’s Urban Citizenship class is a community-based learning course being offered jointly through Drexel’s Center for Public Policy and Department of Politics. Participants in the class will be made up of Drexel students and community members.

To register, contact The Citizen here.

Connect WITH OUR SOCIAL ACTION TEAM



Read

The final report of the 2019 NYC Charter Revision Committee

[pdf-embedder url=”https://thephiladelphiacitizen.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/15FinalReport8-2-2019.pdf” title=”15+Final+Report+8-2-2019″]

LISTEN

To this story in CitizenCast

Prefer the audio version of this story? Listen here.

And go here for more CitizenCast.

Ain’t No Party Like A Home Rule Charter Party

Our local constitution hasn’t been updated for nearly 70 years. The Citizen and Drexel University are partnering on a course that asks: Isn’t it about time for a refresh?

Ain’t No Party Like A Home Rule Charter Party

Our local constitution hasn’t been updated for nearly 70 years. The Citizen and Drexel University are partnering on a course that asks: Isn’t it about time for a refresh?

Editor’s Note: This class has already begun and we are no longer accepting new applicants. We had a great response, though, and may offer the class again at a later date. If you’re interested in learning more about that, please send your email address to [email protected]

Ever see something really cool elsewhere and say to yourself: “Someone should do that here!” Well, we recently did. And we decided to be that someone.

Custom HaloHere’s the background: On election day last month, New Yorkers went to the polls and, en masse, struck a resounding blow for Democracy. For a year prior, and for the first time in 30 years, New York’s Charter Revision Commission had conducted a top-to-bottom review of the city’s framework for government, paying particular attention to the balance of power among elected offices, how taxpayer dollars are collected and spent, and how changes are made to neighborhoods.

Following Benjamin’s challenge to her colleagues on New York’s commission— “…if we were advising on the creation of a brand new city of 8 million people, how would that government be structured in an ideal world?”—might just be the thing in these fractured times that brings all of us together.

Chairwoman Gail Benjamin, a longtime fixture on New York’s City Council on land use issues, challenged her commission members: “… if we were advising on the creation of a brand new city of 8 million people, how would that government be structured in an ideal world?” Ultimately, they produced five ballot questions containing 19 specific changes to local governance, and, leading up to election day, embarked on a widespread marketing campaign behind the slogan “You Can Vote On That”—an invitation for citizens to take back their government.

Well, those citizens listened. Though overall turnout was low (13 percent) in a non-mayoral election year, the five questions passed overwhelmingly, all with at least 70 percent of the vote. You may have heard of the most high-profile change: The electorate’s embrace of ranked-choice voting, which allows voters to cast ballots for multiple candidates in order of preference. New York is now the most populous of 20 cities to adopt ranked-choice voting.

“Right now we have a winner-take-all system and what we’ve seen in election after election is that participation is down,” Benjamin explained on local TV just before Election Day. “People are dissatisfied with the choices they get, and discouraged. Ranked-choice voting means their vote will always be counted.”

How does that sound, Philly? Wouldn’t your vote counting be kind of a novel idea here?

Of course, New York’s reforms went beyond ranked-choice voting. Voters also approved strengthening the city’s Civilian Complaint Review Board, over the opposition of the police union, and passed a package of ethics and governance reforms, including a two-year lobbying ban on former city officials, while instituting a Council “advise and consent” role on some mayoral appointees.

Who knows what a deep dive into modern-day good governance might find? That’s kind of the coolest part. We’re going to start with a group of citizens meeting weekly under the aegis of a professor who literally has Philadelphia political reform in his blood, and hope to use that to jumpstart a citywide conversation.

Five ballot questions, 19 reforms, all with at least 70 percent support at the polls. Who says local democracy is dead? New York got us thinking: It’s been 68 years since a group of youthful reformers, led by the swashbuckling legendary Mayor Richardson Dilworth, created our modern-day government by passing Philadelphia’s home rule charter, a document that, at the time, essentially said to a corrupt Republican machine, It’s our government. We’re taking it back.

Do Something1951’s Charter was a visionary document, a love letter to good government. But it is nearly 70 years old; much of it is outdated. Which is why we ought to follow New York’s lead and update it.

There have been many attempts over the years to do just that, but getting a sclerotic, one-party government to reform itself has proven to be a non-starter. So it’s up to citizens to take the initiative. Which is why we reached out to Drexel professor of politics Richardson Dilworth, whose hard-drinking, patrician, in-your-face grandfather instigated the last era of Philadelphia reform.

Dilworth, The Citizen and a host of political and civic bold-face names will team teach a nine-week course, called Urban Citizenship, open to both Drexel students and any resident who wants in, beginning on January 9; out of it, we hope to amass a series of reforms and a Citizen’s Commission for Charter Reform that will then try and agitate for the political class to pay attention to our recommendations.

Cards on the table: I’d love to see a citywide debate around issues like ranked-choice voting, or, better yet, open primaries, so more Philadelphians can have a say in who runs Philadelphia; term limits for City Council, given that we’re the only big city in America that has them for the mayor but not for our legislative body; the elimination of row offices and councilmanic prerogative; and the establishment of an elected public advocate, as in New York—in a corrupt, one-party town, maybe we need to codify a good government elected office, with subpoena power and a non-voting seat on Council.

Read MoreBut that’s just me. Really, who knows what a deep dive into modern-day good governance might find? That’s kind of the coolest part. We’re going to start with a group of citizens meeting weekly under the aegis of a professor who literally has Philadelphia political reform in his blood, and hope to use that to jumpstart a citywide conversation that asks, in effect, just what kind of city we want to live in.

Instead of political jostling over internecine issues of the day—what kind of cut to make to the tax abatement for new construction, or whether yet another new tax is justified—how refreshing would it be to argue over the setting of new ground rules about how we all go about actually living together? Following Benjamin’s challenge to her colleagues on New York’s commission— “…if we were advising on the creation of a brand new city of 8 million people, how would that government be structured in an ideal world?”—might just be the thing in these fractured times that brings all of us together.

To join the class, register—for free—by reaching out to us here.

Photo courtesy C. Smyth / Visit Philadelphia

The Philadelphia Citizen will only publish thoughtful, civil comments. If your post is offensive, not only will we not publish it, we'll laugh at you while hitting delete.

Be a Citizen Editor

Suggest a Story

Advertising Terms

We do not accept political ads, issue advocacy ads, ads containing expletives, ads featuring photos of children without documented right of use, ads paid for by PACs, and other content deemed to be partisan or misaligned with our mission. The Philadelphia Citizen is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, nonpartisan organization and all affiliate content will be nonpartisan in nature. Advertisements are approved fully at The Citizen's discretion. Advertisements and sponsorships have different tax-deductible eligibility. For questions or clarification on these conditions, please contact Director of Sales & Philanthropy Kristin Long at [email protected] or call (609)-602-0145.