Last November, when Mayor Michael Nutter announced emergency budget cuts that would close libraries and public recreation centers, many were bewildered that the typically receptive and thoughtful mayor made such a tone-deaf decision, without considering others' opinions.
Thankfully, no libraries or public pools will close under Nutter's new five-year budget plan, unveiled last week. Instead, it's a reform-minded outline that shows just how much the mayor cares for the long-term future of the City. Currently facing a budget shortfall of $1.4 billion, the mayor's proposal relies on higher fees and taxes to help cover that gap.
But what was most gratifying to us was the way in which Nutter went about sculpting his budget. After the public outcry over the potential library closings, the mayor began to consult with citizens to make sure that it was a budget that included the services they considered necessary. Instead of controlling the entire process or keeping it just among the City's political movers and shakers, Nutter teamed up with Penn's Project for Civic Engagement to arrange community forums to gather input from citizens. Despite the fact that the national economy is in shambles and Philadelphia is in a particularly precarious state, the mayor's decision came off as cool tempered and rational. (This will also likely decrease grumbling at the hikes in both property and sales taxes, which can't be bad for Nutter.) Finally, his call to strengthen citizen inclusion reminds us why we liked the guy in the first place.
The budget still has a long fight ahead of it, but Nutter's flexibility and receptivity to citizen concerns is encouraging.
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