Commission proposes new city charter

The 1994 Home Rule Charter was filed in City Hall last week, signaling possible change for Philadelphia's city government. The 15-member Charter Commission's filing was the final step in creating what could be the first new city charter in 43 years. "The Home Rule Charter is the framework for city government in Philadelphia," said Charter Commission Work Group member Hal Fichandler. The charter could redefine the responsibilities of Philadelphia's city government, Fichandler said. "It determines what city departments and other city agencies are supposed to do, how the budget is prepared, how employees are hired and how ordinances are enacted," Fichandler added. Fichandler described the Home Rule Charter as "Philadelphia's Constitution." The 1994 version is the first since 1951, when Philadelphia's original Home Rule Charter was enacted. The current city government operates under that charter. "The 1951 version is moderately outdated," Fichandler said. "The basic approach to government is being preserved." The 1994 Charter proposes changes in how the city government will run. These changes have been the subject of vehement debate since 1992, when the Charter Commission began accepting recommendations for change. One of the most controversial changes proposed by the new charter involves giving the executive branch more influence over daily governmental procedure than the office currently holds. "Although it gives City Council a strong role, it gives the mayor the power to get things done," Fichandler said. The Charter would give the mayor the power to create, dissolve and modify governmental departments. This power is not currently held by any branch of city government. "This would improve the service given to the citizens," said Deputy Mayor for Policy and Planning Greg Rost. With a more flexible departmental system, according to Fichandler, city government could cut down on unneeded bureaucracy and spending. Critics of the policy shift believe it would upset the delicate balance of power within city government. "[The charter] will enormously increase the power for the mayor, and take away from the city of Philadelphia," said City Councilperson David Cohen.

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