Penn Project for Civic Engagement hosts last city budget workshop

With a billion-dollar budget gap to fill, city officials are asking West Philadelphia residents for help.

Last night, The Penn Project for Civic Engagement hosted the fourth and final city-budget consultation forum in West Philadelphia.

In line with the past meetings, more than 500 local residents attended to contribute to the budget decision-making that will soon start at City Hall.

A number of high-ranking city officials attended, but Mayor Michael Nutter was asked by PPCE not to attend to differentiate these workshops from the city's traditional town-hall meetings.

PPCE project manager Lynda Breitstein said Philadelphians at the workshop could share their views by two-minute video testimony, a "wailing wall" of written opinions and group exercises replicating the budget-writing process.

In his opening remarks to those attending, PPCE Director Harris Sokoloff said no item in the city budget was beyond discussion.

"The Mayor has put everything on the table," he said.

He added that determining the budget is "painful stuff," but having input before any decisions are made "may not always be pretty, but will make a difference."

Before small groups were formed to discuss budget scenarios, WHYY Executive director of News and Civic Dialogue Chris Satullo posed questions to a panel of City officials.

He said he wanted to know "how we got into this mess."

City Director of Finance Rob Dubow explained that Philadelphia's situation is part of the global economic crisis and for that reason the city cannot expect significant help from elsewhere.

Satullo asked the panel why the city was looking at cuts to spending while the federal government was increasing spending to stimulate the economy.

The federal government "can print money; we can't," Chief of Staff Clarence Armbrister said. "And legally we cannot run a deficit."

Local residents were then split into groups of about 12 people and discussed possible measures to balance the budget.

For simplicity, cuts and revenue increase measures were each ascribed a number of points, the aim being to reach 100.

Led by a moderator, the groups discussed the release of 300 nonviolent inmates - 20 points - and removing 800 maintenance vehicles - six points. In total, 26 different courses of action were possible.

City Deputy Press Secretary Luke Butler said the budget-making process would not begin until all the information was collected.

"The team that I sat with got to 60 points," he said. "That just gives you a sense of how difficult this is."

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