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The Committee of Seventy’s
ETHICS AGENDA
The Committee of Seventy asks all 2007 mayoral candidates to commit to the following specific reforms:
EXEMPLARY HIRING, CONTRACTING AND APPOINTING PRACTICES
Philadelphia continues to permit non-competitively-bid contracts for certain types of
professional services, including legal services. Some mayoral administrations have given a disproportionate amount of City business to favored firms and companies.
- I will establish and enforce objective, published criteria for awarding all City contracts. My administration will grant non-bid contracts as infrequently as possible – and only when there are compelling reasons to do so. Non-bid contracts will be awarded only to pre-qualified vendors based on factors such as relevant experience and superior past performance.
- I will make public annually a list of firms and companies that have met eligibility requirements for City business, bid and non-bid.
- I will issue an Annual Report that contains a list of all firms and companies receiving City business, bid and non-bid, the nature of services provided, the amount paid, the names of the principals in the firms, their lawyers, lobbyists and other key representatives.
- I will make public annually a list of all recipients of grants, loans, tax incentives, bond financing subsidies, enterprise zone designations and other economic development tools.
- I will increase the participation of bona fide minority firms receiving City business -- based on objective, published criteria. I will undertake a thorough review of the Minority Business Enterprise Council in order to help accomplish this goal.
Political friends and financial supporters are often named to City and City-related offices, departments, boards, commissions and agencies -- creating doubts about their qualifications and their independence.
- I will frequently publish the names of all donors to my campaign account, political committees and non-governmental organizations I control, above and beyond what is required by state law.
- I will hire, promote and appoint individuals who meet the highest standards for ethics, integrity and character, as well as published, objective qualifications to perform the jobs to which they are assigned, without regard to past or future political support.
The new independent Board of Ethics received a strong mandate from the citizens of Philadelphia to regulate the ethical conduct of City government.
- I will require all City officials, employees and appointees, paid and unpaid, to abide by all Board of Ethics advisory opinions, rules and enforcement decisions and will cooperate fully with the Board in carrying out its investigative responsibilities and implementing its rules and decisions.
- I will work with City Council to ensure ample funding to support the operations of the Board of Ethics. I will also call on the Board of Ethics to promptly select an independent General Counsel who is unaffiliated with my administration.
- I will -- as vacancies arise -- appoint new members to the Board of Ethics who have great personal integrity and proven ability.
- I will elevate and clarify the role of the Inspector General, who is charged with investigating individual cases of ethical abuses, by having him or her report directly to me (unless proposed Charter change legislation makes the Inspector General completely independent of my administration).
Many cities have anti-nepotism laws restricting the hiring and appointment of family members to governmental positions.
- I will prohibit all officials and employees who fall under the mayor’s control from hiring a member of their immediate family, or recommending the hiring of a member of their immediate family, for a position in any City or City-related office, department, board, commission, agency or authority.
- I will seek the enactment of legislation that forbids nepotism in City Council and in other elected City offices I do not directly control.
COMPLETE TRANSPARENCY
Many Philadelphians perceive that City government is unresponsive and difficult to do business with.
- I will nurture a government culture that treats all citizens and businesses with dignity and respect.
- I will insist upon a user-friendly customer service environment in all City and City-related departments and agencies. I will eliminate the need for “expediters” to help transact City business.
- I will promote greater public access to meetings and hearings convened by City departments, agencies and commissions -- including holding more sessions during evening hours and providing transcripts on the City’s web site. I will encourage City Council to do the same.
- I will use the power of my office to persuade all quasi-City agencies and authorities to conduct the public’s business in the open and to make documents accessible.
- I will work with City Council to establish a new and reasonable set of ground rules that will reduce the control that district City Council members have over development and other activities that take place within their districts.
Pennsylvania has a poor reputation when it comes to disclosure of public documents.
- I will make City documents public consistent with the best practices in the nation, unless there is a compelling reason to restrict access to those documents.
- I will permit and encourage key officials throughout my administration to talk frankly to the news media without requiring clearance from the Office of the Mayor.
An executive order places strict limitations on the solicitation or acceptance of gifts, gratuities and favors by officials in the executive and administrative branches of government.
- I will seek the enactment of legislation that makes permanent the current ban on gifts, gratuities and favors and extends it to all City officials and employees, including City Council.
The recent municipal scandals uncovered use of the City’s rent-free, taxpayer-funded luxury boxes at the sports stadiums for political fundraising purposes.
- I will ban the use of any City-owned facilities, including the Mayor’s box at the City’s sports stadiums, or the dispensing of complimentary tickets, for any past, current or future political fundraising purposes.
- I will regularly make public a list of all persons using the Mayor’s box or receiving complimentary City tickets from any member of my administration.
Challenges to the City’s campaign finance ordinance resulted in inconsistent interpretations by the candidates, the court system, City Council and donors.
- I will convene an independent panel to review all current laws on campaign contributions and spending and to consider national best practices in regulating campaign finance, including the possibility of public financing, and to make reform recommendations to the mayor, City Council and the Board of Ethics.
FAIR DECISION-MAKING; REDUCING CONFLICTS OF INTEREST AND THE OPPORTUNITY FOR PAY-TO-PLAY
Lobbyists or lawyers acting as lobbyists are often perceived as having improper or undue influence on decisions made by the Office of the Mayor, City Council and other City departments, agencies and commissions.
- I will seek the enactment of legislation requiring all lobbyists, and individuals acting as lobbyists who are engaged in business with the City, City-related departments, agencies and commissions and quasi-City agencies and authorities, to register as lobbyists and to identify their clients. I will make this information publicly available.
Allowing City employees to maintain jobs outside of City government has raised concerns regarding conflicts of interest.
- I will seek the enactment of legislation that places reasonable and well-articulated restrictions on the outside employment of all City personnel, including members of City Council.
- I will review and, if necessary, tighten regulations governing the future employment of City officials and employees by companies doing business with the City.
A recent study found that Philadelphia has two City Council districts whose political lines are among the most unevenly drawn in the nation. Redistricting will occur during the next mayor’s term in office.
- I will convene a non-partisan and independent citizen’s commission to devise a fair redistricting reform plan that will benefit the citizens of Philadelphia and reduce the conflicts of interest inherent when political district lines are drawn by incumbent elected officials. The commission will report to me and City Council, which has the authority to implement a redistricting plan.
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