COUNCIL PRESIDENT CLARKE ANNOUNCES PLANS TO NOT SEEK RE-ELECTION TO CITY COUNCIL
After serving 12 years as President of a City Council making unprecedented investments in affordable housing, working to reduce poverty, and strengthening public safety in neighborhoods, Council President Darrell L. Clarke (5th District) announced Thursday he will not be a candidate for re-election to Council in 2023.
At a news conference in Council’s Caucus room, Clarke said he has decided not to run for another four-year term in Council. Clarke will serve the remainder of his current term, which expires at the end of this year.
“I’m extremely proud of the collective work of this legislative body during my term as its President,” Clarke said. “From making the largest single investment in affordable housing and neighborhood preservation in Philadelphia history, to a comprehensive program to begin moving 100,000 Philadelphians out of poverty, to the work we’re doing to invest in community-based violence prevention to make Philadelphia safer, City Council has led the way in taking action to make our city a better, cleaner and safer place to live and work.”
“We have much more work to do this year,” Clarke continued. “Implementing reforms to the Zoning Board of Adjustment, rolling out the first class of Public Safety Enforcement Officers, creating a new Chief Public Safety Director, studying our workforce and recommending reforms to help with worker attraction
and retention, creating a new Deputy Commerce official focused on job creation – all these initiatives and others are on the plate in 2023. We have work to do.”
“I love my job, serving the residents of the 5th Council District,” Council President Clarke said. “It’s the best job in the world. And I enjoy the trust of serving my colleagues as President of this body. I’m confident in our members and their abilities. It’s been the privilege of a lifetime to serve the people of Philadelphia. And I’m excited and looking forward to continuing to serve the public in meaningful ways.”
Mayor Jim Kenney issued a statement following news of Council President Clarke’s decision, saying, “I want to thank Council President Darrell L. Clarke for being a valued colleague and a friend throughout my time in office and on City Council. Darrell has served our city unwaveringly for four decades, championing historic progress and also providing vital leadership amid unprecedented challenges.
“It’s been an honor to work alongside him on our shared goals – including education, housing, and jobs – and I congratulate him on a distinguished career in public service.”
Councilmember Katherine Gilmore Richardson (At Large) issued her own statement about the Council President.
“First and foremost, I want to say thank you. Council President Darrell L. Clarke has been a steadfast, dedicated, and thoughtful leader for 11 years, and City Council as an institution is better because of him….Council President Clarke has a Ph.D. in Philadelphia City Council. He has taken the time over his many years of service to learn and then shape this body into the institution it is today, and I learn from him every single day. He treats each and every member with the utmost respect and gives us the space needed to learn while still sharing his guidance and wisdom as we grow. “
COUNCIL RESOLUTION HONORS THE LIFE AND SERVICE OF FALLEN TEMPLE POLICE OFFICER CHRIS FITZGERALD
On Saturday night in North Philadelphia, a young Temple Police Officer out on patrol pursued a trio of suspects, and was fatally shot to death.
The accused shooter was apprehended the next day, an 18-year-old Bucks County man, but the aftershocks of the murder of Temple Officer Christopher Fitzgerald have been felt all week throughout the Temple University community, North Philadelphia, law enforcement, and the entire city.
On Thursday in Council, Majority Leader Curtis Jones, Jr. (4th District) introduced a resolution co-sponsored by every member of Council, in praise of a fallen hero.
“On February 18, 2023, as a result of senseless gun violence, Officer Christopher Fitzgerald’s life was taken decades before it should have. On that Saturday evening, Officer Fitzgerald was in pursuit of a robbery suspect, and was shot near the intersection of 17th Street and Montgomery Avenue, he was later pronounced dead at Temple University Hospital. Officer Fitzgerald is the first Temple University Police Officer to die in the line of duty,” the resolution reads.
“Officer Fitzgerald came from a law enforcement family. His father, Dr. Joel Fitzgerald, was once the police chief in the Allentown Police Department, and his mother, Pauline, used to work for the Philadelphia Police Department. He deeply loved his family. Officer Fitzgerald was a caring husband to his wife Marissa and a devoted father to his four children.”
“The Council of the City of Philadelphia expresses its deepest sympathies to the family of Officer Christopher Fitzgerald; his parents, wife, and children, to his fellow officers in the Temple University Police Department, and all who came to know him through his work protecting and serving the community.”
“Officer Fitzgerald represents the best of our City, the Commonwealth, and the Nation. The City of Philadelphia owes an unpayable debt to the sacrifice of this fallen hero and public servant,” the resolution concludes.
Editor’s Note: On Thursday, a Temple University official announced that Fitzgerald had been posthumously promoted to the rank of sergeant. This resolution was drafted before that information became available.
COUNCILMEMBER GILMORE RICHARDSON INTRODUCES BILL INCREASING COMPENSATION FOR CITY’S ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ADVISORY COMMISSION MEMBERS
Councilmember Katherine Gilmore Richardson introduced legislation to increase the compensation for members of the City’s Environmental Justice Advisory Commission (EJAC). Currently, EJAC members are only compensated $40 for each meeting or a maximum of $240 per year. If passed, this legislation would increase compensation for EJAC members to $125 per meeting or no more than $1,500 per year.
“Centering community voices is crucial to equitably addressing climate change,” said Councilmember Gilmore Richardson. “The minimum compensation provided for EJAC members was a significant barrier to recruitment and participation of diverse members. By increasing compensation, we will be properly valuing the members and demonstrating our commitment to their crucial work. I want to thank the Administration, the Office of Sustainability and the current members of the EJAC for their partnership.”
Last February, the City took a historic step in addressing environmental injustice by launching its first ever Environmental Justice Advisory Commission. Additional information on the EJAC, including the official announcement, can be found online.
SEEN ON SOCIAL MEDIA…
We are continuing to support Officer Fitzgerald’s family in a variety of ways. I am very proud to report that the @TempleUniv Fallen Heroes Fund, initiated by our Board of Trustees, has raised more than $450,000.
You can contribute here:https://t.co/r4l4X2BI77 pic.twitter.com/ZLxPSo6Rmo
— Dr. Jason Wingard (@PrezWingard) February 23, 2023
IN OTHER NEWS
Councilmember Thomas Offers Resolution Honoring Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists for its 50th Anniversary. Councilmember Isaiah Thomas (At Large) commended the PABJ for its longstanding advocacy on behalf of Black journalism professionals. PABJ’s president, Ernest Owens, a columnist for Philadelphia Magazine, attended the Council Meeting and thanked Council for the recognition on PABJ’s behalf.
OTHER SIGHTS AND SOUNDS FROM THE COUNCIL WEEK
Committee on Education 2-22-2023
Stated Meeting of Philadelphia City Council 2-23-2023
The next Stated Meeting of City Council is scheduled to take place on Thursday, March 2, 2023 at 10 a.m. in Philadelphia City Hall, Room 400 and will air on Xfinity Ch. 64, Fios Channel 40 and stream at www.PHLCouncil.com/watch.
Featured Photo: Jared Piper/PHLCouncil
