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Philadelphia City Council
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Philadelphia City Council, the legislative body of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, consists of ten members elected by district and seven members elected at-large. The council president is elected by the members from among their number. Each member's term is four years, and there are no limits on the number of terms a member may serve. Council president Anna C. Verna is in her 8th term, while council member Juan F. Ramos is in his first term. One of the seven council members at-large, Jack Kelly, previously served as a district council member. At the time of his death on October 3, 2005 Council member David Cohen, at 90 years old, was one of the oldest elected representatives in the United States.
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The 1951 Home Rule Charter established the council as the legislative arm of Philadelphia municipal government, consisting of seventeen members. Ten council members are elected by district and seven from the city at large. At-large council members are elected using limited voting with limited nomination, guaranteeing that two minority-party candidates are elected.
Each is elected for a term of four years with no limit on the number of terms that may be served. Under the rules of the council, regular public sessions are held weekly, usually on Thursday morning at 10:00am, in Room 400, City Hall.
Every proposed ordinance is in the form of a bill introduced by a Councilmember. Before a bill can be enacted, it must be referred by the president of the council to an appropriate standing committee, considered at a public hearing and public meeting, reported out by the committee, printed as reported by the committee, distributed to the members of the council, and made available to the public. Passage of a bill requires the favorable vote of a majority of all members. A bill becomes law upon the approval of the mayor. If the mayor vetoes a bill, the council may override the veto by a two-thirds vote.
The current City Council as of 2005 session is as follows:
| District | Name | Took Office | Party |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Frank DiCicco | 1996 | Dem |
| 2 | Anna C. Verna† | 1976 | Dem |
| 3 | Jannie L. Blackwell*[1] | 1991 | Dem |
| 4 | Curtis J. Jones, Jr. | 2007 | Dem |
| 5 | Darrell Clarke | 1999 | Dem |
| 6 | Joan L. Krajewski | 1980 | Dem |
| 7 | Maria Sanchez | 2007 | Dem |
| 8 | Donna Reed Miller | 1996 | Dem |
| 9 | Marian B. Tasco** | 1988 | Dem |
| 10 | Brian J. O'Neill*** | 1980 | Rep |
| At-Large | Blondell Reynolds Brown | 2000 | Dem |
| At-Large | Bill Green | 2007 | Dem |
| At-Large | William Greenlee | 2006 | Dem |
| At-Large | W. Wilson Goode, Jr.[2] | 2000 | Dem |
| At-Large | Jack Kelly | 2004 | Rep |
| At-Large | James Kenney | 1992 | Dem |
| At-Large | Frank Rizzo, Jr.[3] | 1996 | Rep |
This council will sit until the next election, scheduled for November 6, 2007.
| Blondell Reynolds Brown | W.Wilson Goode, Jr. | Juan F. Ramos | Frank DiCicco | Brian J. O'Neill | Darrell L. Clarke | Jack Kelly | Frank Rizzo | |
| James F. Kenney | Jannie L. Blackwell | Vacant | Joan L. Krajewski | Vacant | Marian B. Tasco | Donna Reed Miller | Vacant | |
| Anna C. Verna, Council President |
Key to Chart
† President of Council
*Majority Leader
**Majority Whip
***Minority Leader
- ^ Widow of former Member of Congress Lucien E. Blackwell
- ^ Son of former Mayor W. Wilson Goode.
- ^ son of former Mayor Frank Rizzo