Mayor Nutter Says Ruling Could Force More Layoffs

Urges Library Closings Be Reconsidered

By CATHERINE LUCEY
Philadelphia Daily News

Mayor Nutter today will ask a Common Pleas judge to reconsider her ruling that the administration can't close 11 libraries without City Council approval.

Nutter, who had planned to close the branches Dec. 31 to help close a $1 billion budget gap over the next five years, said that keeping the branches open would mean reduced service across the library system.

"We only have a certain number of personnel to operate the 53 total branches, which will impact the level of service and continued service," Nutter said. "That will cause us to have to cut back service days and programmatic activity."

Nutter also said that if the city has to keep all the branches open, it likely would mean more layoffs.

Last Tuesday, Common Pleas Judge Idee Fox ruled in favor of seven library patrons and three Council members who sued Nutter, citing a 20-year-old ordinance requiring Council approval to close city buildings.

Fox is expected to provide a more-detailed written order today. Nutter said he wanted to get more information to the judge before that.

"I'm very concerned that we have one last opportunity to lay out in clear terms what this will mean systemwide," Nutter said. He said that after the order is issued, the city still may appeal to Commonwealth Court.

The library closings, along with plans to eliminate seven Fire Department companies, have emerged as the most controversial portions of Nutter's budget cuts.

Trying to reach out to opponents of the library closures, Nutter met Saturday with more than 75 members of the Friends of the Free Library to discuss the financial difficulty of keeping the libraries open.

"My administration wants to work in closer consort with the Friends groups," Nutter said. "I apologize to them for not having an opportunity for having more discussion [earlier.]"

Amy Dougherty, executive director of the Friends of the Free Library, said that library advocates have not been included in talks on how to manage the system with reduced finances. She said supporters would rather see the cuts spread evenly across the library branches.

Dougherty said Saturday's meeting with Nutter "was a different version of the same."

"He's going to continue, and thinks the right thing to do is to shutter 11 branches," she said. "Our members, including those from the 42 branches that are not being shuttered, do not think this is right or necessary."



Background Info:

Crisis A Stopper To Nutter's Year Of Successes

Great Expectations For Nutter Faded As The Financial Crisis Worsened

Mayor Nutter stood at the center of a hot and cramped room at the Kingsessing Recreation Center three weeks ago, repeatedly interrupted by hissing, booing and foot-stomping as he pleaded his case.

"This is the last thing I want to be doing," Nutter told the crowd of his decision to close 11 city libraries, seven fire companies, and 68 swimming pools.

Few seemed to hear him.

"Shame on you, Nutter!" one woman shouted. Another called out: "We voted you in - OK, we can vote you out!"

So much for the carefree, feel-good days of last January, when thousands of Philadelphians waited hours in a line that wrapped around City Hall to shake their new mayor's hand.

After taking office amid some of the greatest expectations for a mayor in recent memory, Michael Nutter ends his first year mired in the thankless work of managing Philadelphia's worst financial crisis in decades.

It is a crisis that has slowed and may ultimately threaten his ambitious plans for reform and renewal.

[Click Here For Complete Article by By Marcia Gelbart, Philadelphia Inquirer Staff Writer]

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Footnote:

Cartoon by Signe Wilkinson, Philadelphia Daily News