PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphia city employees are squirming under new restrictions on public statements imposed by the new mayor’s administration.
City employees were told by email, last month — just a few weeks after Cherelle Parker’s inauguration — not to make any public statements, including social media posts, without first getting approval from the mayor’s press office. Then last week, a similar email went out to libraries, telling staff to send any public communication to the Office of Children and Families, which would forward it to the mayor’s press office for approval.
On Monday, hours before the new policy took effect, a number of library branches alerted patrons to the new policy, warning that it would affect flyers they might want to post or notices about services or changes to hours.
The head of the mayor’s press office, Joe Grace, says that was a misinterpretation, and a “clarifying” email was sent out, Tuesday night.
“There’s no intention to stop library branches from communicating with residents who rely on the library’s services and programs,” it said. “For regular, daily issues, like library hours of programs at branches for seniors, families and children, branches should continue communicating just as they always have.”