PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphia voters may once again be asked to eliminate the provision in the city charter that requires city officials to resign before they can run for another office. A bill introduced in City Council last week would put the question on the ballot next year.
Voters have twice rejected changing the resign-to-run charter provision — the only two times this century that they’ve voted “no” on ballot questions. However, Councilmember Isaiah Thomas thinks the time is ripe to ask again.
“When you look at the results of recent elections and you look at the fact that we have some amazing, talented people on City Council, it would benefit not just Philadelphia but the entire Commonwealth of Pennsylvania if council members had a little more flexibility,” he said.
Thomas believes the rule has kept Philadelphia officials from competing for higher jobs. “When you look at statewide seats across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, very rarely do you see folks from Philadelphia occupy those statewide seats.”