With Mayor Nutter looking to have little competition in the May 17 primary, City Council, fresh off a 10 percent property-tax increase, with some incumbents sure to face fire over an embattled pension perk, will be where the action is. Nutter has not indicated whether he will push a slate of candidates friendly to his agenda.
Council members are paid $117,991 a year and serve four-year terms. Leadership positions pay more, up to $148,090 for president. The body is made up of 10 district and seven at-large seats, the latter elected citywide.
Already, candidates have been talking about repeating the first-ever, informal orientation that Green, Jones, and Sánchez volunteered for before taking office in January 2008.
Thomas H. Massaro, the former city housing director who organized the series of seminars on government operations and policy, said the trio benefited from the bond they struck.
"They were the first to enter Council with a group to collaborate with, instead of a group to compete with," Massaro said.
There still may be surprises before Feb. 15, the first day for candidates to file and circulate nominating petitions.
Council President Anna C. Verna, whose Second District covers parts of South and Southwest Philadelphia, has yet to declare her intention.
Some veteran observers say they believe Verna will not run, but even if she returns, her hold on the presidency is not guaranteed. The next two ranking Democrats - Majority Leader Marian B. Tasco and Majority Whip Darrell L. Clarke - have been drumming up support for their own runs at the presidency.
Verna said she had no intention of returning if not as president. But she also said she believed she would hold on to the seat if she does run.
