Mayor-Elect Kenney Focuses On Education, Crime At First Town Hall Meeting
By David Spunt and Justin Udo
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Philadelphia Mayor-Elect Jim Kenney held his first town hall meeting with the public since being elected earlier this month.
Kenney met with a little more than 300 constituents at Central High School on West Olney Avenue Monday evening, to field questions and concerns.
"There are a lot of smart people out there and up here who are going to help us move this city forward," Kenney told the crowd.
Kenney talked about growing up in the city he'll soon run. He was elected to city council in 1991 and served until 2015, when he dropped out to run for mayor. One after another, audience members begged Kenney to help with failing schools.
"It is horrific that our children have to go through this in this day in age. Please help our children," one mother told Kenney.
"Schools can be and will be the center of the universe when it comes to the delivery of services," Kenney told the crowd.
Kenney also talked about crime and mentioned his mission to lower the statistics. He praised his incoming Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard Ross. After the town hall, Eyewitness News caught up with the mayor-elect.
"It would be nice to be mayor-elect forever, but that's not going to be the case so come January I'm sure they'll be times when people aren't as happy with me or with our administration as they are tonight," he said.
He'll become Philadelphia's 99th mayor on January 4, 2016.
Kenney will hold four more town hall meetings this month:
Second Town Hall
Tuesday, Dec. 1
7:30-8:30 p.m.
South Philadelphia High School
2101 S. Broad St.
Third Town Hall
Wednesday, Dec. 2
7:30-8:30 p.m.
School of the Future
4021 Parkside Ave.
Fourth Town Hall
Thursday, Dec. 3
7:30-8:30 p.m.
Mayfair Community Center
2990 Saint Vincent St.
Fifth Town Hall
Friday, Dec. 4
6:30-7:30 p.m.
Strawberry Mansion High School
3133 Ridge Ave.
