Kenney Joins Jockeying For Philadelphia City Council Presidency
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Tuesday's general election in Philadelphia has now given way to another election -- one with just seventeen voters: the race for the presidency of City Council.
Councilman Jim Kenney now confirms that he will join the fray for the post.
The retirement of Anna Verna from City Council in January will bring to an end Verna's 12-year tenure as Council president.
The Democratic majority leader, Marian Tasco of the 9th District, is seeking the powerful post, as is 5th District councilman Darrell Clarke.
And now, councilman-at-large Jim Kenney is confirming he'll seek the job.
"I am certainly in the mix for consideration, and pledge that if I attain that position I would work well and hard with the administration to further the positive agendas of this administration. I think I would make some changes here in Council to bring us more into the future than we've been," he told KYW Newsradio today.
Councilman Wilson Goode (at left in photo) hasn't yet decided who he'll support for Council president, but he hopes it is decided by year's end.
"It needs to get resolved," he says, "because we have six new members coming into City Council and they need to be prepared to come here. There are decisions that need to be made by the president. The sooner we can make that transition, begin that transition, the more effective we will be in the new term."
That new term begins shortly after the new year.
Reported by KYW City Hall bureau chief Mike Dunn
