Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter Speaks at Meyner Center Forum

On June 17, Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter gave the keynote address at the Robert B. and Helen S. Meyner Center’s Seventh Annual Forum on Local Government. More than 100 municipal officials and members of the Lafayette community attended the forum.

Since being elected in November 2008, Mayor Nutter has led America’s sixth largest city during one of the most trying economic times in recent history. He has sought to find innovative and cost-effective ways to grow the Philadelphia-area economy in a sustainable manner, improve public safety, and invest in education and workforce development. During his 40-minute presentation, Mayor Nutter described the challenges facing his city and many of the steps his administration has taken to provide public services in a time of austerity. Facing declining revenues and rising expenditures, Philadelphia has had to implement personnel layoffs, service cuts, and tax increases in order to balance its budget. “These are just the things you have to deal with,” said Nutter, “I didn’t create the national economic recession. I can’t get out of the national economic recession.  But I can .  .  .  move the city into the future.”

The forum, which focused on “Municipal Innovation and Sustainability,” also featured discussions of the green design components of the public works building to be constructed in neighboring Forks Township, the feasibility of erecting revenue-producing cell-phone towers on municipally owned land, implementing cost-effective approaches to energy conservation, and innovative, cost-saving measures taken by Upper Merion Township.

Part one of his presentation is below, and the remaining clips can be seen on the Meyner Center’s YouTube Channel.