Writer: Joshua Andino
2 min read January 2023— As Philadelphia prepares to choose a new Mayor this year, public safety has become central to the conversation for both residents and businesses alike.
With the midterms over, Gov.-elect Josh Shapiro is set to take office later this month after running on a tough-on-crime approach while the newly-minted Sen. John Fetterman makes waves on Capitol Hill in his new suit.
Meanwhile, Philadelphia is at a critical juncture. The city is slated to host the World Cup in 2026, and is in the process of receiving billions of dollars in federal infrastructure funding, with dozens of development projects being shepherded through both public and private stakeholders. As development unfolds, mounting public safety concerns further complicate the daily running of the city — meaning whoever takes the mayor’s office in City Hall will have a number high-priority items on the agenda that will require a steady hand with equal parts business and political acumen to navigate.
Between the near-dozen candidates that have thrown their hat in the ring, the focus will be on Democrats. While both parties hold their respective primaries on May 16, with the general election held on Nov. 7, no Republican candidates have announced their intentions to run.
On the Democratic side, nine candidates, including private sector developers, judges and council members are all vying for the position. Per the city’s charter, city officials must resign their post in order to run for a new position. State or federal officials, as a result of not being bound by the city charter, may keep their positions.
The candidates include District 7 Councilmember Maria Quiñones-Sánchez, District 9 Councilmember Cherelle Parker, State Representative Amen Brown of the 190th district, ShopRite owner Jeff Brown, Philadelphia municipal judge James DeLeon, at-large Councilmembers Derek Green, Allan Domb and Helena Gym and Philadelphia City controller Rebecca Rhynhart.
Other candidates include local community organizer and nonprofit leader John McKay and Roxborough High School special education teacher Fareed Abdullah.
While navigating incoming federal funds and the numerous public-private partnerships require an understanding of government processes and business priorities, it is public safety that has emerged as the central focus for voters. Earlier last year, Pew released a poll showing 70% of city residents viewed crime, drugs and public safety as their highest priority issue, and expressed the highest rate of pessimism regarding the city’s future since Pew began polling residents in 2009. Similarly, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported in November that the city’s Community Crisis Intervention Program remains underfunded and in disarray, while a number of candidates in the race have already made public safety central to the mayoral race.
In an earlier interview at the end of last year with Invest:, Jerry Sweeney, CEO of Brandywine Realty Trust and developer of Schuylkill Yards, explained, “Most of the revenues in the city are coming from wage and business taxes. Certainly, a high number of people who used to work in the city of Philadelphia can work from home or migrate to locations outside the city…The city must define public policy priorities including public safety, safe and clean environments, and a more competitive tax structure.” He added, “The next 12 to 18 months will be a real harbinger of what the next decade will bring in the city of Philadelphia. Our hope is that people engaged in public policy or running for new elective offices will focus on a strategic vision for the city of Philadelphia, one that promotes equitable economic growth and growing the economic pie within the city through smart, rational job planning and job creation campaigns while factoring in quality-of-life issues that are essential as people make their decisions on where to live, where to work and where to locate their businesses.”
Public safety will continue to play a key role in voters’ considerations, while the city navigates multiple billions of dollars in development across dozens of sites, from Schuylkill Yards, the Navy Yard, University City, and ongoing infrastructure projects across the greater Philadelphia region. Businesses have committed dollars, jobs and employees to the area, and hope to continue to do so, though public safety poses a challenge for businesses as well candidates – and whoever the city’s next mayor is, will have to address it.
For more information, visit:
