Philadelphia Mayor-elect Cherelle Parker names "intergovernmental roundtable"
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Philadelphia Mayor-elect Cherelle Parker was voted in after calling for an intergovernmental approach to attack the city's issues including the open air drug market in Kensington, public safety and the underfunded school system.
On Tuesday, she introduced the city to her "intergovernmental roundtable" working with her before she takes office.
Local, state and federal leaders are expected to be part of the panel. They'll help guide Parker before she takes office in January.
"This is how we will deliver the results, working together," Parker said. "You learn to trust people when you build relationships with them."
"This is the kitchen cabinet," Parker added. "This means that a Parker administration does not attempt to move forward with a legislative effort without it coming through this intergovernmental roundtable. This is when the federal government, state government and local government will figure out how we can all add value. We don't care if we're talking about safety, cleanliness, greenness."
Former Philadelphia City Council member Marian Tasco is the chair emeritus of the body, and late City Council member Augusta Clark was named to the body in memoriam.
The panel is headed by state Sen. Vincent Hughes and outgoing City Council President Darrell Clarke will serve as a chief senior adviser. Here's a quick list of names Parker mentioned who are joining the panel:
- Sen. John Fetterman
- Sen. Bob Casey
- Rep. Brendan Boyle
- Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon
- Pa. Sen. Christine Tartaglione
- Pa. Sen. Sharif Street
- Pa. Sen. Art Heywood
- Pa. Sen. Jimmy Dillon
- Pa. Sen. Anthony Hardy Williams
- Pa. Rep. Joanna McClinton
- Pa. Rep. Jordan Harris
- Pa. Rep. Kevin Boyle
- Pa. Rep. Pat Gallagher
- Pa. Rep. Morgan Cephas
- Pa. Rep. Danilo Burgos
- Pa. Rep. Donna Bullock
- Pa. Rep. Darisha Parker
- Pa. Rep. Jason Dawkins
- Pa. Rep. Jose Giral
- Pa. Rep. Regina Young
- Pa. Rep. Steve Kinsey
- Pa. Rep. Anthony Bellmon
- Incoming City Council President Kenyatta Johnson
- Councilmember Katherine Gilmore Richardson
- Councilmember Jimmy Harrity
- Councilmember Mark Squilla
- Councilmember Curtis Jones
- Councilmember Mike Driscoll
- Councilmember Quetcy Lozada
- Councilmember Cindy Bass
- Councilmember Anthony Phillips
The leaders will be assigned to different committees focused on specific issues including homelessness and addiction, housing and green initiatives.
"Collectively, one team, working for one Philadelphia on one mission," Hughes said.
"It means that we leveraging our offices so that we have a funded public transit system that reliably gets our seniors back and forth to the doctors, that is affordable and safe for our daily commutes to work and school. It means collaborating on a local, state and federal level to fund those gun violence prevention dollars," Bullock said.
Bullock said the roundtable will also work together to bring home school funding for Philadelphia. In February, a judge found Pennsylvania's school funding system was unconstitutional, siding with a lawsuit filed in favor of poorer districts.
You can watch the full news conference above or on our YouTube channel to hear from everyone who spoke.
Parker has already announced one person she's appointing when she takes over as mayor - before Thanksgiving she tapped school safety chief Kevin Bethel to become the city's next police commissioner.