Nutter's Executive Order Bolsters City's Anti-Corruption Office
By Mike Dunn
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Flanked by two former mayors, Philadelphia mayor Michael Nutter today signed an executive order aimed at strengthening the city's office of inspector general, which focuses on rooting out municipal corruption.
With former mayors Wilson Goode and Ed Rendell watching, Nutter signed the executive order to strengthen the language that governs the office of the inspector general.
"It enhances protections for whistleblowers by strengthening confidentiality provisions, to prevent retaliation, and to ensure that employees feel comfortable reporting misconduct," Nutter said.
The enhanced protections will now mirror those of the state.
The office of inspector general was created in 1985 by then-mayor Goode, and he was pleased to see Nutter's action today.
"Good ideas will take root and continue," Goode said, "so I'm very pleased to be here and see how much this has grown."
The current inspector general, Amy Kurland (standing at left in photo), is the daughter of Seymour Kurland, who served as city solicitor under Mayor Goode.
Rendell also joined in the praise for the new order, saying that only by deterring corruption will government earn the trust of taxpayers.
"When people believe you're spending money well, they'll support it. If that wasn't the case, I'd have been the first one-term governor in Pennsylvania history!" Rendell said.