Bill Proposes Opening The Philadelphia Parking Authority Board To Non-Residents
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Philadelphia officials are sounding the alarm about a state House bill that would remove the residency requirement for Parking Authority Board members.
"That is a huge problem and a precedent that should not be allowed to occur," said Council David Oh.
Oh is a frequent Parking Authority critic, despite the fact that he's a Republican and the state legislature removed local control of the Authority, years ago, to give Republicans a haven for jobs and election day ground troops. Oh cites the recent sexual harassment scandal that has roiled the authority as a sign of the Authority's problems but says this latest move would eliminate the one bit of leverage Philadelphians still have.
"The only relationship we have is they live in our community -- if they do things people don't like, they have to hear from their neighbors."
Mayor Kenney agrees.
"If you represent the city and make decisions for city residents you should live in the city."
The bill has passed the House and is currently before the Senate.
