Councilman Calls For Nutter To Rent Out City-Controlled Skyboxes At Stadiums To Raise School Money
By Mike Dunn
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A Philadelphia city councilman says Mayor Nutter should start renting out the city-controlled skyboxes at Citizens Bank Park, the Linc and the Wells Fargo Center and send the money to the cash-starved school district.
Mayor Nutter last week asked for private donations so teachers can buy school supplies.
Now, Councilman Jim Kenney has sent Nutter a letter spelling out what he says is a better idea – the mayor could get school supply money by renting out the skyboxes that the city controls at the three sports venues in South Philadelphia.
"I think that smaller companies, medium-sized companies, which can't afford a full-year lease on a box, would be likely to entertain their clients or employees, while helping the school system. That'll be an incentive for them to do that," Kenney said. "So I think it's a quick way to infuse a million, $1.5-million into the coffers of the mayor's idea to raise money for school supplies."
The city usually distributes tickets to the skyboxes to schools, non-profits, staffers and friends of elected officials.
The mayor's spokesman Mark McDonald said Nutter doesn't support Kenney's idea because "we have a very good program" to distribute those tickets.
