<em>Study: </em> Philly's City Council Gets Most Time Off
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - A new report out this morning finds that members of Philadelphia City Council have the longest-serving incumbents compared to other cities -- and get the most time off.
The report by the research arm of the Pew Charitable Trusts compared the 17-member Philadelphia City Council with those in 14 other major cities.
One finding, according to project director Thomas Ginsburg, is that the number of weeks in which there are no formal meetings is greatest in Philadelphia.
"Philadelphia had 12 weeks with nothing -- no Council sessions -- appearing on the official Council calendar," he told KYW Newsradio today. "That was the most of all the 15 cities we looked at."
Read the full report at pewtrusts.org.
And the study found that Philadelphia has the longest tenured Council, with the 17 current members now having served an average of 15½ years, higher than any of the other cities studied. Seven of the 15 cities in the study -- including Philadelphia -- have no term limits for councilmembers.
That could change next year, with four incumbents opting to retire (see related story).
Reported by Mike Dunn, KYW Newsradio City Hall bureau chief.
