budget: Philadelphia Metropolis

Sleight of Hand

It's early in the year, but I feel confident in predicting that the biggest political train wreck in Philadelphia in 2012 will be the AVI, the city's plan to reassess all properties to more closely reflect market value. AVI... (Comments)

The Custodial Mayor

Michael Nutter will be sworn into a second term as mayor of Philadelphia this week. In this Cover Story, senior editor Tom Ferrick offers an appraisal of Nutter's first term and looks forward to the next four years. In Part Two, we examine the broad forces at work that will define Philadelphia during Nutter's second term. (Comments)

Philadelphia 2012

On the week of Mayor Nutter's inauguration, Metropolis takes an in-depth look at Nutter's leadership and the prospects for this second term. In Part Two, we examine the larger trends that define the state of the city in 2011. Read on about the good, the bad and the ugly forces at work in Philadelphia. (Comments)

The Last Hurrah

Tuesday's election is probably the last time we will see Michael Nutter's name on a ballot for public office. The mayor will be 58 when his second term ends.  The City Charter limits him to two consecutive terms.  I don't... (Comments)

Note on How We Compared 2008-2012 Budgets

The city made a major change in the way it records certain expenditures this year that makes year-to-year comparisons difficult.  In past years, the budget for the Department of Human Services usually hovered around $600 million in the budget.  However,... (Comments)