City Budget
Today marks Mayor Michael Nutter's 100th day since taking office. He says he's made some progress but knows there are plenty of challenges ahead.
By Elizabeth Fiedler
 Listen Now [1 minute 18 seconds]
WHYY News, April 15, 2008
First the accomplishments.
Mayor Michael Nutter points to a 30 percent drop in crime compared to this time last year - evidence that Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey is leading some effective crime fighting.
Mayor Nutter also advised Governor Ed Rendell in selecting a new school system CEO.
Mayor Nutter says cutting crime and improving education aren't just ways to better lives of Philadelphians - it's also a magnet for businesses.
"As I put forward this year's budget and five-year plan naturally we've stayed focused on reducing taxes and creating a more business-friendly environment," said Nutter.
"We've created not only the position of Deputy Mayor for Economic Development, but also that person naturally is our Commerce Director - focused on one of the areas that I discussed a great deal during the course of the campaign which is an office of business services. We want businesses to know that their business concerns and needs are very important to our city government."
Over the next few months Mayor Nutter will face pressure to keep the city's crime rate from making its typical summer spike.
In what will be a a major first year challenge, he'll face labor union negotiations. Contracts with police, fire fighters and other city workers are set to expire in June. Mayor Nutter says the talks will be fair to employees and the taxpayers.
Additional Information
To keep track of the time until contracts for municipal workers expire, go to the It's Our Money homepage and check out the countdown clock in the upper right corner.
Inquirer: Mayor Nutter's feel-good first 100 days
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