Candidate Wants to Eliminate the Position He Seeks

Mt. Airy resident John Kromer, one of four candidates on the ballot for the position of Sheriff, has taken an unusual position for someone seeking public office.  If elected, he's vowed to actively work to eliminate his job.

Sheriff is one of Philadelphia's "row offices." These elected offices are primarily charged with administrative responsibilities and operate independently, reporting to neither the Mayor nor the City Council.

For the most part, the Sheriff’s Office does three things: transports prisoners, provides security to the courtrooms, and administers the sales of tax-delinquent or mortgage-delinquent properties. For years, the Sheriff's Office has been plagued by scandal and accusations of mismanagement.

In 2009, the Pennsylvania Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority (PICA) recommended that all four row offices, including the Sheriff, be eliminated for an estimated annual savings to the City of $13 to $15 million. PICA questions the ability of these offices to operate efficiently and transparently.

Kromer agrees. He's proposed reassigning current responsibilites tasked to the Sheriff's Office—along with some associated staff and funding—to other city departments currently headed by appointed professionals. Some staff within the Sheriff's Office would be eliminated, but Kromer believes that the real added value would be in the reduction of overtime once the responsibilities are transferred.

"The underlying problem is having the position as an independent office," Kromer said.

Although Kromer has never previously held public office, he's worked for several years as a consultant and as an administrator at the city level, including nine years as Philadelphia's housing director under then-Mayor Ed Rendell. 

Kromer has received endorsements from the Philadelphia Daily News and Americans for Democratic Action, as well as various wards, neighborhood and civic groups, and business organizations.