In 8th District Debate, Candidates Work to Show They'll Involve Community Members

The seven candidates running for the 8th District City Council seat didn't really attack one another very often during a debate at the First Presbyterian Church of Germantown on Wednesday.

Instead, they devoted much of their attention to talking about ways they could involve the community in the decisions they would potentially make as members of City Council. Each time a candidate talked about how they would work to hold community meetings, or about how they would solicit residents' opinions before making decisions on important topics, they received a warm ovation from the crowd.

Each of the candidates pledged to have an office in the 8th District. In doing so, they worked to distance themselves from incumbent Donna Reed Miller, who wasn't really mentioned by name during the debate but whose presence subtly dominated much of the discussion.

Miller has been the district's representative since 1996.

"It's just clear that the pattern we've had in our city—we end up with an ossified City Council," said Howard Treatman as he discussed his support for term limits. "We shouldn't have to wait 16 years for that energy to come out again."

All seven candidates are Democrats, and no Republicans are running for the seat. Primary day is May 17.

The term limit issue was one of the more divisive matters discussed during the debate, which took place in front of a crowd of hundreds that packed the sanctuary at the church at Germantown Avenue and Chelten Avenue. Treatman, Robin Tasco, Verna Tyner and Andrew Lofton said they supported term limits, while Cindy Bass, Bill Durham and Greg Paulmier said they did not.

Paulmier said he instead favored campaign finance reform, saying it's better for people to see where money that supports council candidates comes from. Durham said he didn't think he could get done everything he wants to in one term, while Bass took a slightly different approach.

"The voters should have the power to support the decision," she said.

Questions asked by WHYY/Newsworks Executive Director of News Chris Satullo, the debate's moderator largely focused on education at the session's outset. A few candidates made reference to by the beginning of next school year.

The majority of them said improving public schools is key to keeping middle class families in Philadelphia, to getting guns off the street and to generally giving people a more favorable impression of the city.

Five of the seven candidates unequivocally favored bringing the school district back under the control of the city. It was taken over by the state about 10 years ago, and as part of that move, some schools began to be taken over and managed by private entities.

Tyner and Lofton said they would only favor that if the city got its financial situation in order. Philadelphia, Lofton said, is hemmoraging money right now, just like the school district.

"Then we'd have two messes on our hands and we couldn't even fix the first one," Lofton said of any potential city takeover. "Until we do that, I think it would be ill advised and it would create more problems."

In general, the candidates said there needed to be a new culture instituted that would encourage young people to not choose to take part in gun violence.

The candidates attempted to paint distinctive pictures of themselves throughout the debate.

Bass talked about her experience and her background—she currently works in Rep. Chaka Fattah's office—and touted the endorsements she's received from people like Mayor Michael Nutter and District Attorney Seth Williams. Tyner, who talked frequently about her history working with members of her community in Tioga, took the opportunity to take a swipe at that endorsement.

"I have gone against the grain, and that's probably why I didn't receive the endorsement of the mayor of the city of Philadelphia," she said. (Bass, for her part, countered that, saying that she doesn't come from privilege and saying the endorsements don't "change who I am.")

Treatman described himself as a candidate who wasn't "part of any political machine," while Lofton said he isn't "beholden to any special interests." Tasco talked about her experiences as a trained electrician and consistently called herself a fighter. Paulmier consistently mentioned his 30 years of experience working to renovate housing and create jobs in Germantown, and Durham said he feels he's the one to help repair a broken political system.

The candidates, for the most part, also bonded together on the controversial DROP retirement program. When asked whether they would support a council member for council president who was enrolled in the program, six of the seven candidates were emphatic in saying they would not.

"They hustled us," Durham said of officials who participated in the program and then were re-elected. And Tyner stood up, pointing emphatically as she said she would never support a DROP participant for the job.

Bass was the lone candidate to disagree.

"The important thing to note here is that we don't limit our options," she said. "The person who will be City Council president will have lots of discretion. I want to have all of the options or resources available to be of service to the 8th District."

When it came to jobs, Treatman said he was the only candidate with a comprehensive economic development plan posted on his website. Tyner said she was already in talks with developers in hopes of attracting them to the district, and Tasco echoed her words. Lofton joined others in advocating for historic tours of Germantown, Mt. Airy and Chestnut Hill, and Durham said he favored the establishment of special tax zones for businesses. Bass said it's important to make Philadelphia, through legislation, a more business friendly city.

To Paulmier, parking is a big issue when it comes to pumping capital into the area.

"Maybe Mt. Airy does need some parking areas," he said. Maybe Germantown does need some parking areas."

The candidates also talked a bit about green issues. All seven said they recycle at home.

The debate .