Councilmember Defends Philly Political Practice of ‘Councilmanic Prerogative’
On last week’s Wednesday politics episode, we heard criticism about a decades-long tradition in city government called “councilmanic prerogative.” This power enables our ten district City Council members to greenlight or stop projects on city-owned land in their districts – and get the final say on zoning changes. Councilmember Jeffrey “Jay” Young, Jr. has become a focus of criticism because he refused to allow the reconstruction of the dilapidated Cecil B. Moore Library to move forward. He’s here to defend the practice – and his vision for the library.
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