Brian J. O’Neill is best bet for voters in 10th Council District race | Endorsement

For better and worse, little has changed in nearly half a century when it comes to city politics in the Far Northeast.

City Councilmember Brian J. O’Neill has represented the 10th District for 43 years. When he was elected, Jimmy Carter was president, a dozen eggs cost 86 cents, Liberty Place had not been built, and Veterans Stadium was still standing.

O’Neill, 73, is the only Republican councilmember. He is up for reelection on Nov. 7 and faces a well-financed challenger in Democrat Gary Masino, the head of Sheet Metal Workers Local 19.

While the Republican brand may be tarnished beyond repair, O’Neill is a moderate who is far removed from the MAGA extremists at the state and federal levels. However, the GOP may lose all three seats it once controlled on Council, as other parties take spots reserved for non-Democrats, underscoring the need to cultivate competitive new voices.

Until fresh faces are found, The Inquirer endorses Brian J. O’Neill as the best choice for City Council in the 10th District.

Since O’Neill has spent his long career in the minority, he has very little to show in the way of major legislative accomplishments. A top highlight on his brief Wikipedia entry is the 2006 passage of an ordinance banning the sale of single cigarettes and cigars, known as the “blunt ban,” which was later overturned by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.

O’Neill serves as the minority leader in a city where the Republican Party has been outnumbered and out of power for nearly 75 years. In that role, he has been a steady, if unflashy, counterweight to the sometimes histrionic majority on Council.

O’Neill also knows his district, which is mostly white, has a more suburban feel, and is home to many police officers, firefighters, and teachers. Indeed, O’Neill was endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police, unsurprising for the son of a police officer.

Masino, by comparison, is a no-nonsense union official straight out of central casting. The brawny father of five is a third-generation member of the sheet metal union, with two sons in the family trade.

Masino has never held elected office, and during a meeting with this board struggled to articulate a compelling plan for what he would do on Council or why he is a better choice than O’Neill. In fact, Masino agrees with O’Neill on most policy issues but argues the incumbent is rarely visible in the district.

The challenger’s campaign is focused on combating crime, though his district is one of the safest in the city. He is also rightly concerned about the city’s onerous tax structure. In particular, property taxes have ballooned as property values have increased. Lowering the tax rate is a reasonable way to offset higher assessments.

Masino suggested offsetting tax cuts through increased fees and enforcement by the Department of Licenses and Inspections but offered no numbers to support the idea. He does deserve praise for one pledge in particular: If elected, Masino promised to step down from his other full-time job running the sheet metal union.

This commitment should be the rule for all City Council members.

Over the years, many Council members have held second jobs. The double-dipping created a real or perceived conflict of interest and raised questions about who they served. Former City Councilmember Bobby Henon is in prison because he couldn’t separate his job at the electricians union from his role as a public servant.

For many years, O’Neill was employed by Fox Rothchild, a law firm that does business with the city. He has now retired from the firm and told this board he now supports prohibiting Council members from holding a second job. But with one caveat: O’Neill said Council salaries of $142,751 should be increased to offset the loss of a second income and incentivize quality candidates to seek office. That’s an idea worth exploring.

O’Neill also supports term limits. This seems like an incongruous position for a person who has held office for more than four decades, but better late than never. The incumbent proposed a limit of five terms. Even at that generous clip, that means his tenure would have concluded at the end of last century.

Term limits for Council is another idea worth exploring. For now, those limits come from the voters, who will determine if O’Neill gets another term.