In competitive City Council at-large race, we recommend Democrats Ahmad, Gilmore Richardson, Itzkowitz, Santamoor, and Thomas | Endorsement

Change is coming to Philadelphia City Council.

While the legislative body has been known for longevity of service — with some members in office for decades — of the 17 members who were sworn in with Jim Kenney in 2016, as few as three could be sworn in with the next mayor.

Having one of the least experienced City Councils in recent memory means that voters should prioritize primary candidates who will have a minimal learning curve, who understand how the chamber works, and who won’t get bowled over by the remaining senior members.

A Council shake-up presents an opportunity to fix long-standing problems. Council is increasingly focused on ceremonial proclamations and bogged down with minutiae, just as the use of councilmanic prerogative has reached an unprecedented level, sometimes allowing small special interests to dictate what should be citywide policy.

Representatives have long held that the tradition of allowing district Council members to control land-use decisions in their own districts is the only way to include citizen input. But that claim is complicated by the fact that nearly half of residents don’t even know who their district councilmember is.

Under Council President Darrell L. Clarke, there has also been a centralization of power within the Council president’s office, to the detriment of the mayor and other Council members. Council’s inner workings need more transparency, and they also need to be democratized, with more members weighing in on vital topics such as committee assignments and whether bills receive a public hearing.

Meanwhile, as Council debates the exact placement of parking spots and bike lanes, more than 500 Philadelphians a year are being murdered, more than 100 are lost to traffic deaths, and more than 1,000 die from opioid abuse. The public transit system and schools are struggling to stay afloat. Housing has become more expensive. Libraries, pools, and recreation centers can’t hire enough workers. Commercial corridors are struggling, and decades of stagnant economic growth have left over a quarter of the population in poverty.

Change can’t come soon enough. Voters need to elect at-large Council candidates who are willing to challenge the old ways of doing things, and champion causes that will give Philadelphians the safer, cleaner city we all envision.

One of those candidates is Katherine Gilmore Richardson. A Philadelphia public school graduate and one-term incumbent, Gilmore Richardson has often served as the voice of reason and accountability on Council. In her role, she’s also shed a light on overlooked struggles, such as tangled titles which can sap away family wealth, especially in Black and brown communities. Gilmore Richardson is well-suited to take on the somewhat unexpected role of being a senior member in her second term, thanks to her strong knowledge of both city government and Council itself. She’s also widely respected, with many of her fellow candidates naming her as their favorite recent councilmember.

Another one-term incumbent has also earned voter support. Isaiah Thomas, who achieved office through grassroots campaigning, did not wait long to begin making an impact. His driving equality legislation, despite criticism from police advocates, has now been adopted by other cities, including Memphis, Tenn. Thomas also has demonstrated a deep commitment to the city’s oft-neglected youth, operating a free basketball summer camp and serving as a high school basketball coach at Sankofa Freedom Academy.

Both Gilmore Richardson and Thomas have the now-rare experience of a full-term on Council, and both have acquitted themselves well over the last four years. Council will need them over the next term.

Outside of the incumbents, Eryn Santamoor has this board’s recommendation. Santamoor, a former deputy managing director for the city, spent the last three years working as Allan Domb’s chief of staff, where she was vital to the fight to preserve at least some of Philadelphia’s most popular streeteries. This was a good addition to an already strong résumé. Santamoor has detailed plans and is ready to get to work on day one tackling public safety and improving public services.

Job Itzkowitz, another Philadelphia public school graduate and the executive director of the Old City District, also has this board’s endorsement. Like Santamoor, Itzkowitz has worked for City Council, giving him strong insight into how to get things done in that chamber. Itzkowitz’s message — that all Philadelphians deserve the investments in public safety, cleaning, and greening that wealthy neighborhoods benefit from — rings true. He’s also uniquely qualified to make it happen, having spent the last eight years providing these services in Old City, where his small team collected roughly 17,000 pounds of trash and 700 needles per year in the most historic of the city’s 141 square miles.

Santamoor and Itzkowitz represent the rare opportunity for voters to back candidates who are both highly experienced and credible, while also being committed to changing the status quo on City Council. While they’ve been described as “business-friendly” by some, both would likely be considered progressives in Harrisburg or Washington, D.C. They oppose the most pernicious forms of councilmanic prerogative, champion mobility for all Philadelphians, and promise to add transparency and accountability to local government.

Nina Ahmad, a former deputy mayor, pragmatic progressive, and scientist, has correctly diagnosed many of the city’s ills as health problems. Ahmad supports data-driven solutions and would bring empathy and transparency to local government. She’s also a prominent local champion of women’s rights at a time when federal judges seem intent on rolling back decades of case law on abortion and other reproductive health-care decisions. She would be the city’s first South Asian councilmember. While Ahmad has run for other offices before, City Council at-large is the ideal spot for her to apply her talents.

Beyond their experience and good governance credentials, these candidates also have proven themselves to be pragmatic, understand the city’s most important challenges, and have a strong grasp of both the powers and constraints of the office they are seeking.

Overall, it is heartening to see such a strong group of Democratic candidates vying for the five open at-large seats (two other at-large positions are reserved for nonmajority parties), with many other compelling contenders who should continue to seek public office.

Among them is Rue Landau, a housing attorney and pragmatic progressive who has spent her career fighting for vulnerable people and communities, and Qiana Shedrick, who offers North Philly lived experience and whose work revitalizing homes through Jumpstart Tioga gives her an important perspective on housing issues in the city’s disinvested neighborhoods. If Democratic voters were asked to pick seven candidates instead of five, these two would belong on that list.

Other notables: Erika Almirón has helped make Philadelphia a city where immigrants feel safe and accepted. Luz Colón has been a champion for the Puerto Rican community in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. Jim Harrity’s commitment to his adopted Kensington neighborhood is admirable. So is Donavan West’s experience in growing Black entrepreneurship in a city starved for a diversified business sector. Amanda McIllmurray has built a strong grassroots organization, and Jalon Alexander’s idea for drone-based crime-fighting is the most unique addition to the public safety discourse.

Philadelphia can be proud that, unlike the sparse field for district Council seats, there’s a deep bench of capable candidates running at-large, out of which this board’s recommendations stand out.

With these five candidates, and the right mayor, Philadelphia can start working toward a city where government is more transparent and accountable, and residents receive the high-quality public services they deserve.