As Kenney’s tenure ends, a legacy of missed opportunities is largely defined by 11 words | Editorial

Mayor Jim Kenney’s tenure began with a series of high-profile policy victories, but effectively ended 18 months ago with a surrender. It’s a disappointing denouement to a demanding job in a tough town made more difficult by the tumultuous times spurred by the pandemic and record levels of gun violence.

Fairly or not, Kenney may best be remembered for the 11 words he uttered in an unguarded moment after two police officers were shot on July 4, 2022: “I’ll be happy when I’m not here — when I’m not mayor.” Kenney walked it back, but the initial statement cemented what City Hall watchers had pondered for some time: Has the mayor checked out?

In an exit interview with The Inquirer, Kenney admitted the job wore on his mental and physical health. That’s a belated but welcome acknowledgment from a man many regarded as an ambitious good government type when he was first elected to City Council in 1991 at age 32.

As mayor, voters saw flashes of Kenney’s rowhouse candor when he stood up to former President Donald Trump, calling him a “bully” in 2017 over his immigration policies and telling Trump to put on his “big boy pants” and accept his 2020 election defeat.

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But all too often, Kenney seemed unhappy and disengaged in a job that requires healthy doses of cheerleading and dexterity. During public appearances, Kenney frequently delivered monotone speeches with his head buried in the script. But then he would remove his glasses and speak from the heart. Those moments provided a revealing peek into what is clearly a sensitive soul, and they showed that he cared.

Perhaps the pandemic, the protests after the police killing of George Floyd, the manic Trump years, and the city’s record murders combined to overwhelm Kenney. He was not alone. Many in Philadelphia and beyond have been going through it.

But if Kenney needed help or felt burned out, he could have done himself and city residents a favor by stepping away. He could have been a champion for the mental and physical health crisis plaguing many adults and children.

It’s fair to wonder if Kenney really wanted the job. After wavering for months, he entered the 2015 mayor’s race late, inheriting the campaign apparatus of former City Solicitor Ken Trujillo who suddenly dropped out.

Kenney had a strong first year. Philadelphia became the first big city to adopt a soda tax, with the mayor stiff-arming intense lobbying by the beverage industry. Kenney’s predecessor, Michael Nutter, had failed twice to get a similar tax approved.

Kenney used the additional tax revenue to fund universal pre-K and renovate parks, libraries, and recreational centers. Unfortunately, his signature initiative remains a work in progress. The pandemic hampered pre-K enrollments while the $400 million Rebuild efforts have been slow and underwhelming.

By his second term, Kenney seemed to shift to autopilot. He cruised to reelection in 2019 without much in the way of campaigning or offering any new ideas. Three months after his second inauguration, the pandemic shut down the city.

While some elected officials stepped up during the crisis, Kenney stepped back. The leadership void was laid bare when a 22-year-old Drexel University graduate student with no health-care experience was somehow entrusted to run COVID-19 testing and vaccine distribution.

Other scandals raised questions about Kenney’s judgment. Police Commissioner Richard Ross resigned amid allegations of an affair with a subordinate and his failure to respond to separate claims of sexual harassment. Days earlier, Kenney called Ross “the best police commissioner in America.”

In January 2020, Kenney appointed Danielle Outlaw the city’s first Black female commissioner, with a charge to reform the troubled department. She proved largely ineffective in bringing about substantive change, let alone developing a forceful response to the increased gun violence. A lawsuit following the Police Department’s mishandling of protests after Floyd’s murder cost taxpayers nearly $10 million. Outlaw resigned in September after 3 ½ years on the job.

John “Johnny Doc” Dougherty, the once-powerful electricians union boss who played a key role in electing Kenney, was indicted on multiple corruption charges. After Dougherty and former City Councilmember Bobby Henon were both convicted in one of the schemes, Kenney praised the former union leader.

Beyond leadership and public safety, a mayor’s other main responsibility is fiscal management. On this score, Kenney’s record is mixed.

After a temporary freeze, Kenney wisely resumed the incremental cuts to the city’s onerous wage and business taxes. But during his tenure, Philadelphia increased spending by more than 50%. The city benefited from a $1.4 billion windfall in federal stimulus funds and a 31% spike in property assessments that boosted tax revenues.

Where did all the money go? Investments were made in critical education and social services. Meanwhile, the Police Department received hundreds of millions of dollars in additional spending, yet shootings, murders, and crime continued to increase. Millions steered to crime prevention programs proved ineffective and, in some cases, wasteful.

It remains to be seen if all the additional spending can be maintained once the stimulus funds are gone, and if an economic downturn reduces revenues. But Kenney is leaving the city in stronger financial shape than when he arrived.

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The fund balance, which is money unspent, was nearly $1 billion at the conclusion of the fiscal year that ended in July — the highest ever. That does not include $449 million left in federal stimulus funds that must be spent by the end of 2024.

Kenney also strengthened the city’s pension fund, which increased from about 45% funded to almost 58%. It is on course to be 80% funded in five years thanks to changes in labor contracts, improved investment strategy, and a dedicated revenue stream from sales taxes.

As a result, the city’s bond rating and outlook have improved. None of that is sexy, but it is important to the financial health of the city. Other mayors kicked that can down the road.

While Kenney — and many others — may be “happy” when he is no longer mayor, he did make a quiet impact. Kenney said he wants to be remembered “as someone who cared.”

It wasn’t always obvious, Philadelphia, but he did care.