Philly City Council is the least experienced it’s been in 40 years

No matter what happens in this year’s City Council elections, Philadelphia will gain one of its freshest cohorts of lawmakers in decades — and thus one of the least experienced in terms of years in office.

Views differ on how a relatively inexperienced Council would affect efforts to address the city’s most pressing issues, from public safety to economic growth. Some say a Council with newer members would lack the know-how to get things done, while others say newcomers might bring fresh ideas for old problems.

» READ MORE: City Hall is about to see some serious turnover that will determine the direction of Philadelphia government

The picture will become clearer after the May 16 primary, as Democratic victors will almost certainly prevail in November. But observers expect big changes, and growing pains are inevitable with this many new faces in power. With so much turnover, the political bent and policy priorities of the next Council — and the next mayor — are not yet known and could change the direction of city government.

The Inquirer analyzed the ages, inauguration, and departure dates for Philadelphia’s more than 100 City Council members since 1952, when the current structure of government began. We found:

That’s not to say there won’t be considerable experience — or age — on next year’s Council. If reelected, Brian O’Neill, the Republican Council member from the 10th District, will be 74 and will have served for 44 years, by far the longest of anyone in modern Philadelphia history (the body has no term limits).

While O’Neill’s lengthy service pulls up the Council average, the member with the median level of experience — the one who’s served longer than half the group, but shorter than the other half — has been serving for less than a single full term. That means the four serving members elected in 2019, still in their first terms, are already exactly in the middle of the pack.

Next year, the median service could be even lower if challengers successfully unseat some incumbents.

» READ MORE: More than 30 people are running for Philadelphia City Council’s seven at-large seats. Here’s what you should know.

A bumper crop of millennial candidates could also pull down Council’s average age — but only if lots of incumbents lose. If all incumbents hold on to their seats, Council’s average age will still be no younger than 51.

Youth doesn’t always reflect inexperience. At 39, Councilmember Katherine Gilmore Richardson is one of Council’s youngest members but worked as a legislative staffer for 11 years before her election in 2019. She and Councilmember Isaiah Thomas in 2020 became the first millennial members sworn in to Council. Both Democrats are seeking second terms.

This election comes amid intense public pressure over violent crime, ailing city services, and a pandemic-battered economy, and as many residents say the city is headed in the wrong direction.

“We’re going to be on shaky footing going into 2024,” said political consultant Mustafa Rashed. “Since the change is going to be across the board, I think voters are going to be looking for a balance of new ideas and proven experience.”

After the 2011 election, Council gained six new members, representing over a third of the chamber. But many of those elected were established political players, and disruption to Council’s status quo was barely noticeable. In recent years, the insurgency of a progressive coalition did more to alter the balance of power, with Councilmembers Kendra Brooks and Jamie Gauthier working with former Councilmember Helen Gym — who is now running for mayor — to advance legislation and push for their priorities.

Former Councilmember Bill Greenlee, a Democrat who retired in 2020, said experience will play a big role in shaping policy, particularly when it comes to how the new members get along with one another and the new mayor.

“Compromise is not a dirty word,” said Greenlee, who spent four decades on Council. “If a number of them come in and say, ‘My way or the highway,’ that’s a problem. We’ve seen it over the years when the mayor and Council are not on the same page.”

City Council has been rocked by high-profile departures in the last year, from the resignation of Bobby Henon after his conviction on bribery charges to Council President Darrell L. Clarke’s decision to retire at the end of the year.

In addition to at least eight Council members being elected to their first full term, voters will also elect a new mayor this year, and a new Council president will be named when members take office. Taken together, it’s the biggest power shuffle since the city’s Home Rule Charter restructured the branches of local government into their modern form in 1952.

The churn has been driven largely by the open mayor’s race. Six Council members resigned since August to run for the city’s top job.

Historically, death, jobs, and voters have been larger drivers of turnover.

At least 14 lawmakers have died while in office. Many left in exchange for judicial appointments or state jobs in Harrisburg. One Council member lost reelection and then quit early to take a long vacation in Palm Beach, Fla.

In recent years, the legislature has become a powerful springboard to the mayor’s office. The last three Philadelphia mayors all came from Council. Before John Street’s election in 1999, the last Council member who made that leap was James Joseph Tate in 1962.

Meanwhile, Council has become younger over the last decade, and lawmakers have come from more diverse backgrounds.

“Young people in particular really recognize that we should have a government that has lived through our experience,” said Amanda McIllmurray, a 30-year-old Democrat running for an at-large seat. “I’ve worked at Wawa, I was an umpire, I was a nanny before I became an organizer.”

Jalon Alexander, a 30-year-old cybersecurity attorney also running on the at-large ticket, said no amount of turnover changes the value of political connections.

“I’ve been involved in city politics since I was 5 or 6,” said Alexander, who is the grandson of veteran political consultant Maurice Floyd. “Even if you’re a youthful candidate, you have to have some respect and awareness for the contributions of older community figures. If you don’t recognize that … you’re going to be ill-equipped.”