The Committee of Seventy has published the Questions that will appear on the Tuesday, May 15, 2007 Ballot. They deal with Casinos, Zoning, the Resign to Run Rule...
*The order of these questions is subject to change*
Please note – while you must be registered under a Major Party (Democrat or Republican) to vote
for candidates on the Primary ballot, ALL registered voters may vote on ballot questions.
BALLOT QUESTION #1
Bill No. 070112: Casinos Ballot Questions
Shall the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter be amended to prohibit Council from taking
any action that would permit licensed gaming within 1500 feet of a residentially zoned
district, an Institutional Development District, or certain residentially-related uses, and to
prohibit the Department of Licenses and Inspections from issuing any license or permit
authorizing licensed gaming within such areas?
BALLOT QUESTION #2
Bill No. 060617: Eliminating Resign to Run Rule
Shall the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter be amended so that, effective January 1,
2008, City elected officials may become candidates for nomination or election to any
public office without first resigning from their City office?
BALLOT QUESTION #3
Bill No. 060581: Creating a Youth Commission
Shall the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter be amended to create a Youth Commission,
with members between the ages of 12 and 23 years of age, to be responsible for
advising the City Council and the Mayor regarding issues affecting children and youth in
order to ensure that children and youth have a voice regarding policies and decisions
affecting them?
BALLOT QUESTION #4
Bill No. 060682: Professionalizing the City Planning Commission
Shall the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter be amended to provide that the six appointed
members of the City Planning Commission shall include an architect, an urban planner,
a traffic engineer, an attorney experienced in land use issues, and two
representatives ofPhiladelphia community groups that participate in
land use issues?
BALLOT QUESTION #5
Bill No. 060684: Extending the time for the City Planning Commission to
make recommendations to City Council
Shall the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter be amended to provide that the City Planning
Commission may extend for up to 45 days the time period within which it must provide a
recommendation to Council on pending legislation affecting zoning, the City’s physical
development plan, land subdivision, or authorizing the purchase or sale of real estate?
BALLOT QUESTION #6
Bill No. 060699: Creating an independent Zoning Code Commission
Shall the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter be amended to provide for the creation,
appointment, powers and duties of an independent Zoning Code Commission which
would recommend amendments to the Philadelphia Zoning Code to make the Code
consistent and easy to understand, and to enhance and improve Philadelphia’s city
planning process while encouraging development and protecting the character of
Philadelphia’s neighborhoods?
BALLOT QUESTION #7
Bill No. 060849: Asking Philadelphians to urge the U.S. government to
redeploy American troops out of harms way in Iraq during 2007
Shall the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter be amended to state the citizens’
views regarding the mission served by U.S. troops in Iraq and that the citizens of
Philadelphia urge the United States to make year 2007 the time to redeploy U.S.
troops out of harm’s way in Iraq?
BALLOT QUESTION #8
Bill No. 060576-A: Urging the Board of Revision of Taxes to Retain the
current Percentage-based method of real estate valuation instead of
moving to a Full Valuation reassessment system.
Shall the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter be amended to add a provision stating that
the citizens of Philadelphia urge the stopping of real estate tax assessment increases
which would result from the Philadelphia Board of Revision of Taxes’ use of a new
method of figuring tax assessments called “Full Valuation”?
POSSIBLE BALLOT QUESTION #9: ENACTED BY CITY COUNCIL BUT NO
ACTION TAKEN BY MAYOR STREET
Bill No. 070117: Urging the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission to deny
he Philadelphia Gas Works’ request for a base rate increase
Shall the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter be amended to state that the citizens of
Philadelphia urge the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission
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