Broad Street Brief: Philadelphia Mayoral Race to Attract Major Campaign Talent
August 4, 2022
August 4, 2022
While no one has officially thrown their hat in the ring for Philadelphia’s upcoming election for its milestone 100th mayor, teams are beginning to coalesce around suspected mayoral candidates. The race is expected to garner much attention throughout the region and attract campaign veterans and high-profile campaign operatives from Philadelphia and beyond.
New data from the real estate company Redfin show that newcomers to Philadelphia spend on average 39% more than local homebuyers. The majority of newcomers to Philadelphia hail from cities with higher costs of living, including New York, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles. With the cost of housing growing at a slower rate in Philadelphia than elsewhere in the nation, the city has become a prime location for out-of-towners and work-from-home employees looking to relocate to a city with a lower cost of living.
Earlier this summer, South Street was rocked by a mass shooting that injured 14 people and killed three on a busy Saturday night. Now, the police officers who patrol the area and responded to the June shooting are going to be given an award by Friends of the South Street Police Mini Station, a local nonprofit coalition set up to support the police station in this neighborhood, during the annual National Night Out celebration. Responses to news of the award have been mixed among South Street community members, with some highlighting a desire for more policing and others opining that the police’s efforts had not been particularly outstanding.
Last Friday’s fire at Jim’s Steaks — a nearly 50-year-old South Street institution — was due to electrical wiring, according to the Philadelphia Fire Marshal’s Office. Based on the extent of the damage, owner Ken Silver believes Jim’s could reopen as soon as spring of 2023, while the future of next door neighbor Eye’s Gallery remains less certain.
The White House has announced a $1 billion investment in flood-prevention infrastructure for cities. Of this, Philadelphia is set to receive $25 million to make necessary sewer system improvements and implement other flood-prevention strategies. The announcement comes after years of rapidly increasing rates of extreme weather events due to climate change, such as the historic flooding experienced in Philadelphia and the greater region this time last year.
Like many school districts across the nation, Philadelphia has been struggling to attract and retain teachers, including substitutes. The School District of Philadelphia has signed a two-year contract with ESS Northeast for $58 million to staff and place substitute teachers for the upcoming school year and beyond. The third-party company has already recruited 680 substitute teachers for 2022-23 and aims to recruit 1,000 more by October.
Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies, an affiliate of the international law firm Cozen O’Connor, is a bipartisan government relations practice representing clients before the federal government and in cities and states throughout the country. With offices in Washington D.C., Richmond, Albany, New York City, Philadelphia, Harrisburg, Chicago, and Santa Monica, the firm’s public strategies professionals offer a full complement of government affairs services, including legislative and executive branch advocacy, policy analysis, assistance with government procurement and funding programs, and crisis management. Its client base spans multiple industries, including healthcare, transportation, hospitality, education, construction, energy, real estate, entertainment, financial services, and insurance.
Established in 1970, Cozen O’Connor has over 775 attorneys who help clients manage risk and make better business decisions. The firm counsels clients on their most sophisticated legal matters in all areas of the law, including litigation, corporate, and regulatory law. Representing a broad array of leading global corporations and middle-market companies, Cozen O’Connor serves its clients’ needs through 31 offices across two continents.
October 11, 2024
October 10, 2024
October 10, 2024