Philly officials are spending big to tell voters they're doing good things

Axios

15-05-2025

Did you receive one of those yearbook-looking 48-page mailers boasting the Philadelphia City Council 's 2024 feats? They cost taxpayers nearly $83,000.
Why it matters: The Parker administration, city lawmakers and other elected city leaders have spent at least $2 million in recent months on outside communications firms and media campaigns touting their accomplishments, the Inquirer reports.
And a government watchdog group is questioning whether the expenses are a good use of taxpayer dollars.
State of play: Last month, the Parker administration finalized a six-figure contract with Erie-based public relations firm Kate Philips & Co., which is run by former Gov. Ed Rendell's spokesperson, to promote the mayor's "initiatives and their successes," per the Inquirer.
City officials spent another $102,000 on advertising to promote four town halls about the budget, including billboards plastered with council members' pics and names.
Plus, the city sanitation department spent $107,000 to wrap garbage trucks and trash cans with Parker's name and the "One Philly, United City" slogan, the newspaper notes.
Between the lines: The emphasis on public awareness efforts suggests city officials are increasingly concerned about how they're perceived by voters.
The council's glossy mailer effort specifically targeted "super voters," people who tend to vote in every election, per the Inquirer.
What they're saying: Vincent Thompson, spokesperson for council president Kenyatta Johnson, told the outlet that spending money on public awareness campaigns is important because "many people don't even know who their elected officials are."
Parker's spokesperson, Joe Grace, defended the PR contract to the Inquirer, saying it'll allow the administration to "tell more stories, and inform the public" about the mayor's positive influence.
The other side: The good government group Committee of Seventy is concerned about local politicians spending public money to promote themselves "rather than City programs, services, and opportunities."
That "should definitely be handled on the political side," the group says — especially when City Hall already employs dozens of in-house communications workers who collectively earn about $5.3 million a year.
By the numbers: The budget for Parker's nine-person comms team is $1.1 million — 20% more than that of her predecessor, Jim Kenney, per the Inquirer.