Our recommendations on two Philadelphia City Charter amendments | Endorsement

Voters in Philadelphia will be asked two questions on Tuesday’s primary ballot. Here are the Editorial Board’s recommendations.

Should the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter be amended to revise the City’s contracting procedures to allow for bid preferences and set-asides for small businesses; modify the threshold and standards for contracts that can be set aside for small and local businesses; and grant the Procurement Department and the City Solicitor discretion on bond requirements for certain construction projects?

The first question would change the City Charter so officials can provide preferences to small businesses that bid on contracts for city-funded projects. The measure would also expand the preferences that are given to local businesses.

The proposal reflects Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s decision to eliminate racial diversity goals in contracting decisions and instead emphasize assisting small businesses — a step she took in response to a series of recent court rulings. Parker’s shift has been decried by some Black business owners in the city.

A study conducted last year by the Pew Research Center found that Philadelphia’s business density — a key driver of municipal economies based on the number of firms per 1,000 residents 16 and older — has increased in recent years, but is still well below the national average (111 here; 129 across the country). Philadelphia also trails such cities as Indianapolis (122), St. Louis (119), and Baltimore (113). Anecdotally, local business owners also report significant pressures from inflation, high interest rates, and general uncertainty about the economy.

While preferences could provide some relief for many local entrepreneurs, they can hardly be counted on as a singular cure for what ails Philadelphia’s business ecosystem. It is crucial that city officials continue to address the systemic challenges facing local businesses — including a burdensome and uncompetitive tax system, and what has historically been an often-cumbersome permitting process (even as expedited review initiatives like PHL Prime show promise).

While it is an imperfect solution with an unfinished surrounding infrastructure, voters should vote YES to allow officials to offer the preferences, which can serve as a much-needed tool to help promote economic growth locally. At the same time, this board also calls on City Hall to continue working to overhaul the structural hurdles to business development in Philadelphia.

Shall the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter be amended to establish and define the functions of Creative Philadelphia, an office headed by the Chief Cultural Officer to promote the City’s arts, culture, and creative economy sector?

The second question would make Creative Philadelphia — which now exists via executive order and which promotes and supports the city’s arts community — a formal and permanent part of municipal government. Aside from the often intangible civic value of increasing public engagement with the arts, a recent study found that the cultural sector in Philadelphia has an annual economic impact of $2.2 billion.

Given those stakes and the broader public benefits, voters should vote YES to formally establish Creative Philadelphia as a permanent office in city government.

Election Day is today — Tuesday, Nov. 3. That means it is time to vote.

The polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mail ballots must also be returned by 8 p.m.

Voters in Pennsylvania can find their polling place online at pavoterservices.pa.gov.

New Jersey voters can find polling places at voter.svrs.nj.gov/polling-place-search.

The Inquirer has an interactive voter guide available at inquirer.com/politics/election.

To help voters make their decisions, The Inquirer Editorial Board — which operates independently from the newsroom — interviewed candidates in several competitive primary races in the city and statewide. The board conducted independent research, reviewed the candidates’ position statements, and discussed the strengths and weaknesses of the candidates before making its endorsements.

Here are the board’s choices: