City ballot: 2 questions, lots of judgeships

Philadelphia voters will face a daunting ballot at the polls Tuesday, with two dozen candidates for judge to consider before they even reach the races for mayor, City Council, and the city row offices.

Tucked away at the bottom of the ballot are two referendum questions that have gotten little public attention - one to create a "Rainy Day Fund" to help the city weather future financial crises, the other to approve a new capital budget to support the city's infrastructure.

Once voters wade through all of that, there are 28 judges facing yes-or-no votes on whether they should get new terms. The Philadelphia Bar Association says three of them should be sent toward early retirement - Common Pleas Court Judges James Murray Lynn and Robert J. Rebstock, and Municipal Court Judge James M. DeLeon.

The "Rainy Day Fund" - more formally, a budget-stabilization reserve - would require the city to set aside a small chunk of its annual revenue, less than three-quarters of 1 percent, putting the money into a fund that the city could tap only in a severe fiscal crisis.

Money would move into the fund in years when the city was operating at a surplus, spending less than it takes in, and would be removed only after the city finance director certified a dip of at least 1 percent on anticipated city revenue, or an emergency threatening the life, safety, or health of citizens.

The other ballot question would authorize the city to use $111 million in borrowed money for a variety of long-term capital projects, including $48 million in repairs to police stations and other city buildings; $29 million in repairs and equipment for streets and sanitation; $19 million for projects involving parks, recreation, and museum facilities; and $11.5 million for economic and community development projects.

With Democrats holding a 6-1 edge in voter registration, few of the general election races are thought to be competitive.

The exceptions are the 10th District City Council race in Northeast Philadelphia, where Republican Brian O'Neill is trying to extend his 32-year career against Democrat Bill Rubin, a former city election official, and the races for Council-at-large and city commissioner, where the City Charter ensures that some seats will go to non-Democrats.

Each party has nominated five candidates for Council-at-large, but the top seven vote-getters will win seats, guaranteeing at least two to Republicans. The top vote-getters in the Republican primary were State Rep. Dennis O'Brien and attorney David Oh, vying to become the first Asia American elected to Council. But Oh has been roughed up in controversies over embellishment of his military record and a firearms arrest, possibly making the race competitive for the other three Republicans: Joseph M. McColgan, a former money manager; Al Taubenberger, head of the Northeast Chamber of Commerce; and lawyer Michael W. Untermeyer.

Voters get only two votes for city commissioner, the office that runs Philadelphia elections, but three people will get seats in January.

As Democrats, incumbent Anthony Clark and Stephanie Singer are considered shoo-ins. The third seat will go to either the incumbent Republican, Joe Duda, seeking to extend his 16 years in the job, or to Al Schmidt, allied with a GOP faction unhappy with the city's Republican leadership.

The winning Republican will have the deciding vote on which Democrat gets to chair the election agency - and the result may influence the future leadership of the city's Republican Party.

Ron Donatucci, the city's register of wills, is looking to continue his 32-year career in the office, in spite of signing up for the city's deferred-retirement program, known as DROP, in early 2008. If reelected, he'll be allowed to "retire" for a single day in January, collect a DROP payment of about $368,000, then return to his job the next day.

Donatucci said he had planned to retire, but changed his mind when his employees asked him to stay, fearful that the office might be eliminated.

He's opposed by Republican Linda Wolfe Bateman, a former inheritance-tax specialist for the state. She wants to add night hours to help people with paperwork for wills and estates.

In other races, State Rep. Jewell Williams, the favored Democrat in the race for city sheriff, faces Republican Joshua R. West, a paralegal and captain in the Army National Guard, and antipoverty activist Cheri Honkala.

West wants to improve transparency for what happens to the money collected at sheriff sales, and resurrect the sheriff's warrant unit, arresting those who fail to make court appearances.

Honkala vows she will try to settle disputes between homeowners and creditors and resist selling properties at sheriff's sales.

Voters will also face choices for 11 Common Pleas Court judgeships, two spots in Municipal Court, and one seat at Traffic Court.