Three Philly mayors stand together to bolster Inspector General's Office

Mayor Nutter, flanked by two predecessors - former Mayors W. Wilson Goode and Ed Rendell - signed an executive order Tuesday strengthening the city's Office of Inspector General.

The order gives greater protection for whistle-blowers, toughens confidentiality rules to ensure the integrity of investigations, and clarifies the office's duties and responsibilities.

The signing in the Mayor's Reception Room highlighted efforts for more than 30 years to root out corruption and restore the reputation of city government.

Each of the mayors in attendance had played some role in the creation or expansion of the office, which over the last six years has recovered $40 million in misused funds, forced the termination or resignation of about 200 city employees, and led to the arrest or indictment of 65 of them.

Just this week, the office's work helped lead to the arrest of a Department of Human Services worker on charges of stealing nearly $18,000 in SEPTA tokens.

"Things are changing in city government," said Inspector General Amy Kurland. "We are policing ourselves, and we are cleaning our own house. And that is giving people confidence in their city government."

The Inspector General's Office was created in 1984 by executive order by Goode, for whom Kurland's father, Seymour Kurland, served as city solicitor.

"Public trust and honesty in government is the foundation of a democracy," Goode said. "It was a no-brainer for me back in 1984 to begin to look for ways to make government more transparent, to give people more confidence in their government."

At the time, the office was charged with investigating wrongdoing in any city agency under mayoral control.

Ten years later, Rendell expanded its jurisdiction to include contractors doing work for the city. He gave the office the power to subpoena documents and testimony.

"Public trust in the operation of government is crucially important," Rendell said. "If the public does not believe that government is honest, if the public does not believe it will spend money wisely, it's not going to support the spending that is so important."

Under Nutter, the Inspector General's Office has grown and been given its independence as a stand-alone agency separate from the mayor's office. Kurland said that when she started she had three inspectors. There are now 20.

"Expanding the Office of Inspector General," Nutter said, "has been one of the hallmarks of our administration's efforts to change the culture and reputation of our city government."

Nutter and his two forebears urged City Council to pass a bill introduced last year by Councilman James F. Kenney that would make the Inspector General's Office a permanent part of city government. The position is now appointed by, and serves at the will of, the mayor.

The bill is in committee.