Darrell Clarke’s next gig? The state Liquor Control Board, if the Pa. Senate approves.
Gov. Josh Shapiro nominated Clarke, who is retiring from Philadelphia City Council, to the position. Liquor Control Board members are paid $89,000 per year and meet two days per month.
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Philadelphia City Council President Darrell Clarke said in February that he would “continue to be involved in public service” while announcing the looming conclusion to his four-decade career in City Hall.
Now we know Clarke’s next gig, if the state Senate signs off.
Gov. Josh Shapiro appointed Clarke on Sept. 1 to a four-year term on the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board. That appointment was referred to the Senate on Monday and placed on Tuesday’s calendar for consideration.
That doesn’t mean a vote is imminent. Council still has a dozen weekly meetings scheduled this year, with the last on Dec. 14. And Mary Isenhour, former Gov. Tom Wolf’s former chief of staff, is still on the three-member board, although her term expired this summer, until her replacement is confirmed.
Shapiro spokesperson Manuel Bonder emailed Clout, noting Clarke’s long service in Philadelphia and adding that “we hope the Senate confirms his nomination to the PLCB so that he can continue that service after his term on the Philadelphia City Council is up.”
Clarke, a Democrat, made an early endorsement for Shapiro in the competitive 2016 primary for state attorney general and was a significant booster as Shapiro ran for governor last year.
Republicans control the state Senate, where Clarke needs two-thirds of the 50 members to support his appointment.
Clarke, through a spokesperson, declined to comment Tuesday.
The new job would mean a significant pay cut for Clarke, who turned 71 this week. The LCB post pays $89,648 per year. His current job pays $194,934 per year.
But Clarke will depart from City Hall with a hefty pension, having worked his way up the ladder of power since starting in 1980 as a constituent service staffer for then-Council member John Street.
And the LCB should be a more relaxed workload. The board, established at the end of Prohibition in 1933, meets two days per month to regulate the sale of wine and liquor in a network of about 600 stores the agency operates, while also licensing restaurants and bars.
The board is chaired by former U.S. Rep. Tim Holden, a Democrat from Schuylkill County. The third member is former State Sen. Randy Vulakovich, an Allegheny County Republican.
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