On the Jan. 7 episode of City Cast Philly, we dug into the city’s unusual political practice of “councilmanic prerogative.” This unwritten rule gives district councilmembers the authority to green-light or halt developments within their district. At the center of the most recent debate over the practice is Councilmember Jeffery Young, Jr., and the increased tensions between him and North Philly residents over his refusal to move forward with the reconstruction of the aging Cecil B. Moore Library.
Young, whose fifth district covers parts of North Philly, the River Wards, and Center City, spoke with City Cast Philly to make his case for why he believes councilmanic prerogative is ultimately positive for his constituents.
You said that this issue over the library, specifically the Cecil B. Moore Library, has ‘sparked strong feelings’, and you said you wanted to see a commitment to equality…Why is it sparking such strong feelings?
“It was almost close to $5 million that was allocated…It's a rehab of that library would have taken place, but again, it does not provide us with the things that we need for the future. And understanding how government works with very, very limited resources, we would have been stuck with that same footprint, that same library for that community for another 60 years.
“That library was built in 1961, which means today my 7- or 8-year-old is gonna be using the same facility that a 7- or 8-year-old used back in 1961. Now you know how technology moves and how things are. This is a totally different world now, and to use that same space, we'll just continue to set our Black and brown kids behind in that community.”
If you don't want something to happen in a district, like bike lanes or zoning changes, then all of City Council will go along with what you say…Do you think that this idea of councilmanic prerogative is a good thing?
“ When folks talk about prerogative, I really believe that it's council members giving deference to their colleagues who represent that area 一 who should best know what the people on the ground in that particular area want to see, want to do. They’re directly held responsible and liable to those people that they represent.
“I don't see many of the negatives that folks claim to exist with the practice of giving your colleagues deference for an area that they know they're an expert on, essentially.”
Do you think that [councilmanic prerogative] stops progress in any way?
“I don’t think it stops progress at all. It adds a community voice to progress.
“If something is stopped, that’s because that’s within the best interest of the community.”
🎧 This is a preview of our conversation with Councilmember Young. Listen to today’s episode for the full interview with the councilmember and City Cast Philly host Trenae Nuri.
