Mike Nutter is one cool guy, right? I mean who else has ?uestlove spinning at their inauguration, Ed Rendell? John Street? Me thinks not.

But alas, it is not his great taste in DJ's or ability to rock the mic that is the essence of Mayor Nutter's cool. It is the fact that he gets it: he gets that government is supposed to work for the people (sounds like such a novel idea in this day and age, eh?). In the spirit of continuing to give power to the people the new administration, Great Expectations and Young Involved Philadelphia are partnering to provide young Philadelphians with a forum to share their ideas, ask tough questions, and demand excellence from their government. The administration will use the input from this forum to directly inform the performance standards and expectations set up for city departments.

A City That Works
An interactive forum on the relationship between our city's budget and the commitments of the new administration

The $4 billion budget is approved, but it will take more than money to set our city straight. Where does the money go and when can we expect to see results?

FACILITATED BY:
* Steve Agostini, Philadelphia's new Budget Director
* Chris Satullo, former editoral page editor of The Philadelphia Inquirer & founder of the paper's Citizen Voices program
* Claire Robertson-Kraft, YIP Board Member & Civic Education Committee chair

WHEN: This Thursday, May 29th at 6PM
WHERE: Philadelphia Inquirer Office, 400 N. Broad St.
WHO: Free and open to the public, email YIPCivicEd@gmail.com to learn more

City Council deliberates on the Mayor's proposed budget every year in a tedious, but important, hearing process that stretches out over two months. This year's hearings begin on Tuesday, February 26 with a look at the proposed Five Year Plan. On Wednesday, Council will take up the tax bills that have been introduced, including the proposed changes in the BPT and the wage tax. The following week there will be a hearing on the capital budget. After that, each week for the following six weeks (with a one week break) all the City Departments will appear, one after the other, to make their cases for whatever it is that the Mayor wants for these Departments. The last of the scheduled hearings is to take place April 15. Two weeks later it will be the turn of the School District, whose leaders will testify on April 28 and 29.