City Council President Darrell Clarke talks Philly’s future as tenure comes to an end

The big upcoming changes for Philadelphia’s City Hall don’t just include the new mayor. Darrell Clarke, who has been the president of City Council since 2012 and served on the council for more than a decade before that, is leaving. In the latest episode of Battleground Politics, Lauren Mayk spoke with Clarke about his future, Philadelphia’s future, power in city hall and whether or not he thinks he would have been a good mayor.

Clarke also discusses his expectations as a member of Mayor-elect Cherelle Parker’s new intergovernmental roundtable, how much power convicted former labor leader John “Johnny Doc” Dougherty had in city hall and ways the city can be more “aggressive” in fighting crime.

Here’s a full breakdown of the episode:

:37 -- How is Darrell Clarke feeling about his city council tenure coming to an end?

1:28 – Clarke’s future plans

2:28 – Is Clarke still comfortable with his decision to leave?

3:17 – Expectations as a member of Mayor-elect Parker’s intergovernmental roundtable

5:52 – Can a focus on different neighborhoods coincide with a “One Philadelphia” vision?

7:43 – Will Philly have a Chief Public Safety Director?

10:13 – Has the balance of power shifted at city hall?

12:34 – Does Clarke think he would’ve been a good mayor?

13:37 – How much power did Johnny Doc have in city hall?

16:30 – Does city council’s structure potentially put councilmembers in compromising positions?

18:02 – Did city council do everything they could to curb gun violence during Clarke’s tenure?

21:15 – Being more ‘aggressive’ on solving crime in Philly

24:30 – Would Clarke take a job in the Parker administration?

25:00 – Clarke talks potential upcoming role on the State Liquor Control Board

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.