As Linda Thompson announces she'll seek four more years as Harrisburg Mayor, a review of her first four years shows a tumultuous time of city governance, finances, crime and flooding.
Cities across the state are struggling financially. Harrisburg isn't the only municipality under Act 47.
The word ‘bankruptcy’ is no longer whispered in City Hall, but bantered around loudly. It has faced the Mayor in everything she tries to do.
Mayor Linda Thompson got started on the wrong foot. She was proud of the staff that came to work with her. But she also began losing them at an alarming rate. That included Joyce Davis, Chuck Ardo and other members.
She also struggled in developing a working relationship with City Council, a body she served as president.
The city's financial problems are staggering. The incinerator debt is over $300 million dollars. And the city is running an annual structural deficit of up to $15 million dollars.
The mayor has worked on fiscal recovery under the guidelines of Act 47 and a city receiver. Others prefer bankruptcy.
The Mayor also single-handedly tackled an increasing crime problem.
Even with 12 homicides in the city this year, the mayor created a partnership with the Dauphin County District Attorney. City police bolstered by members of the Dauphin County Special Response Team continues to show promise.
The mayor also battled Mother Nature. Snow and ice, wind and rain and river flooding settled upon the city.
She received praise for how she handled 2012 flooding, but was soundly criticized for her failure to act the year before.
The only thing for sure in elections is there's a winner and the rest of them are losers. And that as an incumbent, Mayor Thompson's actions of the past four years will come under close scrutiny.
Cities across the state are struggling financially. Harrisburg isn't the only municipality under Act 47.
The word ‘bankruptcy’ is no longer whispered in City Hall, but bantered around loudly. It has faced the Mayor in everything she tries to do.
Mayor Linda Thompson got started on the wrong foot. She was proud of the staff that came to work with her. But she also began losing them at an alarming rate. That included Joyce Davis, Chuck Ardo and other members.
She also struggled in developing a working relationship with City Council, a body she served as president.
The city's financial problems are staggering. The incinerator debt is over $300 million dollars. And the city is running an annual structural deficit of up to $15 million dollars.
The mayor has worked on fiscal recovery under the guidelines of Act 47 and a city receiver. Others prefer bankruptcy.
The Mayor also single-handedly tackled an increasing crime problem.
Even with 12 homicides in the city this year, the mayor created a partnership with the Dauphin County District Attorney. City police bolstered by members of the Dauphin County Special Response Team continues to show promise.
The mayor also battled Mother Nature. Snow and ice, wind and rain and river flooding settled upon the city.
She received praise for how she handled 2012 flooding, but was soundly criticized for her failure to act the year before.
The only thing for sure in elections is there's a winner and the rest of them are losers. And that as an incumbent, Mayor Thompson's actions of the past four years will come under close scrutiny.