Council, other electeds are sworn in

City elected officials – new and old – assumed their positions during Philadelphia’s 2016 inauguration Monday morning.

A happy looking Darrell Clarke was sworn in once again as City Council President, and four fresh bodies were inaugurated to City Council at-large seats, including real estate mogul Allan Domb, lawyer Derek S. Green, and education advocate Helen Gym, all democrats, and Al Taubenberger, a Republican. Incumbents David Oh, a Republican, and Blondell Reynolds Brown and William K. Greenlee, both Democrats, remained.

“To my colleagues, some old friends and some new friends, its an honor to continue serving the people of Philadelphia as president of Philadelphia City Council,” Clarke said.

Clarke called the 16 people he’s worked with in council the last four years the “best” in Philadelphia’s history.

“Together, we’ve modernized property assessments, streamlined planning and development functions in a historic reinvention of municipal government, created the nation’s largest land bank,” and much more, he said.

Only one new district council member took the oath Monday – former state Rep. Cherelle Parker, who represented parts of North Philadelphia. She’ll now represent Philadelphians from the 9^th District, replacing Marian Tasco, who was ousted in the November election.

Politically embroiled democrat Anthony Clark kept his seat as a city commissioner, and newcomer Lisa Deeley was sworn in as one as well, along with incumbent Al Schmidt. Sheriff Jewell Williams retained his post, and decades-long Register of Wills Donald Donatucci stayed on too.

Scores of others were retained and newly elected to offices of the judgeship of Philadelphia’s Court of Common Pleas and to the city’s municipal court.