Title
Proposing an amendment to the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter by revising the powers and duties of the Art Commission to provide citizens the opportunity to vote on the removal or relocation of a City statue and monument through a public referendum process when there is public dispute, and to require the Commission to prepare an analysis evaluating the competing interpretations of the statue or monument before any removal or relocation; and providing for the submission of the proposed amendment to the electors of Philadelphia.
Body
WHEREAS, In recent years, statutes and monuments throughout the United States have become grounds for protests, riots, and violent confrontations; and
WHEREAS, In cases where there are different perspectives of history and political significance, statues are being toppled or removed by local officials without a transparent public process; and
WHEREAS, Philadelphia, the birthplace of American democracy, is home to an abundance of public monuments and statues that memorialize the rich history of our City and Nation; and
WHEREAS, Recently in Philadelphia the issue of the removal and relocation of monuments and statutes has been of significant concern due to public clashes of competing historical and political interpretations; and
WHEREAS, The Home Rule Charter currently grants authority over statue and monument removal to the nine members of the Art Commission appointed by the Mayor; and
WHEREAS, The Art Commission, however, was not designed to settle historical and political disputes and there is currently no transparent and orderly process to resolve such disputes; and
WHEREAS, The disposition of any statute or monument in Philadelphia should be decided by residents themselves though through a transparent public process that involves citizen participation; and
WHEREAS, Under Section 6 of the First-Class City Home Rule Act (53 ?13106), an amendment to the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter may be proposed by a resolution of ...
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