Where do Mayoral Candidates Kenney and Bailey Stand on the Arts and Parks?

Earlier this year during the primary election, GroundSwell and the Philadelphia Parks Alliance co-hosted a Mayoral Forum at the Free Library of Philadelphia to address the role parks and arts play in the City of Philadelphia. The candidates discussed how they plan on supporting arts & culture and parks & recreation should they be elected Mayor.

We decided to take a look back at the forum to bring you a recap focused on the two candidates who will be on the ballot this November 3: Democrat nominee Jim Kenney and Republican nominee Melissa Murray Bailey.

Candidates were asked about making improvements in recreation centers, cutting the Cultural Fund budget, what type of financial incentives they would employ for growing the creative economy, whether they would champion the Open Lands Protection Ordinance and create a permanent Department of Arts, Culture & the Creative Economy.

Bailey said she would cut the Cultural Fund (like originally proposed in Mayor Nutter’s FY2016 budget); Kenney said he would not.

When asked, “What financial incentives or other policies will you offer to encourage the growth of creative enterprises in Philadelphia?” Kenney highlighted the Mural Arts Program as an inexpensive and expansive way to bring the arts to all the neighborhoods.

Bailey said she’d work with the Cultural Alliance to make sure that all the individual cultural groups were being marketed, so people know what organizations are out there and how they might get involved in those organizations. She also mentioned she’d work on ideas like shared services models, so that people could come together and leverage resources across the different smaller organizations.

Later in the debate, all the candidates were asked a series of yes or no questions:

Would you work with City Council to change the home rule charter and establish a permanent Department of Arts, Culture, and the Creative Economy? Bailey said no; Kenney said yes.

Will you increase the parks and rec capital budget by at least 10 percent each year of your first term? Bailey said yes; Kenney said no.

When asked about STEAM education being as important as STEM, Bailey said the arts are important, but STEM comes first. Kenney said yes, the arts are just as important.

Both also supported the Open Lands Protection Ordinance (more about that in our blog post), and both supported the idea of a long-term cultural plan.

Other highlights: Kenney touted his idea of leasing the Mayor's luxury boxes to fund arts and other activities in schools. He also said he would look at a regional tax as a dedicated revenue source to support arts & culture and parks & recreation. Bailey said prioritizing the schools as number one in the budget was the only way we’re going to have enough money to get arts back into schools (as well as after school activities and sports), all of which she said are essential to creating a well-rounded student who’s graduating from our schools with a path to a future.

Looking for more? Check out our May recap from the forum and head to a forum yourself. Here’s the debate schedule for the November 3 mayoral election:

October 12:

The "Leading Questions: Philadelphia Mayoral Debate" between Kenney and Bailey will take place at WHYY, 150 N. Sixth St. Doors open at 6 p.m., with the debate starting at 6:30 p.m.

The debate — sponsored by WHYY/NewsWorks, the Committee of Seventy, Young Involved Philadelphia, NAACP Millennials, Influencing Action Movement and the Urban Philly Professional Network — requires registration and will be livestreamed.

October 19:

Kenney and Bailey will make their way to the Temple Performing Arts Center, 1837 N. Broad St., for The Next Mayor Debate. Focused on business and economic development, this event will be co-hosted by Philadelphia Media Network, The Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce's Roadmap for Growth campaign and Temple University's Center for Public Interest Journalism. (Event partners include WHYY, Committee of Seventy, WURD Radio, Young Involved Philadelphia, and Technically Philly.) Register for this 7:30-8:30 p.m. event via this link.

October 25:

6ABC will tape a debate between Kenney and Bailey on Oct. 23 to air from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Oct. 25.