Mayor Jim Kenney sworn in for second term, wants to tackle gun violence and poverty
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney outlined his priorities for the next four years during the city's inauguration ceremony on Monday morning.
Kenney was sworn in for his second term.
The mayor, along with the entire City Council and several members of the judiciary, took their oaths at the Met Philadelphia on North Broad Street.
The Met was packed with hundreds of people eager to hear Mayor Kenney's vision for the next four years.
He talked about wanting to lower the city's crime and poverty rates, making higher education more accessible, and implementing more street sweeping programs.
Street sweeping coming to every Philadelphia neighborhood, Mayor Kenney says
City Council, which is already a progressive body, has gotten one more progressive voice- exchanging a Republican for a third party member, Kendra Brooks from The Working Families Party. In total, four new members were sworn in.
City Council also has a new majority leader, Cherrelle Parker, who ousted Bobby Henon. Henon was indicted on federal corruption charges last year.
Parker spoke about her plan to keep the city's streets clean and safe.
"Forget what the elected officials say, I'm talking about what happens when you get a rise out of people. They want Philadelphia's aging infrastructure addressed," said Parker.
Philadelphia's new police commissioner Danielle Outlaw was not in attendance Monday, however, Council President Darrell Clarke singled her out in his address, saying he supports her goals to reduce gun violence and reform the criminal justice system when she arrives next month.
He also touched on Philadelphia being the poorest big city in America, and his goal to get 100,000 people out of poverty by 2024.
"We will be introducing legislation this year that will reflect our ability to get that number down, and we've challenged ourselves to get it down by 20 percent by 2024," said Clarke.
Mayor Kenney announced a solution to the city's poverty problem by investing in education and getting guns off the streets.
"If you look at poverty and lack of educational opportunities and training for jobs, and the availability of guns, that's why we have the problems that we have," said Kenney.
