City Councilor Cindy Bass: Five Months On the Job

by Scott Alloway

Germantown Newspapers Staff

It has been a little more than five months since Cindy Bass, a Democrat elected last November to the 8th district city council seat, assumed the seat held for 16 years by Donna Reed Miller. She arrived at a time when the city and state budgets are mired in revenue shortfalls, the school district is sorting through the morass of financial troubles, a proposed property tax change called Actual Value Initiative is making a run through city government and the Germantown community is feelings its way toward establishing a Special Services District.

In the background there lurks a Central Germantown Council concept, an idea that has been dusted off and is in search of a group or groups to get it into action.

Rober Corrigan, Councilor Bass's Director of Communications, addressed these topics and more earlier this week in a conversation with Germantown Newspapers.

“The key thing is trying to catch up in the district, to get an assessment of what assets we have in the district and what kind of work it's going to take to get the district to where it can be,” he said.

Corrigan said Bass has a commitment to making tangible improvements in the quality of people's lives in their neighborhoods.

“We work very hard to improve the quality of life in the district at the ground level,” he continued.  “Trash picked up, blighted homes taken care of ... So far, we've started compiling a list of vacant lots that need to be cleaned. It's north of 50 of this point.”

Bass has made it a point to address these 'broken-window' issues, he added, using a blighted home on Knox Street as an example.

Even a sitting city council member can only do so much.

“The councilwoman has shown up in court twice in front of Judge Moss to tell him this [situation] is unacceptable,” Corrigan said. “And still the property hasn't gone anywhere,” leaving Bass and the community frustrated.

Still, Bass can point to “vacant lots cleaned and sealed; unsafe trees that have been taken down. These unseen things that have an impact,” that make tangible improvements in people's neighborhoods.

According to Corrigan, people in the 8th district have felt neglected for a long time and its the council member's job to make headway.

Special Services District

When the Germantown Special Services District issue was raised, Corrigan acknowledged that it is a project that has to be done by ordinance.

“We have been working on getting an SSD created. The city commerce department has to vet proposed members and although the department was slow to get going. they are on it now,” Corrigan said.

He continued. “Once we have the names, then we have to introduce an ordinance to council. Once that happens, the interim board will meet and elect a full board of 15 members. Then will negotiates to have a group deliver services.”

The intention behind a district is simple — “a special services district will make an impact in the beauty of the district.  We're trying to get there as soon as possible.”

Bass is committed to be a convenor, a facilitator.

“As a councilwoman it’s important that these groups are talking. She believes in inclusion and more ideas are better than less.

The issue of a Central Germantown Council also remains in flux. Seen as a community organization meant to coordinate services, its current status may be charitably called comatose. Corrigan described it as a remnant of the former administration.

The quality of life in Germantown suffers from symptoms of a larger problem within the community.

For example, there was a murder of a woman whose body was found on Rufe Street.

“That community has been working to improve their neighborhood.  There was a camera installed to catch problems. The neighbors there are active, vocal,” Corrigan said. Councilor Bass “has been there cleaning up.”

It is Bass's contention that education, economic development and public safety go hand in hand to improving the quality of life in the community.

“We need to make sure the educational system in the 8th works,” he reported. Bass policy supports getting “the community involved; having an 8th district education task force; evaluating the assets we have, seeing where we can do better and making recommendations. This includes getting parents and former educators in on the plan.”

While the educational system is being improved, Corrigan said Bass looks toward development – the ability to attract more investment – as another top priority.

He recognized the great disparity as you go down Germantown Avenue from Chestnut Hill to Nicetown, a sense that you're not in the same city.

Bass seeks to be a cheerleader for the district — “Come here. It's a great place to do business.”

For business to come, the third leg is dealing with public safety. Corrigan said addressing the first two issues would go a long way toward making Germantown a destination place. But without education and jobs, the environment will not change.

Fiscal Policies

Council is pondering budgetary issues as the new fiscal year start date of July 1 nears.

Take taxes. Specifically the Actual Value Initiative.

The bill sent to council by Mayor Nutter has been split into two bills which changed the dynamics quite a bit.

“One is the move to actual value assessment,” Corrigan said. “The council president introduced a bill for funding school district that would give council oversight the funding. How do you write a check when they don't have a superintendent. Benchmarking grants? Council had to write checks without having any say in how the schools are run. Every year we are asked to write a bigger check.”

Bass went on record when it was reported that “she will not vote for any more money for schools as she indicates they have not done their job of reporting their finances and no new money should be provided until they clean up their act.”

The other bill is a use and occupancy tax. Introduced by Bill Green to divide funding between commercial and residential taxes. That's why they split into two bills because we want to park the taxes raised in council and hold the school district accountable.

“Council is trying to get to a fairer system,” Corrigan said.

Bass believes that we need some relief measures for people with lower incomes or fixed incomes,” Corrigan said. “The $15,000 homestead exemption doesn't address the issue.”  The best way to help is not to look at reassessment but by income, by means testing.

AVI is a big part of the budget. But people should not expect a lot to change year over year.

“It just seems we will be changing the way property taxes are assessed. We're relying on money on what we assume the state will give us.”

Bass os not just worried about day to day policies. “There can be no bandaids. There must be “policies that will help the people of the 8th district and the city as a whole.

District Office

If and when she opens a district office is up in the air.

“The problem with a district office is, when you look at council budget, there is no provision for funding a district office,” Corrigan explained. The new council president knows members need a district office.

Yes, there is one office out there but it appears the councilor uses campaign funds to operate it.

“There are no funds for space or staff,” Bass city hall office spokesperson said. “If we wanted one donated, there would be ethical questions. Even if we use campaign funds, that's still dicey.”

So Bass continues to move around the district, appearing a regularly-scheduled meetings to talk with constituents even as the office issue languishes.

“The ‘Coffee with the Councilwoman was started because of the inertia of the city government,” Corrigan added. “We will have an office sooner than later. We have a community meeting the June 12 at Christ Ascension Church on the 8300 block of Germantown Avenue.”

“Bass is out there,” Corrigan said. “She's in the community most nights, at a meeting or elsewhere.”