The Philadelphia City Council, the legislative body of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, consists of ten members elected by district and seven members elected at-large. The council president is elected by the members from among their number. Each member's term is four years, and there are no limits on the number of terms a member may serve.

Composition and term

The 1951 Home Rule Charter established the council as the legislative arm of Philadelphia municipal government, consisting of seventeen members. Ten council members are elected by district and seven from the city at large. At-large council members are elected using limited voting

Limited Voting

Limited voting is a voting system in which electors have fewer votes than there are positions available. The positions are awarded to the candidates who receive the most votes absolutely...

 with limited nomination, guaranteeing that two minority-party candidates are elected. Each is elected for a term of four years with no limit on the number of terms that may be served.

The members of City Council elect from among themselves a president, who serves as the regular chairperson of council meetings. In consultation with the majority of council members, the President appoints members to the various standing committees of the council. The president is also responsible for selecting and overseeing most Council employees.

Legislative process

Every proposed ordinance

Local ordinance

A local ordinance is a law usually found in a municipal code.-United States:In the United States, these laws are enforced locally in addition to state law and federal law.-Japan:...

 is in the form of a bill introduced by a Council member. Before a bill can be enacted, it must be referred by the president of the council to an appropriate standing committee, considered at a public hearing and public meeting, reported out by the committee, printed as reported by the committee, distributed to the members of the council, and made available to the public. Passage of a bill requires the favorable vote of a majority of all members. A bill becomes law upon the approval of the mayor. If the mayor vetoes a bill, the council may override the veto by a two-thirds vote.

Under the rules of the council, regular public sessions are held weekly, usually on Thursday morning at 10:00am, in Room 400, City Hall

Philadelphia City Hall

Philadelphia City Hall is the house of government for the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At , including the statue, it is the world's second-tallest masonry building, only shorter than Mole Antonelliana in Turin...

. Council normally breaks for the summer months of July and August.

Gerrymandering

In a 2006 computer study of local and state legislative districts, two of the city's ten council districts, the 5th and the 7th, were found to be among the least compact districts in the nation, giving rise to suspicions of gerrymandering

Gerrymandering

In the process of setting electoral districts, gerrymandering is a practice that attempts to establish a political advantage for a particular party or group by manipulating geographic boundaries to create partisan, incumbent-protected districts...

.

The Committee of Seventy

Committee of Seventy

The Committee of Seventy is a good government group in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, founded in 1904. It is a nonpartisan organization perhaps best known for monitoring elections in the city and its suburbs. Zack Stalberg is President and Chief Executive Officer and Daniel K...

, a non-partisan watchdog group for local elections, asked candidates for council in 2007 to support a list of ethics statements, including a call for fair redistricting, which should take place after the 2010 United States Census.

City council members

The City Council as of January 7, 2008 is as follows:

District	Name	Took Office	Party
1	Frank DiCicco Frank DiCicco Frank DiCicco is a Democratic Councilman representing the First District on the City Council of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.-External links:*...	1996	Dem
2	Anna C. Verna Anna C. Verna Anna Cibotti Verna is the current President of the Philadelphia City Council on which she has served since 1975 as the representative of the Second District, which encompasses most of South Philadelphia as well as most of the western end of Center City. She is a Democrat. Her husband operates a... †	1976	Dem
3	Jannie L. Blackwell Jannie L. Blackwell Jannie L. Blackwell is a Democratic Councilwoman representing the Third District on the City Council of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. She has served since 1991...	1991	Dem
4	Curtis J. Jones, Jr. Curtis J. Jones, Jr. Curtis J. Jones, Jr. is a Democratic Councilman representing the Fourth District on the City Council of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. He has served since 2008.-External links:* official city website...	2008	Dem
5	Darrell Clarke Darrell L. Clarke (politician) Darrell L. Clarke is an American politician, and member of the Democratic Party. He is currently a member of the Philadelphia City Council, where he represents the Fifth District, which emcompasses North Central Philadelphia, Strawberry Mansion, Lower Hunting Park, Ludlow, Yorktown, West Poplar,... **	1999	Dem
6	Joan L. Krajewski Joan L. Krajewski Joan L. Krajewski is a Democratic Councilwoman representing the Sixth District on the City Council of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. She has served since 1980.-References:...	1980	Dem
7	Maria Quiñones-Sanchez Maria Quiñones-Sanchez Maria D. Quiñones-Sanchez is a Democratic Councilwoman representing the Seventh District on the City Council of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. She has served since 2008.-External links:* official city website...	2008	Dem
8	Donna Reed Miller Donna Reed Miller Donna Reed Miller is a Democratic Councilwoman representing the Eighth District on the City Council of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. She has served since 1996.-Ward leader:...	1996	Dem
9	Marian B. Tasco Marian B. Tasco Marian B. Tasco is a Democratic Councilwoman representing the Ninth District on the City Council of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. She has served since 1988.She is the Majority Leader.-References:... *	1988	Dem
10	Brian J. O'Neill Brian J. O'Neill Brian J. O'Neill is a Republican Councilman representing the Tenth District on the City Council of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He has served since 1980.... ***	1980	Rep
At-Large	Blondell Reynolds Brown Blondell Reynolds Brown Blondell Reynolds Brown is an American politician and member of the Democratic Party. She is currently serving her 3rd term as a member of Philadelphia City Council...	2000	Dem
At-Large	Bill Green Bill Green (politician) Bill Green is a Democratic Councilman-at-Large on the City Council of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He has served since 2008.-Early life and education:...	2008	Dem
At-Large	William K. Greenlee William K. Greenlee William K. Greenlee, also known as Bill Greenlee, is a Democratic Councilman-at-Large on the City Council of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. He has served since 2006.Greenlee is the Ward Leader of the 15th Ward Democratic Executive Committee....	2006	Dem
At-Large	W. Wilson Goode, Jr. W. Wilson Goode, Jr. W. Wilson Goode, Jr. is a City Councilman At-Large in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Councilman Goode is the son of former Philadelphia Mayor W. Wilson Goode. He was born on August 9, 1965. He graduated from Central High School and the University of Pennsylvania....	2000	Dem
At-Large	Jack Kelly Jack Kelly (politician) Jack Kelly is a Republican Councilman-at-Large on the City Council of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. He has served since 2004.-References:...	2004	Rep
At-Large	James Kenney James F. Kenney James F. Kenney is a Democratic Councilman-at-Large on the City Council of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. He has served since 1992.-References:...	1992	Dem
At-Large	Frank L. Rizzo, Jr. Frank L. Rizzo, Jr. Frank L. Rizzo, Jr., nicknamed "Franny", born March 5, 1943, is an American politician. He is son of former Mayor Frank Rizzo, and is a Republican Philadelphia City Councilman....	1996	Rep

• Past Members of the Philadelphia City Council
  Past Members of the Philadelphia City Council
  This is a list of former Philadelphia, Pennsylvania city council members.-Current city council members:The current City Council sit until the next election, scheduled for 2011, with those elected taking office in January 2012.-Past city councils:...
  
  
• Political families of Philadelphia

Key to Chart

† President of Council

*Majority Leader

**Majority Whip

***Minority Leader

Further reading

• Ginsberg, Thomas; City Councils in Philadelphia and Other Major Cities: Who Holds Office, How Long They Serve, and How Much It All Costs; Pew Charitable Trusts’ Philadelphia Research Initiative (2011). (Overview)