Updates from the budget war front

Philadelphia's City Council just voted Mayor Street's "capitol budget" (which covers physical upkeep of various city properties) for the next fiscal year, apparently over concerns about how the bonds underlying some new capital funding would be issued (not their value, but who gets to process the release).

Meantime, a flurry of somewhat mysterious last-minute bills:

In other business yesterday, Clarke, together with Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown, introduced legislation asking voters to decide whether the city should consolidate the Fairmount Park Commission and the city's Recreation Department. The bill is sure to spark controversy among the city's parks groups.

In a separate measure, Council approved a resolution calling for hearings on the feasibility of the Street administration's Wireless Philadelphia proposal - as well as on its potential impact to help economically disadvantaged children. The resolution was sponsored by Brown.

Also yesterday, Council approved a resolution, sponsored by Goode, to hire an outside firm to study whether banks holding city deposits engage in redlining.

Those first two make you think maybe somebody is hoping for a lot of political maneouvering over the summer...