Anna Cibotti Verna (April 15, 1931 – June 15, 2021)[2][3] was the President of the Philadelphia City Council on which she served from 1975 to 2012, 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 was a Democrat.
Anna C. Verna | |
|---|---|
| President of the Philadelphia City Council | |
| In office January 14, 1999[1] – December 15, 2011 | |
| Preceded by | John Street |
| Succeeded by | Darrell Clarke |
| Member of the Philadelphia City Council from the 2nd District | |
| In office January 6, 1975 – January 2, 2012 | |
| Preceded by | William Cibotti |
| Succeeded by | Kenyatta Johnson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Anna Cibotti April 15, 1931 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Died | June 15, 2021 (aged 90) |
| Political party | Democratic |
Career
editVerna was the daughter of past council member William Cibotti and was elected to his seat following his death in 1975.[4]
She drew criticism for her support of the Deferred Retirement Option Plan (DROP), which deferred compensation for city employees allowing municipal employees to forgo some pension payments in lieu of a lump-sum payment on the date of their retirement. Prior to the 2011 municipal election, several council members exploited a loophole in DROP, allowing elected officials to retire for a day at the end of their term, and then resume work in their next term. Following public outcry, several of the council members who enrolled in DROP, including Verna, declined to run for re-election. Others, such as Councilman Frank Rizzo, Jr., were defeated for renomination.[5]
Ward leader
editVerna was the Ward Leader of the 36th Ward Democratic Executive Committee.[6]
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ "Verna elected Council prez: Blackwell's pension bill falls short". The Philadelphia Tribune. January 15, 1999. Archived from the original on November 2, 2012. Retrieved November 16, 2011.
- ^ Marquis Who's Who on the Web
- ^ Brennan, Chris (15 June 2021). "Anna Verna, the first and only woman to serve as president of Philadelphia City Council, dies at 90". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
- ^ "Philadelphia City Council's Final '11 Meeting Marks End of Verna Era". CBS Philly. 2011-12-15. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
- ^ Dunn, Mike (December 15, 2011). "Philadelphia City Council's Final '11 Meeting Marks End of Verna Era". CBS 3. Retrieved December 29, 2011.
- ^ Committee of Seventy (2009-12-21). "2009 Citizen's Guide" (PDF). The Committee of Seventy, Philadelphia, PA 19103. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-04-19. Retrieved 2009-12-21.
External links
edit- Official biography
- ""Verna's Equinox"". Archived from the original on March 31, 2004. Retrieved January 15, 2014.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) . Philadelphia City Paper. February 5–11, 2004.