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Quick facts for kids Michael Nutter


98th Mayor of Philadelphia
In office January 7, 2008 – January 4, 2016
Preceded by	John F. Street
Succeeded by	Jim Kenney
70th President of the United States Conference of Mayors
In office 2012–2013
Preceded by	Antonio Villaraigosa
Succeeded by	Scott Smith
Member of the Philadelphia City Council from the 4th district
In office January 7, 1992 – July 7, 2006
Preceded by	Ann Land
Succeeded by	Carol Campbell

Personal details
Born	Michael Anthony Nutter (1957-06-29) June 29, 1957 (age 67) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Lisa Nutter (1991–present)
Education	University of Pennsylvania (BS)

Michael Anthony Nutter (born June 29, 1957) is an American politician. He served as the 98th Mayor of Philadelphia from 2008 to 2016. A member of the Democratic Party, he also worked on the Philadelphia City Council. He was the leader of the 52nd Ward Democratic group until 1990.

Nutter was also the President of the United States Conference of Mayors from 2012 to 2013. He was a member of the Homeland Security Advisory Council. Today, he is a professor at the School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University.

Early Life and Education
Philadelphia City Council Work
- City Council Elections
- Key Actions as Councilman
Mayor of Philadelphia
See also

Early Life and Education

Michael Nutter was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He grew up in West Philadelphia. He went to Transfiguration of Our Lord Catholic Elementary School. Later, he attended St. Joseph's Preparatory School in North Philadelphia.

In 1979, he graduated from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He earned a degree in business. While in college, he worked as a DJ and was known as Mix Master Mike. After college, Nutter worked at Xerox and an investment banking company. Even as mayor, he sometimes worked as a DJ and singer.

Michael Nutter is a member of the Mt. Carmel Baptist Church in West Philadelphia.

Philadelphia City Council Work

City Council Elections

Michael Nutter was the leader of the 52nd ward in Philadelphia. In 1987, he first tried to win a seat on the Philadelphia City Council. He ran against the person already holding the seat, Ann Land. He did not win that time. Four years later, he ran again and won against Land.

In February 2003, Nutter was chosen as the chairman. He led the board of the Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority.

Key Actions as Councilman

In June 2002, Nutter suggested a new rule for college students. It would require students under 23 to register their address and car details with their school. This was meant to help keep neighborhoods safe and organized.

In September 2004, Nutter helped create an independent Ethics Board. This board would make sure city officials acted fairly and honestly. It would also help train officials and handle rule breaking. These changes were approved by late 2005. Voters agreed to the Ethics Board on May 16, 2006, with 81% saying yes. The board started on November 27, 2006.

Nutter also supported "The Clean Indoor Air Worker Protection Law." This law made more public places, like restaurants and many bars, smoke-free. Mayor Street eventually signed this into law. Nutter also created a program to help local businesses. Starting July 1, 2004, Philadelphia businesses got a special chance. They were preferred when the city was looking for companies to do work worth more than $25,000.

In January 2005, Philadelphia planned to change its library services. The plan would have reduced hours at 20 branches and laid off librarians. People who supported the libraries did not like these changes. They asked the Mayor and city council to keep full services. The City Council rejected the cuts. Funding was restored, and by the fall of 2005, all library branches had full-day service, Saturday hours, and a head librarian. As mayor, Nutter also tried to close libraries, but the city council kept them open.

Nutter supported having more police officers in certain areas of Philadelphia. This was to help reduce crime. He also supported the idea of removing the Cradle of Liberty Council of the Boy Scouts of America from their city headquarters. He said, "In my administration, we will not subsidize discrimination." The Boy Scouts group eventually won their case.

Mayor of Philadelphia

Mayoral Elections

Nutter campaigning in support of Barack Obama.

Nutter left the city council in 2006 to run for mayor. He also resigned as Chairman of the Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority Board in April 2007. Many newspapers and groups supported him in his campaign.

Nutter won the Democratic primary election on May 15 with 37% of the votes. He then won the main election on November 6, 2007, with 83% of the votes. He ran against Republican candidate Al Taubenberger.

Nutter announced he would run for mayor again on December 22, 2010. He won the primary election with 76% of the votes. He then won the general election with 75% of the votes.

Making Philadelphia Greener

In 2009, Mayor Nutter announced Greenworks. This was a city plan to make Philadelphia the greenest city in America by 2015. Greenworks had 15 goals and 166 projects. These projects focused on energy, the environment, fairness, the economy, and community involvement.

By June 21, 2013, 95% of the 166 projects were either finished or being worked on. After four years, two-thirds of the goals were on track to be met. Some good results included:

City energy use went down by 7 percent.
Use of alternative energy grew from 2.5% to 14%.
Nearly 90,000 trees were planted since 2008.
The City Council passed a law about tracking building energy use.
11.6 new miles of trails were finished since 2011.

In 2012, Mayor Nutter signed a bill requiring large buildings to report their energy and water use. This helps buildings know how much energy they use. It also helps them find ways to save energy.

Nutter also started a project to save energy in the city's four largest downtown office buildings. In 2011, he began nine energy-saving actions in these buildings.

Improving Education

In 2008, Nutter created the Mayor's Office of Education. Its goals were to increase the high school graduation rate to 80% by 2015. Another goal was to raise the number of Philadelphia residents with a college degree to 36% by 2018. The high school graduation rate has increased by 11 percentage points since 2007.

School Funding

The city has increased its yearly funding for public education by $155 million since July 2010.

On September 11, 2013, Nutter started the Philadelphia Education Supplies Fund. This new fund helps schools buy classroom supplies. These include workbooks, paper, pens, and pencils. This fund helps schools with many students from low-income families. The city gave $200,000 to the fund. Over $540,000 was raised in total. This helped 255 schools, including public, charter, and private schools.

Strengthening K-12 Schools

In December 2011, the Great Schools Compact was signed. This agreement helps different education groups work together. It aims to improve teaching and offer more good school choices for students. The agreement received $2.5 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in December 2012. This money helps improve teachers, train school leaders, and match tests to the Common Core standards. Common Core helps make sure students learn what they need for college or jobs.

College Access and Success

In November 2008, Nutter restarted the Youth Council. It became the Philadelphia Council for College and Career Success. This group helps lead efforts to improve education. The Mayor's office also works with colleges to help students finish their degrees.

They work on programs like the College Prep Roundtable. These programs help students get ready for college. They also focus on college costs and financial aid. This led to a 21.7% increase in completed financial aid forms from 2008 to 2012. The Mayor's office also helps students apply for competitive scholarships. In 2012, Philadelphia had the second-highest number of applications for the Gates Millennium Scholarship. Five out of seven winners from Pennsylvania were from Philadelphia.

In February 2010, the city launched PhillyGoes2College. This program helps people in Philadelphia go to college. It has an office in City Hall and a website. They offer guidance and information to students of any age. PhillyGoes2College has helped over 29,000 people since 2010.

In March 2011, the Graduation Coach Campaign joined PhillyGoes2College. This campaign encourages adults to help young people graduate high school. It also helps them get into college and plan for a career. Since September 2010, over 4,300 coaches have been trained.

Other Education Programs

In June 2011, Nutter signed the Education Accountability Agreement. This agreement helps the city and school district share information better. It also required the School District of Philadelphia to make its spending public. The district also had to create a five-year plan.

The Mayor's Returning to Learning Partnership helps city employees go to college. They get a 25% discount on tuition at 13 local colleges. Some employees can also get scholarships. This program is now part of the city's "Center of Excellence."

Other Important Actions

Philly311 Service

In December 2008, Nutter started Philly311. This service helps people get information and services from the City of Philadelphia. Residents can contact Philly311 by phone, email, mail, or by visiting a center. They can also use the Philly Mobile App and social media. Since 2012, Philly311 has seen a big increase in its social media followers.

Mayor Nutter speaks with Secretary of State John Kerry.

Immigration Policy

In April 2014, Nutter signed an order that changed how the city worked with federal immigration officials. This change meant that the city would not hold people for federal officials unless they had a warrant from a judge. This policy aimed to build trust between the police and the immigrant community.