The City Charter currently states that you must be 25-years-old to run and take the office of Mayor and City Council. The Pennsylvania County Code states that you only have to be 18 to run for ANY county office! I'm asking the city and citizens of Philadelphia to lower it to only 21 for now.

Here is a letter I wrote to City Council detailing the reasons why:

Dear City Council Member:

Hello. My name is Larry West. As you may recall from today's Metro Newspaper, I'm 22-years-old and I want to run for Mayor of Philadelphia. Unfortunately, the City Charter states the age to officially run is 25. I'm asking that the age is lowered to 21 to run for both Mayor and City Council. The main question you may ask yourself, as many have asked me, "Why should we allow our city to let a 21-year-old run for mayor?" We currently have a voting age of 18. At the age of 18, your told your old enough to fight and die for your country, your old enough to vote, your old enough to live on your own, and your old enough to have sex. At the age of 21, the country says that your old enough to drink. If a person has finally achieved every right possible as a citizen, should they not be allowed to run for Mayor?

County Code, 16 P.S. § 413, provides that the age requirement for holding county office is eighteen; although this Code does not apply to First Class Counties such as Philadelphia (16 P.S. § 102), presumably this would also be the minimum age for holding office in Philadelphia.
Taking this into consideration, it is perfectly legal for someone 18-years-old to run for Mayor of Philadelphia. I'm asking that it's only lowered to 21. The current age of 25 is only 4 years more than when your able to drink and 7 years after you can vote. While I will admit that age and life experience is needed to run for mayor, very few people will truly make a serious effort to do this at the age of 21, let alone 22.

The reason why I believe I should be allowed to run is because I have a vision for Philadelphia, a strong will, and incredible determination. I was told I was foolish for even trying to run for mayor; Today, I'm on the cover of the Metro and people are amazed that someone so young is so serious about this issue. Very few people my age are like this, so the idea of a flood of young people trying to run shouldn't be a problem.

I always believed that Democracy is Not a Passive Experience. If someone is passionate about what they believe, that they honestly want to do something big to change things and make the world a better place, they need to get up and do something about it! I'm not looking for a career in politics, I am looking to make Philadelphia better in the short time I would be in office. That, to me, is what a democracy is about; Making a difference and letting others have the same chance.

I sincerely hope that you do debate and consider this issue of changing the City Charter. It would be a shame that someone who is so young, so passionate, and so determined about making Philadelphia better can not run for office, but someone who may only want the office for either the power, to further their own career, or someone under indictment is.

Again, I thank you for your time and consideration in this matter.

Sincerely,
Larry West