Former Lt. Gov. Jim Cawley appointed to Philly oversight board

Former Lt. Gov. Jim Cawley has been appointed to fill a seat on the board of the Philadelphia Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority that was vacated by Joe McColgan. The board acts as a state watchdog over city finances and holds final approval over the municipal budget.

PICA executive Harvey Rice confirmed Cawley’s appointment in an email on Monday. Cawley, who currently serves as CEO of the regional office of the United Way, previously acted as a Bucks County Commissioner before winning the race to become Tom Corbett’s second-in-command in 2010. 

Sources notified City&State PA about the appointment over the weekend. Rice said his office received a letter from Senate President Pro Tempore Joseph Scarnati’s office on April 6. No other official notice was distributed regarding the appointment.

“The senator jumped at the chance to appoint him,” said Scarnati chief of staff Drew Crompton. “Jim Cawley has, over the years, earned the respect of Republicans and Democrats in the city and the neighboring counties. Jim has the acumen, balance and professionalism to be a vital part of this very important board.”

The five-member board features a single appointee each from the governor, the Senate president, the House speaker and the House and Senate minority leaders. The seat reserved for House Speaker Mike Turzai’s appointee remains vacant.

Cawley has considered runs for higher office before and is sometimes talked up as a gubernatorial contender. He did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

McColgan, a onetime congressional and Philadelphia City Council candidate, had stepped down from the board in March to pursue the chairmanship of the Philadelphia Republican City Committee.