Councilmember Allan Domb is a second-term At-Large (or citywide) member of Philadelphia’s City Council who came to elected office with almost 40 years of experience as an entrepreneur in the real estate industry. As an elected leader that represents 1.5 million Philadelphians, Councilmember Domb is focused on community safety, reducing poverty, growing job opportunities for residents, attracting new businesses to expand the city’s tax base, and creating a more fiscally-responsive and efficient government.
For the last four decades, Councilmember Domb has played an essential role in revitalizing Center City, Philadelphia’s main commercial district. He pursued public office to bring his voice and skillset to city government in order to guide decisions that can help Philadelphia reach its full potential as a first-class city. With the budget growing exponentially, Councilmember Domb believes in goal setting and holding the city accountable for every expenditure so that Philadelphians truly realize the benefits of what government sets out to do.
Councilmember Domb understands the value of setting goals while having to overcome social and economic barriers. He grew up in northern New Jersey in a small apartment where it wasn’t uncommon for his family to face potential eviction. As a result, he became intensely focused on personal finance and saved his money through various odd jobs, starting as a shoe shiner at age four. He eventually saved enough money to buy his first property at age 14 with his grandmother as a co-signer. After graduating from American University, he worked two jobs for three years – one at a lock installation company, and the other selling condos. Allan’s real estate success eventually led to him becoming the top residential broker in Philadelphia and ultimately recognized as a top national realtor.
Through his experiences, Councilmember Domb knows hard work and determination are essential to achieving professional goals. He also knows that with the right kind of resources for those in need, we can have a great impact on people’s lives and those of their families. In 2020, he passed the Wage Tax Credit Bill to help Philadelphia’s lowest-income earners, who were previously taxed at the highest rate among all large cities across the United States, receive tax refunds. As Chair of the Committee on Fiscal Stability and Intergovernmental Cooperation, he recently established an ongoing financial and social impact reporting structure to help the City make smart choices with its funding. At the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Councilmember created the hospitality working group to address the ongoing needs of struggling restaurants and small business owners, helping them to keep their doors open and employees working.
He remains committed to the educational needs of Philadelphia students and adults, donating his entire city council salary to local schools for necessities and activities, and helping to fund financial literacy courses, and community-based programs such as food distribution during the pandemic. He also works with several nonprofits to provide financial education, coding, mentorship, and entrepreneurship opportunities, and Councilmember Domb believes in providing youth with real-life work experience by supporting programs through his city council and real estate offices, including the Cristo Rey School mentorship program.