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In 2022, Councilmember Anthony Phillips was elected in a special election to complete the term of Mayor Cherelle Parker after she resigned from the seat.  In 2023, he was returned to City Council by the residents of the 9th Council District.  He is in his first full-term now. The Philadelphia Inquirer described Anthony Phillips as having "established himself as one of the most engaged and effective members of Council." Already, he has passed legislation that enabled the city to install traffic calming measures near schools, spearheaded bills cracking down on illegal truck parking in residential areas, enacted a law to shutdown nuisance businesses, and passed a bill banning ski masks in public facilities, Phillips is dedicated to improving Philadelphia’s quality of life.  

As Chair of the Committee on Children and Youth, Anthony Phillips continues his long history of advocating for children, students, and families. Before serving in Council, Phillips assisted more than 1,000 students access high-quality, affordable college educations. Knowing that hard work and education were the pathways to opportunity, he worked tirelessly leading Youth Action and TeenSHARP, thriving educational nonprofits.  

 In addition to chairing the Committees on Children and Youth and Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Affairs, Phillips is a member of the Committees on Education, Law and Government, Licenses and Inspection, Labor and Civil Service, Transportation and Public Utilities, Legislative Oversight, Technology and Information Services, Intergenerational Affairs and Aging, and Neighborhood Services. 

 Like all Philadelphians, Phillips wants safer streets, a more visible police presence, constructive community-police collaboration, better schools, cleaner business corridors, and a more responsive city government. As he has done as a community organizer, executive, and youth advocacy leader, Phillips is committed to developing and implementing programs at schools, churches, mosques, hospitals, and community centers that provide opportunities to strengthen our community.  

His hard-working mother and sharecropper grandmother from Marion, South Carolina, taught him that education and preparation were vital parts of a positive life. His mother and grandmother worked so Phillips could attend Bates College (B.A.), Morehouse College (visiting scholar), Yale University (M.A.), and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst (PhD. candidate). He uses his knowledge and practical life experience to promote a higher quality of life for families in the 9th District.  

An active member of Salem Baptist Church, Phillips is the bus driver for Salem’s senior citizens, a service Phillips continues into his tenure as a Councilmember. Raised in Triumph Baptist Church, he was a youth leader and choir member. Faith in God, service to all people, and imitating the loving example of Jesus Christ are essential to Phillips’ leadership model.  

Councilmember Phillips continues to serve with enthusiastic innovation and vigor. Hard work, integrity, open communication, faith in God, respect for elders, encouragement for children and young people, and friendly neighborhood service are hallmarks of his life and work.Â