Council will also conduct budget hearings in City Council Chambers and Neighborhood Town Hall budget meetings between late March and May
Philadelphia City Council President Kenyatta Johnson (Second District) and members of Council welcomed Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker to Council Chambers on Thursday, March 12, as she delivered her Fiscal Year 2027 (FY 2027) Budget Address, the third of her first term in office.
“While the Mayor and her team oversee the day-to-day operations of City departments, they must work directly with City Council to pass the budget,” Johnson said. He continued, “Council takes the duties of vetting and approving a balanced budget seriously, and as a legislative body, we are looking forward to robust discussions with the Parker administration about the budget in the weeks ahead.”
The City’s budget serves as the mayoral administration’s spending plan, adjusted as needed to secure City Council approval. The Mayor has proposed a $6.97 billion operating budget for FY 2027.
City Council must pass legislation approving the new FY 2027 budget by June 30, and the mayor must sign the adopted budget legislation into law. The FY 2027 budget goes into effect on July 1.
BUDGET HEARINGS BEGIN IN COUNCIL CHAMBERS ON TUESDAY, MARCH 24
Following Mayor Parker’s budget address, the Council will begin a series of public budget hearings in City Council chambers on the proposed FY 2027 Operating and Capital Budgets, with the Parker administration leadership to review the mayor’s spending proposal.
The first City Council Chambers budget hearing will be held on Tuesday, March 24, at 10 a.m. in City Council Chambers (Room 400, Fourth Floor, Philadelphia City Hall). The hearings will take place through May 6 (schedule is subject to change).
The FY 2027 budget hearings will take place before the Committee of the Whole, chaired by Council President Johnson, and include all 17 members of City Council. These hearings include testimony from department heads and independently elected officials to support their proposed budgets and answer councilmembers’ questions.
Throughout this budget hearing period, the City Council will also hold public comment sessions in the Council chambers, allowing residents to provide feedback on the proposed budget.
Public comment sessions are scheduled for March 25 (tax bills), April 22 (School District of Philadelphia), and May 6 (the final opportunity for public comments, expected to last all day).
COUNCIL WILL HOST NEIGHBORHOOD BUDGET TOWN HALLS FOR THE THIRD STRAIGHT YEAR
For the third year in a row, Council will also conduct Neighborhood Budget Town Hall meetings across Philadelphia to gather input from residents.
“Neighborhood Budget Town Halls are about meeting people where they are,” Johnson said. “While City Hall is the center of our legislative work, the FY 2027 budget of Philadelphia belongs to the people of Philadelphia. Holding these town halls in neighborhoods across the city ensures that residents from every community can share their priorities, ask questions, and be part of the decision-making process. When we take these conversations beyond Council Chambers and into our neighborhoods, we strengthen transparency, build trust, and make sure the City’s budget truly reflects the needs of the people we serve.”
Dates, time and locations of the Neighborhood Budget Town Halls are being finalized and will be announced as soon as possible.
Mayor Parker’s proposed FY 2027 budget documents, City Council Chambers Budget hearings, and Neighborhood Budget Town Hall schedules will be available at www.phlcouncil.com on the Budget 2027 home page. The PHL Council Budget 2027 website is subject to change; please check it often.
City Council Budget hearings held in City Council Chambers will be broadcast live on the City of Philadelphia Government (PHLgovTV) cable channel. Tune in on Xfinity Channel 64 and Fios Channel 40 if you have cable TV in Philadelphia, or watch online at www.PHLCouncil.com/watch.
The Budget Town Hall meetings in neighborhoods will also be recorded by PHLgovTV and broadcast on the station at yet-to-be-determined days and times.
