PHILADELPHIA, May 17, 2023 – Three Ballot Questions submitted to Philadelphia voters based on legislative initiatives approved by City Council were approved by voters in yesterday’s Primary election.
Ballot Question No. 1 asked voters:
Should The Philadelphia Home Rule Charter be amended to expand the requirements for annual minimum appropriations to the Budget Stabilization Reserve, more commonly known as the “rainy day fund”?
YES: 148,389 or 67.1%
NO: 72,789 or 32.9%
Budget Stabilization Reserves, known as Rainy Day Funds, work by storing surplus or additional revenues and using them to address unexpected contingencies, emergencies, or revenue shortfalls.
“I would like to thank the voters of Philadelphia for supporting my legislation that will not only strengthen Philadelphia’s Rainy Day Fund, but ensure that our City is more financially prepared for any economic downturns or unexpected emergencies,” said Councilmember Katherine Gilmore Richardson (At Large). “If there’s one thing that we’ve learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s that we must put measures in place to protect Philadelphia’s workforce, service delivery, and borrowing capabilities. By working to make larger deposits into our Rainy Day Fund, we are doing just that.”
Ballot Question No. 2 asked voters:
Should The Philadelphia Home Rule Charter be amended to create the Division of Workforce Solutions within the Department of Commerce and to define its duties?
YES: 142,567 or 64.80%
NO: 77,443 or 35.2%
Ballot Question 2 was initiated by Council President Darrell L. Clarke (5th District). The goal is to create a specified division within the Commerce Department that will work wholly on workforce development and job creation ideas and initiatives across the city.
Ballot Question No. 4 asked voters:
Should The Philadelphia Home Rule Charter be amended to create the Office of the Chief Public Safety Director and to define its powers, duties and responsibilities?
YES: 134,377 or 60.8%
NO: 86,673 or 39.2%
Council President Clarke was the impetus behind Ballot Question 4, to create an Office of Chief Public Safety Director, whose primary job will be to coordinate all public safety efforts across city agencies. Other cities have adopted a similar strategy, leading to better coordination and violence reduction.
“We’ve seen nearly 1,500 homicides and 6,000 shootings over the last three years – and we absolutely need to try to do things differently to reduce gun violence in Philadelphia,” Council President Clarke said. “We’re gratified by the voters’ support for this new initiative, and we await the next steps by the Mayor’s Office, the nomination of a candidate to fill this important position.”
FOR PLANNING PURPOSES:
Wednesday, May 17, 2023
CONTACT:
Joe Grace
215-686-3437
215-964-7093 (cell)
[email protected]
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Darrell L. Clarke represents the 5th Council District and serves as President of Philadelphia City Council, the 17-member legislative body of Philadelphia City government. A lifelong resident of North Philadelphia and an equitable housing and public education advocate, Council President Clarke works to ensure that every neighborhood in Philadelphia is a community of choice
