May 23, 2025
Philadelphia City Council did not hold a Council session on May 22 and will have its next meeting on Thursday, May 29 starting at 10 a.m. Eastern Time.
For a complete rundown of all bills and resolutions currently before Council, go to City Council’s Legislative Information Center.
THREE BALLOT QUESTIONS SPONSORED BY CITY COUNCILMEMBERS WERE APPROVED BY VOTERS IN THE MAY 20 PRIMARY ELECTION
Philadelphia voters approved three changes to Philadelphia’s Home Rule Charter. The Charter sets up the framework of City government and serves as the City’s constitution.
Ballot Question #1, sponsored by Councilmember Katherine Gilmore Richardson (At-Large), creates an Ombudsperson for the Office of Homeless Services. The Ombudsperson will help unhoused people connect to the services they need and will work with the Office of Homeless Services to improve the services the City provides for the homeless.
The Office of Homeless Services Ombudsperson will advocate on behalf of Philadelphians experiencing homelessness and their families and will play a key role in ensuring accountability, advocacy, and systemic improvements in how the city addresses homelessness. This oversight helps build trust, protect vulnerable populations, and improve the overall effectiveness of homeless services in the city. This position will be hired by and report to the Philadelphia Office of the Inspector General.
Ballot Question #2, sponsored by Councilmember Jamie Gauthier (3rd District), approves the inclusion of additional mandatory funding for the Housing Trust Fund, which builds and maintains affordable housing. The additional amount would be equal to the amount of money developers pay the City each year for zoning benefits. Gauthier estimates about $5 million dollars per year could be added to the Housing Trust Fund.
Currently, the Home Rule Charter requires that 0.5% of the City’s General Fund go into the Housing Trust Fund for programs related to building and maintaining affordable housing. That amount is based on overall City spending.
Ballot Question #3, sponsored by Councilmember Isaiah Thomas (At-Large), provides for the creation of an independent Philadelphia Prison Community Oversight Board and Office of Prison Oversight and to further authorize City Council to determine the composition, powers and duties of the Board and Office.
Under the current Home Rule Charter, an advisory board called the Board of Trustees of Philadelphia Prisons adopts standards and guidelines for the City’s prisons.
Philadelphia residents have approved replacing the Board of Trustees of Philadelphia Prisons with a new City office headed by the Director of Prison Oversight and a Philadelphia Prison Community Oversight Board.
The Office of Prison Oversight would be responsible for reviewing policies, investigating practices, and recommending changes at the Department of Prisons. It would also support the work of the Philadelphia Prison Community Oversight Board, which will hold regular public meetings and advise on how to make the City’s prisons operate better and more fairly.
CITY COUNCIL WILL HAVE ONE ADDITIONAL NEIGHBORHOOD BUDGET TOWN HALL TO HEAR THE PUBLIC’S THOUGHTS ABOUT THE FISCAL YEAR 2026 BUDGET
Councilmembers Jeffery Young, Jr. (5th District), Katherine Gilmore Richardson (At-Large), Isaiah Thomas (At-Large) and Council President Kenyatta Johnson (Second District) will host the final Neighborhood Budget Town Hall on Tuesday, May 27 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Hope Partnership for Education school, 2601 North 11th Street (corner of 11th and Huntingdon Street) in North Philadelphia.
Come share your vision for the city’s budget and make your voice heard. It is open to anyone throughout Philadelphia and your input matters!
Council has already held four City Council Neighborhood Budget Town Halls since April 1 in the Council Districts represented by Councilmembers Jamie Gauthier (3rd District), Curtis Jones, Jr. (4th District), Quetcy Lozada (7th District) and Anthony Phillips (9th District). The May 27 Budget Town Hall is in Young’s 5th District.
More than 650 people have shown up for all four Budget Town Halls held so far.
All four Neighborhood Budget Hearings have been recorded by PHL GOV TV and air on Channel 64 at various times throughout the week. The Budget Hearings are available to watch on City Council’s FY 2026 budget page.
Eight weeks of Budget Hearings are over in Philadelphia City Council chambers. Councilmembers and the Mayor Cherelle Parker Administration have started the process of negotiating a final Fiscal Year 2026 (FY 2026) operating budget by mid-June. Under Council’s current meeting schedule, a final FY 2026 must be done by June 5 so the budget can have a first reading during the June 5 Council session and then a final passage vote by the June 12 Council session, which is scheduled to be the final Council session before the summer recess.
Council’s Committee of the Whole is in recess until June 4, 9 a.m.
The City’s budget is the mayoral administration’s plan for spending, adjusted as needed to obtain City Council approval and passage before the start of each fiscal year beginning on July 1.
Before the budget is approved, City Council may adjust funding levels for departments and programs.
City Council passes legislation approving the new budget before the end of the current (Fiscal Year 2025) budget on June 30, and the mayor signs the adopted budget legislation. Fiscal Year 2026 starts on July 1.
To learn more about Mayor Parker’s budget, visit City Council’s FY2026 budget page for Mayor Parker’s budget address, the Operating and Capital Budgets, the proposed FY25-30 Five Year Plan and the dates, times and locations of upcoming Neighborhood Budget Town halls, go to phlcouncil.com/budget2026.
BILLS THAT ARE PART OF MAYOR CHERELLE PARKER’S HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES MADE EASY INITATIVE HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED TO THE RULES COMMITTEE FOR HEARING
Three zoning bills that are part of Mayor Parker’s Housing Opportunities Made Easy, or H.O.M.E, initiative, which aims to build or preserve 30,000 housing units, has been assigned to the Rules Committee, chaired by Councilmember Cindy Bass (8th District). They are Bills #250523, #250524, and #250525 and they would all amend the City’s Zoning code.
Councilmember Jeffery Young, Jr. (5th District) introduced Bill #250432 several weeks ago and it has also been assigned to the Rules Committee. Bills #250432, #250523, #250524, and #250525 will all have a hearing on June 4 at 1:30 PM inside City Council Chambers.
Council has introduced all but one of the bills given to them on May 1 by the Parker Administration. The remaining legislation would remove steps in the Philadelphia Land Bank’s disposition process that is controlled by Council. No word when this bill will be introduced.
The Parker administration has also transmitted additional H.O.M.E legislation to Council, including a bill to authorize the sale of city bonds to raise money for her program. They want to sell $400 million in bonds this fall and another $400 million in 2027. No word when the bond sale legislation will be introduced in Council.
According to the City Charter, although the legislation is suggested by the mayor, she cannot introduce it herself. That task must be performed by a councilmember. The Parker administration is pushing to have the H.O.M.E plan advance alongside the yearly budget, which must be adopted by July 1.
Council President Kenyatta Johnson (2nd District) said he is hopeful Council can finish all the FY 2026 budget and the H.O.M.E. legislation by June 12 but will consider adding an extra session if needed.
A SECOND COUNCILMEMBER EARNS DOCTORAL DEGREE
Congratulations to Councilmember Anthony Phillips (9th District) on his recent graduation from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst with a Doctorate of Philosophy in Afro-American Studies.
He joins Councilmember Nina Ahmad (At-Large) in being one of Council’s doctors. Dr. Ahmad received her Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Pennsylvania, followed by a Molecular Genetics Postdoctoral Fellowship at Thomas Jefferson University.
READ THE 2024 PHILADELPHIA CITY COUNCIL YEAR IN REVIEW
Philadelphia City Council has created a booklet to highlight what happened in City Council in 2024. Council has created year-in-review booklets in the past, and this is the first booklet under Council President Johnson and the Council Leadership Team.
This 2024 Year in Review highlights the milestones achieved in Council—from advancing affordable housing and public safety to fostering economic opportunity. It also emphasizes the power of partnership among members, as well as with residents, advocacy organizations, city agencies, the business community, and other grassroots organizers.
In Council’s attempt to get information directly into the hands of as many Philadelphians as possible, hardcopies of the 2024 Year-in-Review booklet has been mailed to a limited number of residents throughout the city.
They are also available at Councilmembers’ offices and have been given away at various Council events since mid-April. Hardcopies of the booklet are available while supplies last.
Click here to read the booklet online
SATURDAYS WITH CITY COUNCIL RADIO SHOW AIRS THIS SATURDAY, MAY 24
Tune in and listen to the next Saturdays with City Council show on Saturday, May 24 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Eastern Time for Saturdays with City Council on WURD Radio (900 AM/96.1 FM) or online at wurdradio.com
The show is hosted by Council Communications Director Vincent Thompson and will be a rebroadcast of a previous show that looked at Mayor Parker’s proposed FY 2026 budget and features and interview with Councilmember Quetcy Lozada (7th District).
The Saturdays with City Council shows for June will be on Saturday, June 7 and 21 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Eastern Time each day on WURD Radio.
THE NEXT CITY COUNCIL SESSION WILL BE ON THURSDAY, MAY 29
The next Regular Stated City Council meeting is scheduled for Thursday, May 29 at 10 a.m. Eastern Time at Philadelphia City Council Chambers, Room 400 (Fourth Floor), Philadelphia City Hall.
Tune in live by watching Xfinity Channel 64 and Fios Channel 40 if you have cable TV in Philadelphia, stream online at www.PHLCouncil.com/watch or listen to WURD Radio (900 AM/96.1 FM) from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Philadelphia City Council offices will be closed on Monday, May 26 in honor of Memorial Day and will reopen on Tuesday, May 27.
City Council wants to wish everyone a safe Memorial Day Weekend. Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day) honors and mourns U.S. military personnel who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces.
Philadelphia’s Laurel Hill Cemetery, 3832 Ridge Avenue, was the site of the first Decoration Day observance in the city, held on May 30, 1868.
