COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE, May 6, 2026

COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE City Hall, Room 400 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Wednesday, May 6, 2026 10:00 a.m. PRESENT: COUNCIL PRESIDENT KENYATTA JOHNSON COUNCILWOMAN RUE LANDAU COUNCILWOMAN NINA AHMAD COUNCILWOMAN KENDRA BROOKS COUNCILWOMAN JAMIE GAUTHIER COUNCILWOMAN KATHERINE GILMORE-RICHARDSON COUNCILWOMAN QUETCY M. LOZADA COUNCILWOMAN CINDY BASS COUNCILMAN MICHAEL DRISCOLL COUNCILMAN CURTIS J. JONES, JR. COUNCILMAN NICOLAS O'ROURKE COUNCILMAN JEFFREY YOUNG, JR. COUNCILMAN ANTHONY PHILLIPS HELEN LOUGHEAD, The Clerk P R O C E E D I N G S

Good morning, everyone. Good morning, everyone. This is the public hearing, and the public meeting of the committee of the whole regarding Bill Nos. 260199, 260200, 260201, 260202, 260203, 260204, 260205, 260206, 260208, 260209. And Resolution No. 260227. Ms. Loughead, will you please take the roll?

Councilmember Squilla? Councilmember Gauthier? Councilmember Jones?

Present.

Councilmember Young?

Present.

Councilmember Driscoll?

Present.

Councilmember Lozada?

Present.

Councilmember Bass?

Present.

Councilmember Phillips?

Present.

Councilmember O'Neill? Councilmember Gilmore- Richardson?

Present.

Councilmember Thomas?

Present.

Councilmember Harrity?

Present.

Councilmember Ahmad?

Present.

Councilmember Landau?

Present.

Councilmember Brooks? Councilmember O'Rourke?

Present.

Council President Johnson?

Present. Thank you very much. A quorum of the committee is present, and this hearing is now called to order. Ms. Loughead, will you please read the title of the bills and resolution?

Bill No. 3 260199, an ordinance adopting the operating budget for Fiscal Year 2027. Bill No. 260200, an ordinance to adopt a Fiscal Year 2027 capital budget. Bill No. 260201, an ordinance to adopt a capital program for the six fiscal years 2027 through 2032 inclusive. Bill No. 260202, an ordinance amending Chapter 19-2400 of the Philadelphia Code, entitled Hotel Room Rental Tax by providing for an additional excise tax on hotel room rentals, all under certain terms and conditions. Bill No. 260203, an ordinance amending Subcode A, the Philadelphia Administrative Code of Title IV of the Philadelphia Code, the Building, Construction, and Occupancy Code by adding a revising zoning board of adjustment fees and provisions regarding hearing scheduling, all under certain terms and conditions. Bill No. 260204, an ordinance amending Title III of the Philadelphia Code, entitled Air Management Code to modify the amounts of license and permit fees, under certain terms and conditions. Bill No. 260205, an ordinance amending section 1918-06 of the Philadelphia Code, entitled Authorization of Realty Use and Occupancy Tax to clarify the imposition of the tax on the use or occupancy of real estate with respect to cell towers, all under certain terms and conditions. Bill No. 260206, an ordinance amending Chapter 6600 of the Philadelphia Code, Asbestos, by adding and revising provisions related to various fees, all under certain terms and conditions. Bill No. 260208, an ordinance amending Chapter 19-1800 of the Philadelphia Code, entitled School Tax Authorization to add a new section 1918-08, entitled Authorization of Ride Share use Tax to authorize the Board of the School District of Philadelphia to Levy Tax upon the use by a passenger of a transportation network company for a prearranged ride that originates in Philadelphia, all under certain terms and conditions. Bill No. 260209, an ordinance amending Title of the 18 Philadelphia Code, entitled Finance 19 Taxes and Collections to add a new chapter, 19-4800, entitled Retail Delivery Tax to establish a tax on orders for the delivery in Philadelphia of retail consumer and other tangible goods, all under certain terms and conditions. Resolution No. 260227, providing for the approval by the Council of the city of Philadelphia of a revised five-year financial plan for the city of Philadelphia, covering fiscal years 2027 through 2031, and incorporating revisions with respect to Fiscal Year 2026, which is to be submitted by the mayor to the Pennsylvania Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority, pursuant to an intergovernmental cooperation agreement by between the city and the authority.

Thank you very much. Today we hold the public hearing of the committee of the whole to consider the bills read by the clerk that constitute proposed operating CAPA spending measures for Fiscal Year 2027, a capital program, and a forwardlooking capital plan for Fiscal Year 2027 through Fiscal Year 2032. We will now begin taking testimony from the public on the city's proposed FY27 budget, and a six-year capital program for FY27 through FY 2032. Before proceeding, I will lay a few ground rules on how we will proceed with public testimony this afternoon to ensure that there is an opportunity for all of you to be heard. Certain ground rules have been established as follows: Your testimony should be about the bills listed on the calendar. Once your name is called, you will then have up to two minutes to speak. In order to be fair to all those wishing to speak, I intend to hold faithfully to the two-minute limit. Once you are asked to begin your testimony, a timer will be started. When there are 30 seconds remaining to your time, you will be reminded of this. Once your allotted -- your allotted time has passed, you will be asked to conclude your remarks. We have a morning session, as well as the afternoon session, so we want to get as many people as possible an opportunity to participate. And so with that being said, Ms. Loughead, will you please call the first panel.

We'll have Greg Boulware, Robert Harris, Jameele Mitchell, Brenda Revis, Esther Jones, and Catherine Martin, if you could please make your way to the podium.

Good morning. Just state your name for the record. And I just want to start off by acknowledging President Greg Boulware, the President of District Council 33 and the work that your members do in terms of keeping our city clean, the sanitation workers as well as Robert Harris, AFSCME District Council 42nd, 7th and all of the work that your members are doing professionally to keep our city of Philadelphia moving forward as well. So welcome to City Council. Please begin your testimony.

All right. Thank you very much. I appreciate it. President Johnson and all members of Council, folks from Philadelphia that are all present and city workers that are present with us and our esteem members of District Council 33 and 47 that are present as well. And I also noticed we had some public school teachers here as well, so I wanted to acknowledge them as well. I'm simply here to make sure I advocate for a plea to make sure that public services are completely funded inside of this budget that we have in hand. And not just services that are applicable to members of District Council 33, but public services that are applicable to every form of public service throughout the course of this city, whether it be District Council 47, FOP, local 22, the PFT, whatever's necessary to make sure that the city has everything that's required so that the members and citizens of this city can have a quality of life, and a reassurance that there's some investments that's being taken back into them and their children, and their workplaces, and their homes and those things like that. Those things are vital and crucial to people on a regular basis. I know that they're super important to our members of District Council 33. You know that just under a year ago, our members were on strike at District Council 33, fighting for dignity and respect and to be able to have a wage in the city so they can actually live in the city, which they're required to work in. And while we made minimal gains in that particular area, we're still struggling to make sure that we can affordably live inside the city. Everybody here recognizes that, you know, the utility costs are going up through the roof, gas costs have been, you know, now becoming insurmountable for some organizations, and it's definitely a piling up cost that's going on for the city. So we recognize that, but nobody hit -- nobody hits -- it doesn't hit anybody more than the members of that -- of the city that we have to be able to, you know, be in these workplaces to advocate and do these jobs to make sure these services are funded. What I'm asking for is to make sure that, you know, staffing needs are met throughout the city. This city has a number of issues that are going on up in the next coming months. They're good issues to have, because we have FIFA coming up. We have the world, you know, the All-Star game coming up. These are all positive things in Philadelphia, and we need to make sure we have adequate staffing in place to have it. As it stands now, the majority of our department is staying efficient, as far as quality of staffing in there. And so what happens is, is those workers come in, they're working more, working longer hours and being burnt out, and what we're facing right now is many of the departments are now telling the workers that they're not allowing them to take vacation time in these upcoming months. Well, that's a -- that's a creation of not having enough staffing in place to make sure that you can meet the necessary requirements that are in place. Also, security. Security is a huge as, you know -- you know, a huge issue that goes on in a lot of these workplaces, where me particularly feel like we're not meeting that need of the day to make sure that we have security in place at all the facilities that are necessary to make sure that our infrastructure is intact. We have libraries that need to make sure that you have adequate, you know, security. The water department installation that make sure they need to have adequate, you know, security in place. Municipal guards are needed in various locations throughout the city that we -- haven't necessarily taken the steps and measure to make sure that we are appropriately covering. And reinvesting in our workforce more than anything. We learned throughout the winter how important it is to make sure our workforce is there and viable, and it also can make sure that they can meet the needs of the -- of the demand for what's going on.

And we had -- because of low staffing, because of inadequate equipment that we have in place, we were able to meet it at the -- at the quality that we would've liked to have done. Nobody is more dedicated than the members of District Council 33 inside of the city in providing these services, but making sure that they had what's necessary to do the job, you know, adequately, professionally as the citizens of the city need is important. We need to make sure the budget, you know, demands, those needs are met. We need to make sure that all the public services are funded in a -- in a way that is fiduciarily responsible to the city, and we need to make sure that the people feel like there's a -- they're being reinvested in. A lot of these folks have grown up in public school systems. They've gone to schools here that were inadequate throughout their many years, and now they work inside of city facilities that are just as inadequate as some of their schools were at that time. And so you lived your entire lifetime in this city, looking at the infrastructure of the dwellings that we own not being maintained and kept up over time, it puts a negative connotation on a lot of imagery for a lot of our people. We have to reinvest in this city; we have to reinvest in our people. We absolutely have to make sure that there's money there and viable and available for our schools and our children, and -- but our workforce is also, because those children then grow up to be adults and wind up working for this great city of ours, and we need to make sure that they can continue their training, so that the services that the city of Philadelphia needs are met at a high level, and that we invest in the equipment. So that we're not being overcharged when an emergency situation comes up with the city. We watched same day workers that were being paid more than hourly work than are men and women do on a regular basis inside of this city, being given PPE and equipment that are not available to our men and women on a regular basis inside their respective work locations. To me, that is -- that is unacceptable, and it needs to be reassessed and reevaluated in what goes on. And lastly, I'll touch on while we made gains in our last contract, they obviously are not -- are not enough. We need to continue to keep making strides and gains in that. And while I ask for Council's help with this, you know, you all through legislation have a ability to have what's called a cost of living, you know, increased to you-all salaries every year, as the administration has, you know. This city, the members, the city workforce, the largest tax base we have in this city, they invest in it every day. Most jobs offer a cost of living increased to what they do every day. I'm asking for consideration and time to be worked upon to make sure that the members and municipal workers inside of this city can be given a cost of living increase that's measurable, that could also be added into their salary so they can continue to at least do something to offset, so that those men and women can have some type of comfort inside living in this city every day. It's a minimal thing, but it's something that it needs to be looked at and adjusted. So thank you for your time, I appreciate the work and dedication that you-all have, and I know that you-all will take the necessary time and make sure that this budget covers everything that's required for the members and citizens of the city of Philadelphia. Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Good morning, Council President and members of City Council, Ditto. No, thank you for the opportunity to speak today in support of fully funded and fully staffed public and human services for Philadelphia. Throughout this year, our union has worked with Council and the administration to secure funding for operational and capital goals, to fill vacancies and provide our workforce with the tools they need to provide services to the cities of this great citizens or the citizens of this great city for a safety out at our city workplaces and sustainable retention and recruitment focus pay rates in contract negotiations and in pension funding. To fund a pilot program for municipal guards to protect our rec centers and HVAC upgrade to prevent environmental closures of our libraries, to prioritize staffing with unionized civil service positions over contracted out positions, to protect members in public sector work and the communities they serve from the great threat of ICE, to provide critical funds for the Defenders Association to negotiate fair contracts for their newly organized employees, as well as fulfill the obligations of their standing contracts. This is all happening in an atmosphere of federal cuts to funding that support state and municipal budgets. Cuts in research funding for universities and medical facilities that we cover, cuts in arts and culture grants, and the destruction of safeguards for our most vulnerable citizens. The funding you allocate for Fiscal Year 27 and the six-year budget will be a direct reflection of the priorities we fight for every day in our organized units. Protections for working people who make this city happen. This past Mayday, DC 47, DC 33, it stood alongside labor immigrant communities, faith-based organizations, and all working people in Philadelphia to secure a vision that supports workers over billionaires. Some of you were there. I hope -- I hope that this mission stays with you in the decisions you make to -- coming through this budget cycle and that you will stay with Philadelphians who need your support. I look forward to hearing -- to you hearing from some of our union members here today, taking in their lived experience and seeing how we can do this together. Thank you for the opportunity to speak today.

Thank you. Please state your name for the record. Begin.

Hold on, I'm kind of short. I've got to -- I got to adjust. Thank you. Good morning, everyone.

Good morning.

Council President, members of City Council, to everyone in attendance, and to the city of Philadelphia. My name is Jameele Mitchell. I currently serve as the Work-Place Violence Prevention Coordinator for AFSCME, District Council 47. I am also the staff rep for our supervisors of 2186. I previously worked as a Recreation Leader for Philadelphia 3 Parks and Recreation. I mean, good stuff. Through my years of service, both as a civil servant and as a union advocate now, I've seen passion, compassion, and determination that the city of Philadelphia employees bring to their work every day. These workers show because they care very deeply about the communities they serve. But I've also witnessed and personally experienced the conditions under which many of them are expected to do that work. Too often, employees are forced to operate in facilities with ongoing HVAC and heating failures, structural issues and urgent need of repair, poor or inadequate lighting, and a lack of cameras or security -- security staff, my apologies, to ensure safety. Many sites are chronically understaffed, supplies are limited and workers are left bartering or improvising just to meet basic needs. These are not just workplace issues; these are public safety concerns. If we are serious about building and maintaining safe, healthy communities about caring for our most vulnerable residents, then we must fund public services adequately and sustainably. That means investing in the places people rely on for safety, rest, and joy. Our recreation centers, our pools and libraries. It means ensuring access to vital supports, such as food assistance, mental and physical health services, and reliable public transportation. Most importantly, it means investing in the workers who make all of this possible. Funding public services is not an expense; it is a commitment to dignity, safety, and opportunity for everyone in Philadelphia. I urge you to prioritize the funding necessary to protect public workers, strengthen our infrastructure, and ensure our city services truly serve the people. Thank you.

Thank you.

Good morning. Thank you for the opportunity to participate. My name is Catherine Martin. I have worked for the Free Library of Philadelphia for seven years. I am currently a first-level supervisor at the Nicetown-Tioga branch at the busy intersection of Broad Germantown and Erie Avenues. Today, we are a staff of eight library workers and we currently have three vacant positions. Our libraries are understaffed. Every day, without fail, I am asked the same three questions at work: When did you reopen? I thought this library had closed forever. It's true. We've had our fair share of closures due to building issues. We have abysmal signage and an unwelcoming facade, but come inside and you'll see we are a welcoming space with afterschool meals for students, adult literacy classes, chess and crochet clubs and more. Another question I get is, are you hiring? Thanks to our welcoming interior, I've noticed that Philadelphians are really curious about working in libraries. We see many job seekers at my location, and to this end, we have partnered with the Office of Human Resources North Philadelphia Recruitment Team to demystify the civil service process and successfully get the word out about all available city jobs. And the third question I'm asked is, do you host computer classes? And this is the question that pains me the most, because we have a fully-equipped computer lab with eight new networked public computers, and yet we have no staff member to run the programs that our community demands.

The digital divide in our city is growing. There are initiatives to address it and the Free Library has been part of these conversations, but we should be on the front lines. In the past, the Free Library had a tech-mobile and hosted multiple computer labs across the city. Today, there is only one of these hotspots and the position is currently vacant. And in 2014, a new job class was created for my union siblings in District Council 33, Local 696 digital resource specialist. Digital resource specialists offer formal and informal skills training, they develop customized community programs, and they help to expand access beyond library walls. But today, more than 10 years after the creation of this job, three quarters of our libraries do not have a digital resource specialist on staff. Many of our libraries do not even have an allocation for this position. Every year, I request that the vacant library assistant position at my location be converted to a much needed digital resource specialist position. And every year, I am met with resistance indifference or flat-out rejection. I hear, "It's just not in the budget." This is not acceptable. Our patrons need digital support and they are asking for help in acquiring these skills. From simple computer navigation, to complex online transactions, to resume creation and job application support. And there is a logical in-house solution, one that does not require a strategic development plan or a complex partnership. The solution already exists in plain sight. We can support our communities with their essential technology needs and offer jobs with all the protections and benefits that Philadelphians deserve. Hiring digital resource specialists for every Free Library location is a no-brainer. Thank you.

Please state your name and please begin.

My name is Esther Jones. Good morning, fellow citizens of Philadelphia, members of City Council, and other public testimony participants. My name is Esther Jones and I'm a born and raised resident of the city of Philadelphia, as well as a member and delegate of DC 47, Local 2186. I have been employed for the city of -- by the city of Philadelphia for years full-time 12 in the Parks and Recreation 13 department as of October 1st, 2026. 14 During my years of employment in Parks and Recreation, I have always been a staunch supporter of safety. If you don't feel safe, how could you come to work every day. In my testimony today, I will be talking about things that I believe could use consistent investment to make the rec center safer. I am currently assigned to Ferko Playground in the Juniata section of the city. My rec center does not have cameras, and I have been advocating for Ferko to get cameras since my first assignment here in 2016. It is years later and we 7 still do not have cameras. There 8 have been repairs and upgrades to 9 many centers over the past 10 years. 10 There should be specific funding allocated every year until we make sure every rec center has cameras. Our Mayor's motto has been safe, clean, and ready to use with regards to the people who utilize our rec centers. But why are we also not thinking about the safety of our facility staff as well? Equal funding into safety and upgrades should be a priority for the city and the department. Municipal guards are currently utilized by the Free Library, but I believe they could be utilized just as well in the Parks and Recreation department. Having someone be an extra set of eyes outside the playground and just be a visual presence would make a huge impact on the safety of the staff and the program participants. I understand the security would not only be their only job, but even it being three quarters or one half of their objective would take some of the pressure off of the other staff in the buildings whose focus should be providing programming and safe spaces for our youth. The union has had positive conversations with the working group, including Councilman Phillips, but was discouraged by the fact that no money was allocated for the pilot program for the rec center municipal guards. I hope to see an adjustment in the budget for this pilot program. My final point of investment would be true emergency response. We have generic trainings on how to respond in an emergency situation when things happen outside of our rec center and inside, but each rec center is set up differently. The department is currently working on emergency action plans that are specific to individual rec centers. I understand it's been a large undertaking, but I hope that the Council continues to follow up with the department to keep the momentum going. In conclusion, I hope the city really thinks about the investment in safety of not only its patrons, but also the staff that keep the city running day in and day out. At the end of the day, our safety matters. We matter.

Okay. Thank you. Just please state your name for the record and begin your testimony.

Yes. My name is Brenda Rivas, and I serve as an administrative technician in DHS Child Welfare Operations within the Finance Department, Quality Assurance Division, and the Provider Verification and Licensure Unit. Good morning, Council President Kenyatta Johnson and distinguished Councilmembers. I thank you for the opportunity to speak today about two key operational areas where additional funding is needed. I'm speaking from my perspective. I have been with DHS for 10 years and I'm proud to have served in this department throughout my career. My role, I work directly every day with provider agencies that serve our youth. These agencies rely on timely and accurate support from one -- from me, so they can remain compliant and continue providing services. Excuse me. I maintain ongoing communications with them to ensure all certifications and required documentation remain current. By entering this information accurately into our PFDS system, I help ensure that DHS services receive the correct funding from the state and that the state has accurate data for federal reimbursement. My work prevents errors that could lead to overpayments, underpayments, or compliance findings, and ensures agencies are reimbursed properly and on time. I have personally experienced situations where high volume and staffing shortage made it very challenging for me to meet deadlines efficiently. At one time after one supervisor retired and two clerk threes promoted out, I alone was doing the work of three people for more than six months. I stay committed to doing my best every day because that is what I do, and what I do is important for children and families. For a time there, it was really stressful. Eventually, the decision was made to merge my unit with another. Luckily, I was able to train the two staff members in this work that I do, but we are still not able -- we are still not at full complement for the unit. The backlog created during the low-level staffing periods remain, and now we have additional federal reporting responsibilities for the first time since COVID. In addition to staffing challenges, our work has slowed by non-functioning copiers and printers. Many days, staff must leave their work areas or go to another floor just to find working machine. This causes delays, creates unnecessary stress and disrupts workflow at a time when accuracy and timeliness are critical, especially during state audits, which occur twice a year, like right now. Because federal auditors cannot access our system and require printed files, this becomes an even greater barrier. So in closing, I respectfully request support in two areas: First, sufficient staffing levels to manage our daily workload and significant surges during state audits. Second, reliable high- capacity computers and copiers and printers that are regularly maintained and able to support the volume of work our department -- our department handles. These improvements would significantly strengthen our operations and help us continue providing accurate, timely support to providers and youth we serve. Thank you for your time and your cooperation.

Thank you, Ms. Rivas. Always good seeing you too, Ms. Rivas.

Thank you.

Would Greg Waldman, Chris Snyder, Jophis Daffels, Gennifer Reed, Porya Najid, and Dallas Herbert, please come to the podium.

Good morning, Council President, members of the City Council, and the listening public. My name is Greg Waldman and I'm a city planner at the Streets Department, and a member steward and delegate of District Council 47, local 2187. I'm testifying off the clock as a union member of years 6 and not in my official city 7 capacity. AFSCME workers keep 8 Philadelphia running. 9 At Streets, we are 10 committed to ensuring safe and clean streets, something that I know that the Council President and many community members hold as a high priority that is essential to Philadelphia's economy. This involves many kinds of work from repaving and line striping, traffic signal and bridge design, project management and civil engineering, permitting and ensuring predictable and open use of the public right of way. I am here today to bring attention to the issue of civil service vacancies and contracting out of essential city functions. What do these two issues have in common? High vacancies, which are around percent at the 6 -- for the department of the -- as a 7 whole, and 11 percent for DC 47 8 represented civil service positions 9 at the department and frequent 10 turnover, increased training costs, 11 overburdened workloads, and result 12 in work being contracted out at a 13 higher cost than could have -- could 14 have been done by city forces if 15 vacancies were filled. Issues 16 driving vacancies are salaries well 17 below industry standards in flexible 18 residency and pre-residency 19 requirements. 20 And of course, Mayor Parker's unnecessary five-day work -- week work from office mandate. In 2023, the consultant JMT produced a gap analysis for delivering infrastructure projects for the following five-year capital program. This study found that civil service salaries at streets department are well below the industry standards from percent below for city 7 planners like me to 30 percent lower 8 for engineers and almost 50 percent 9 lower for accountants. 10 Public sector union jobs 11 used to balance out that wage 12 discrepancy with excellent 13 retirement packages, but the shift from a defined benefit plan to a hybrid 401k capped at $65,000 discourages workers from making a career out of their tenure with the city. In addition to making city wages more competitive, GMT recommended that other benefits such as hybrid and flex schedules that allow for work from home and loosening residency and pre-residency requirements would attract and retain staff. Almost two years into the in-office mandate, I can confidently say that city workers are mostly meeting virtually over Teams, even when the -- Microsoft Teams, even when they work right next to one another. Our wages have become even less competitive since 2023 with inflation rising faster in the past four months than it has in previous years. While wage increases are one at the bargaining table and through the Civil Service Commission, the window of possibilities is dependent on the budget -- on budget investments in personnel and the labor reserve. This budget's investments into the labor reserve averaging $123 million per year isn't enough to catch up with the private sector, let alone keep up with inflation. In the end, investments in city workers at streets, and in all departments save taxpayers money. Workers who feel adequately paid and treated with dignity stay longer at the city -- at their city jobs. Do them better and more efficiently as they learn intricate details and processes, and eventually apply for promotions to take on more complex responsibilities, training the next generation of public servers -- servants. Workers who feel underpaid and under appreciated leave for higher paid jobs in the private sector, where they can live outside city limits, possibly in a firm that is then contracted to do a job necessitated by this empty city job they left.

Our members at streets are committed to serving the city of Philadelphia, and I encourage the Council to show commitment to the workers by significantly increasing the labor reserve to give municipal unions the tools to negotiate for competitive wages to attract and retain a dignified and committed unionized workforce. I also encourage the Council to demand that the CAO publish anonymized annual reports of exit interviews and satisfaction surveys to assess the impact of the return-to-office mandate, as it has had promised before that mandate went to effect. Thank you very much.

Thank you.

My name is Christopher Snyder. Good morning, Council President and members of Philadelphia City Council. Thank you for the opportunity to speak today. I'm a social work supervisor at the Philadelphia Department of Prisons, and have held this position for the last years. I'm also an 4 executive board member for AFSCME 5 District Council 47, Local 2186. 6 I'm here today to speak regarding 7 the proposed budget for the 8 Philadelphia Department of Prisons 9 on behalf of our members, but also 10 as a social worker and an advocate for the incarcerated population. While we've seen significant reductions in the incarcerated population in Philadelphia, we've seen a significant increase in the needs of those that are still incarcerated. Clients are admitted into the jails with untreated mental health diagnoses, substance abuse challenges without stable employment or housing, lacking medical coverage, and without appropriate childcare or social support. These factors leave our clients at extremely high risk for recidivism. For most of these clients, our city employees are the primary point of contact. We are the case managers, the psychologists, the educators, and the social workers. We connect these clients with resources and provide the necessary services to address these concerns and help the clients remain in the community when they are released. Members of City Council, my request is simple: Instead of committing to ever increasing contracts with ever increasing -- decreasing returns, invest in your municipal workforce. Invest in the employees who live in the neighborhoods that our incarcerated population comes from. Invest in the employees that fund the city budget -- city budget with our tax dollars. Now, with a $1.2 billion surplus, now is the time to invest in reentry, reduce recidivism, and support the Council's goal of making Philadelphia a safer, more secure, more prosperous city for all who live here. Investing in your municipal workforce makes this possible. AFSCME DC 47 is committed to working alongside City Council, the Department of Prisons, our reentry partners, and our community- based services to create a more just -- yeah. Create a more just criminal justice system, which ensures the best outcomes for the people we serve to the benefit of all Philadelphians. Thank you for your time and attention.

Thank you.

Good day.

Good morning.

Good day. Good day. Council President Johnson and esteemed Councilmembers, my name is Gennifer Reed. It's Gennifer with a G. Reed, R-E-E-D. I am a licensed social worker and a proud citizen of Philadelphia for 57 years. Okay. Yeah, that's a long time. And a 28 years city servant, and a proud president of DC 47, Local 2186. I represent the professional staff who are the architects and engine of this municipality. And let's be clear, the people that make the city run. Today, I am discussing the $1.2 billion surplus the mayor spoke of in her five-year plan. To an accountant, that's a win. To the members of DC 47, that number is a testament to our sacrifice. This surplus was built on the backs of social workers carrying triple caseloads and librarians working in failing buildings. And it was built by parks and rec staff who act as teachers, security, and babysitters and facilities that wouldn't even pass OSHA inspection, and also prison staffing that's so low it's criminal. This isn't foul money; it is withheld investment from the people who keep Philadelphia running. I'm here to address three critical points: A surplus cannot exist alongside a staffing crisis. It is a dereliction of duty to sit on $1.2 billion when our department face vacancies rates that would put a private firm out of business. We are losing our best talent to the private sector because Philadelphia refuses to pay for the expertise it requires, while raising -- rising costs of living, cripple city employees who will have to work two jobs just to live in the city. Modernization is a safety issue. My members are expected to deliver 21st century services with 20th century tools. We need a capital plan that replaces failing -- replaces failing HVAC systems and updates archaic data systems. And if we don't invest in infrastructure now, this surplus will be swallowed up in the cost of future failings. Let's reject the trap of privatization. We know this play; a surplus could be used to outsource public work to private contractors who lack local commitment or stealing union work with an exorbitant number of exempts who are paid excessive salaries. Privatization is not an not efficiency; it is a threat. We have the internal capacity; we just need the investment in the people who make this city work. In closing -- in closing, the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are being stretched too thin and paid too little. It's time to invest in the workers who make Philadelphia possible. Thank you for your time.

Good morning to everyone in the room. My name is Dallas Herbert, Sr, and I'm going to go off script here, because everybody has been talking about the unions and their jobs, but I'm here to talk about the budget for Clean and Green. I'm a member of the Grassroots Organization 215 Peoples Alliance. And I'm here today representing the Trash Academy and Clean Philly Now. I'm here to talk money. Money spent, money saved, and money that city of Philadelphia might be wasting. It all has to do with cameras. Are the cameras that already have been installed worth the money spent? And are the cameras to be installed going to make a difference in illegal and legacy dumping. In my neighborhood, Long Crest, we, meaning 215 People's Alliance, began cleaning a legacy dump site we call Snake Road in 2021. We thought a few cameras would go a long way in catching whoever is doing the illegal dumping and some new signs would deter people. It took three years to get three cameras and just as long for the signs. Okay, the cameras were up and running and the signs were posted and we had questions: Who's watching the cameras? And how many are watching the films? Crickets, or no straight answers. I could go on, but let's fast forward to today. We have a new mayor, Cherelle Parker, and a great leader in the Clean and Green Initiative, Carlton Williams. And the things are finally heading in the right direction. There are 400 cameras in the city with 125 more to come, yet so far, only dumping cases have 6 been closed. And since 2003, only 7 49 cases have been closed. Now 8 let's talk about the police cameras 9 for a second. They have 7,000 10 cameras all over the city. And what 11 do they do when they run across 12 illegal dumping? 13 I mean, we know the police 14 don't have time to concentrate on 15 illegal dumping, but I've talked to 16 the commissioner and he said that 17 the police was going to work harder on it. I talked to the district attorney and he said he had a group that would be working on it, and we need more transparency in that. How do they handle the information? Are they handling the information? Are the city's cameras effective enough that more money should be spent on them? We need more transparency and more investment in education, prevention and enforcement, not just abatement. Thank you.

Thank you.

Can we have Lois? Lois Williams, Shari Hirsch, Steven Bronskill, David Sims, Will Gonzalez, and Ruth Convisor.

I'm Shari Hirsch from Trash Academy and the Clean Philadelphia Now Coalition. We appreciate Clean and Green, but we need to shift resources upstream. Invest in prevention, make Clean and Green a legacy beyond politics. One that transforms our city's waste practices, eliminates illegal dumping and makes incineration and land filling relics of the past. The city reports a near perfect litter index score, but our experience tells a different story. In two events in the last two weeks, residents told their stories documenting over 48 legacy dump sites in a single community. Sites like Warren and 52nd, 15th and Wingohocking, Cayuga and Gratz, 4,200 Park and many more across the city are dumped on almost daily. They are legacy dump sites. The dump-clean dump cycle continues. The litter score is based on an average. There's no data, no 15 specifics by block obscuring the ongoing legacy dumping in certain neighborhoods, and on certain blocks. In the proposed 2027 budget, prevention receives just 3.8 percent, down from 7 percent in 2019, something I just can't wrap my head around. So instead of spending 750,000 on 125 new cameras, redeploy existing cameras and invest in what prevents dumping before it starts. Expand the voucher program being piloted by North Philadelphia for 5 small haulers, require construction 6 and demolition recycling through the 7 city's home initiative, pilot 8 recycling and legal disposal options 9 through a dumpster contract with 10 burns at one convenience center, and train future track to support education for recycling and diversion. Invest in prevention, stop dumping before it happens, and save millions of dollars for this city to be spent on all these city workers who need better salaries. Thank you.

My name is Ruth Convisor, and I'm here to ask that the city not pass the Uber and Lyft tax. The reason I'm asking for that is small businesses already just -- thank you. My apologies. Nice to -- thanks so much for being here.

Bringing your mic a little closer.

Okay. Better?

A little closer.

Have we got it? Okay.

There you go. Yes.

Thank you so much for being here and especially after a bit of a late-night last night. It's nice to see some of the same faces. I'm here to respectfully ask that the Uber and Lyft tax not be passed. My rationale -- my name is Ruth Convisor. My rationale is that we just lost the $100,000 BIRT Exemption, and that would really hit a certain class of small businesses incredibly hard, and it just feels not right to me to do that. I was also hit with the loss of the BIRT Exemption as a therapist in private practice, and it was $5,000. And in a year that I took a maternity leave and only worked nine months, so I have the additional daycare costs and the additional taxes. And I'm not alone in that. I convened a Facebook group that started out with therapists, broadened out to helping professionals, and is now all sorts of small businesses. And the stories are awful. People are digging out of their savings. They are really, really suffering under this task. And the remediations that have been suggested, which are some grants through commerce, it's not as simple as that. They're not really working. We are respectfully asking for a hearing on Mike Driscoll's Bill 251026. If that was able to be passed, if we could rectify what happened to other small businesses, I would then feel that it would be fine to support the Uber and Lyft tax, but not -- I can't see taxing this population of small businesses twice. It's just really uncomfortable for me. Thank you all for your time.

How are you doing, ma'am?

Hello.

Hello.

My name is Lois Williams. I'm co-director of Trash Academy, and I'm also a member of Hase Nas. I'm here today about prevention and enforcement of illegal legacy dumping in Philadelphia. But I'm a concerned citizen that is really pissed. Okay? Now I -- the budget for prevention and enforcement, it's so low that it's just sad. I mean, I looked at that and I said, really? But now what I was thinking is we can do some commercials, put some commercials on the TV saying, Okay, we have cameras, we see you and we will catch you. And this is the -- how much you would have to pay when we catch you. Not if, but say when we catch you. Put up some billboards, you know, that's part of prevention. If they see that, that could likely make them not do what they're doing, you know. And when you do catch someone, don't negotiate the fine down so daggone low, because then they feel like, oh, well, it's worth it. I might as well keep doing what I'm doing. You got to make it hurt their pockets for them to stop, you know. Take their -- take their vehicle, whatever. But the thing is, we have to make this stop. We have had help from some City Council people and from numerous organizations like, you know, city -- not city organizations, neighborhood organizations. And we appreciate that. But the thing is, we are tired of this. And if you don't intend to help us, step out of the way and let us through. Simple as that. Move over because we are coming through. Thanks for your time.

Thank you.

Thank you. Buenas tardes. My name is Will Gonzalez. I'm the executive director of Ceiba Coalition Building Organization in Philadelphia's Latino Community. Thank you, City Council, for giving us the opportunity to testify. We are also the backbone to the Ceiba Latino Ecuador Development Collective. We want to respectfully request that the City continue to offer the free tax preparation for small businesses who are confronting the BIRT tax in light of the removal of the exemption. Not casting aspersions, this is a state constitutional issue. Also the need for the comprehensive tax reform in the city. But in the meantime, the small business environment needs that support of that free tax preparation, and we encourage you to please continue to do that. We also ask you to please support the commercial corridors managers that are doing more work around this issue. They need additional support. I also want to make you aware of one of the issues that the BIRT situation has created. And that is that sometimes you see people being treated not as employees, but as independent contractors. Now that has more of a nasty bite. And so we encourage you and we know that also the state at the federal level to do more looking over those situations, especially when it comes to the summer employment for the students. It's not cool that a summer employment -- a student doing summer employment is getting a 1099, instead of a W2. If they get a 1099, they got to pay their employee and employer taxes and BIRT, and they're only 16, 17 years old. So please take that in mind. There's a way to avoid that. On H.O.M.E, you know, CDCs, we'd be there before, during and after brick and mortar, and I sound like a broken record, but we encourage you to please -- pretty please makes CDCs the epicenter of all your homework. The Latino Equitable Development Collective with four of the best CDCs in the city has a plan that we shared with our Councilmember in the 7th District. We've shared with the office of Lawrence and Brooks, and our capacity to build and preserve thousands of units in the next five years. I look forward to discussing that further with leadership and City Council. Turn the Key, increase the subsidy. A rising tide raises all boats. If you bring up the subsidy to 100K, both private developers and nonprofit developers will be increasing affordability for those units. Support the Community Builders Fund, which Councilmember Lozada is proposing that will increase the availability of patient capital for CDCs to build and preserve. Improve the Land Bank. You're going to be seeding some power to them. You're going to be doing mass transfers or permissions for transfers, please seek quality, not quantity. The Land Bank has a strategic plan that it hasn't shared, it has some objectives to improve itself. Let them deliver on those improvements before you see that much power. You are a legislative body. We believe in the separation of powers. What you're doing is not bad; it's just it's in our -- it's in our city charter. Last but not least, housing counseling is really important. We're facing a problem with HUD eliminating pre-purchase. So our strong -- one of our strengths in our city is a housing counseling ecosystem. That's going to be hurt badly at a time when we need it for H.O.M.E. Half of the programs need the support of the housing counseling community to connect clients, connect residents with those services. So please support that. Thank you again for these hearings. Thank you again for all you do. Keep being a strong legislative body. Thank you.

Thank you, Will.

Thank you, Council President, Councilmembers. My name is Steven Bronskill. I'm here with Transit Forward Philadelphia, and I'm here to support a budget that keeps Philly moving. I want to bring us back to this time last year. SEPTA released a doomsday budget due to a lack of state funding. It wasn't just a doomsday of the Flyers and the Sixers losing on the same night in the playoffs; it proposed cutting five regional rail lines, 50 bus lines, and ending metro service after 9:00 p.m. No 8 tailgating at the link, and bus stops were decorated with these signs all across the city. And Philly did not accept this. Tens of thousands of transit riders spoke up to their elected officials. You as a Council traveled to Harrisburg and we saved a transit system that moves one in three Philadelphians to work, 50,000 students to school, and almost half of Eagles fans on game day. That was your work. The solution wasn't perfect. Cuts were stopped, but we lost capital funds that keep our train safe and in service. We saw that with regional rail fires. Councilmember Gauthier saw that when our trolleys were diverted in West Philly and spoke up. And this was a direct consequence of our state legislature's failure to take action. We also saw a percent 8 increase in the fares to ride SEPTA, 9 but not a 21 percent increase in our 10 wages. And so this city budget is 11 our response to what happened last 12 year in Harrisburg. It's our game 13 2, after being blown out in the 14 series opener. 15 And you should never 16 underestimate a Philly sports team 17 or Philadelphians protecting 18 something we care about. The 19 Mayor's proposed investment in Zero 20 Fare is a step forward to making 21 transit more affordable for over 60,000 people who need it most. There was a study in New York that said our program is twice, as good a six-year score we can believe in. 63 percent of Philadelphians use it versus 30 percent of New Yorkers. It's because people don't have to wait in line or on the phone to access it. And so Council should approve this investment in Zero Fare. They should make it permanent through a transit access fund, they should get and make sure students have arrived to school, they should make sure CCP students have passes that the people who work at DC 33 and 47 have a ride to work to keep Philly moving. I'll close and say as a transit rider, sometimes there's a long wait at the bus stop. We are here in this journey with you. We are going to fight together to make sure these cuts don't come back in 500 days. We're going to fight to pass this in investments and transit moving forward. We'll see you on the bus. Thanks.

Good morning. My name is David Sims. Good morning, City Council President Kenyatta Johnson, and members of City Council. I ask that you vote yes on the ride share tax. We, as Philadelphians, have become chronic, constant complainers. We complain when our elected officials do their jobs, and we complain and say elected officials don't do their job. We bash them on social media and a lot of times don't understand all of the City Council and the mayor that it has to be done to keep our city operating, running and clean. The transportation network company taxes needed to help save the jobs of our school district personnel. Uber and Lyft is mostly a luxury item and is most used by business people. A recent study showed that Philadelphians -- Philadelphia has a high volume of Uber riders with over 120 riders per day. Recent data also showed that in Philadelphia, Uber ride share profits in the last quarter of 2025 were up 50 percent. Our residents don't want the ride share tax, but I asked my Philadelphian -- my fellow Philadelphians, would you rather property taxes go up? I would not. There are more homes in Philadelphia than there are daily ride shares than I would rather tax to large companies that are raking in record profits that have to have the residents of Philadelphia then to get a property tax increase. Why would we not go with the people in our city that are fighting to make Philadelphia a better place? Why would we side with the greedy corporate giants that are raking in record profits? Why would we not support our mayor who is doing everything she can to help our city thrive it and push our city forward? The top cities in 7 America had tax increases in the 8 last five years. New York had 9 corporate tax increases, Los Angeles 10 property tax 3.7 percent, Houston, Dallas and San Antonio had property tax increases. Jacksonville had over 50 percent tax increases since the year 2020, and Chicago sales tax just hit 10.5 percent. In Philadelphia, we have to keep up. We're the fourth largest city and at one time -- we are the sixth largest city, and at one time we were the fourth. We already know that we are severely underfunded by Harrisburg. We need that money for our schools, we need the revenue for hardworking principals, teachers, NTAs, school, police, nurses, and anyone else who is pouring into our children's lives every day. I don't want to see a teacher laid off if possible. Our children are our future, and they deserve us as Philadelphians to do everything we can to help them grow, thrive, and achieve. So as a business owner in the city of Philadelphia, I know and understand that the work that each of you put in on a daily basis. Most people don't understand the job that you all do is hard work, long hours, and sometime thankless. I want to end with saying thank you for your love for Philadelphia, for your love for our children, our streets, and the work that you do. In closing, I am asking that you vote yes on the Transportation Network Company Tax Bill No. 260208. Thank you for your time. Thank you.

Can we please have Rick Savage, please.

Can I do the ground rules again, you-all? We want to be respectful during public comment. If you support an issue, or you can oppose an issue, but just let everybody go to the microphone, say their peace, and let's show a little love today. The Chair recognizes Councilman Dr. Anthony Phillips.

I just want to thank the last person who testified for acknowledging something that is really important. You know, all of us on City Council at some point have done something relatively decent or good consistently, you know, for our neighborhood. And then the moment that something is often not done, by was or may not be done right away, it's like, "Oh, my gosh, you're not doing this." And then you just forget so quickly that we're working on every single type, you know, issue. So I want to thank David Sims for understanding how long it's taking for all of us to really get through stuff and just want to say I appreciate you for acknowledging the steps we're trying to do to address a lot of issues. So thanks a lot.

Thank you very much, Dr. Phillips. Ms. Loughead, could you please call the next panel, please?

Wick Savage, Carlos Booth, Christine Lederer, Nicole Kligerman, Christy Davis, can you please make your way to the podium?

Good morning. My name is Christine Lederer, and I'm with the Arc of Philadelphia, where we advocate for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Firstly, we support the suggestion of an $18 million emergency fund for Medicaid recipients that has been proposed by the community. For Philadelphians with disabilities who rely on Medicaid as their primary insurer, this fund isn't just a safety net; it's a guarantee that their daily support systems will not vanish. For people with intellectual disabilities and physical disabilities, Medicaid is much more than health insurance; it is the payer for home and community- based services, including home health aids and residential support. We ask City Council to consider the creation of this emergency fund, and directing some funds towards home and community- based services for people with disabilities. The ARC of Philadelphia strongly supports the appointment of the new Medicaid consultant to navigate upcoming shifts in the system that was discussed in the DBHIDS budget hearing. As an organization with expertise in home and community- based services, we can provide support as an external partner to ensure that communities with IDD maintain their Medicaid disability services. Lastly, we would like to see an investment in a stronger communication channel between disability service providers, DBHIDS, and our county assistance office. Given the SNAP and Medicaid changes, the CEO is processing an unprecedented amount of paperwork, naturally limiting their ability to communicate issues to the providers and the public. A simple communication breakdown with the CEO or a missed renewal form can result in a Philadelphian losing their services immediately. It takes months, if not years to get back on these services. We need stronger communication channels and transparency. The time to strengthen these processes is now before the CEO is inundated with even more paperwork. Thank you for your time.

Thank you.

Good morning, Councilmembers. My name is Nicole Kligerman. I work at the National Domestic Workers Alliance, where we organize nannies, house cleaners, and caregivers. And I want to really acknowledge this extremely full room of working people who have taken off work and time to be here, because Mayor Parker's budget fails all of us. I want to really thank this body for the leadership that you have demonstrated over the years to working people through the Domestic Worker Bill of Rights, the Power Act, the ICE-Out legislative package, and Safe Healthy Homes, just a couple of years ago. And acknowledge also that Philadelphia loves an unfunded mandate and Mayor Parker's budget underfunds the incredibly important legislation that you have all passed. Domestic workers are prohibited because of the legacy of enslavement in this country from unionization. The Office of Worker Protections, which is flat funded for the third year in a row, is the only place where 750,000 working Philadelphians can have their hard fought, and in support of everybody here, I know that those rights are enacted and with the absolute crisis of deportation that we see going on in this country now, the role of the Office of Worker Protections is even more important. With the Power Act that you passed last year, continuing to flat fund the Office of Worker Protections is tantamount to a cut. And in this budget, that's ostensibly one of economic mobility that absolutely does not make any sense. Further, just want to point out that in Mayor Parker's two-and-a-half years, as our -- as our mayor, there has been a deputy mayor for Labor for only a couple of months. That position has been left unfilled for a year, and that person who was in that role was there for only three months. So if we want to be a city that promotes working people, if we want to budget that is for economic mobility, we need to be fully invested in the Office of Worker Protections, and we also need leadership as in the Deputy Mayor of Labor. And I look forward to following up with you all on that. Thank you.

Okay. I guess I'm up. All right. Good morning, City Council and residents in Philadelphia. My name is Carlos C. Booth, Sr., a Neighborhood Restorations tenant residing in District 3, and a spokesperson for One PA. Today, we, the residents and the members of One PA, stand before you seeking help with the humongous undertaking: help keep affordable homes in existence. The low-income housing tax credit for many Neighborhood Restorations projects are expiring. These credits were issued many years ago, but they're coming due now and throughout the next few years, up to 2037. Similar, as I mentioned, already expiring with more set to expire. With the expiration of these contracts, properties can be bought and sold, and renters being displaced as early as July of 2026. These possibilities do exist. We need your help. We can't do it by ourselves. We don't have the backing, but ourselves to keep coming before you in the city of Philadelphia to help us undertake this humongous task. Help us to keep Philadelphia affordable. The seniors and the elders, and there's a delineation of the two. Seniors are like myself, people within their 70s up to 80s. And then we have the elders who are 80s and 90s. I know many of them, because I live in the senior building. They need help. They're being quiet because they don't care anymore. These particular people, these seniors, these elders, a lot of them just say, "When my time comes, I'll die. I'll live here, and I'll die. They can bury me. I don't care anymore." We need to care about them. They paid their dues. Help them to live out the last days of their lives comfortably and not worry about, "I might not have a place to live." That's wrong. In closing, because I see the red lights are going on. I had many things I want to say, and many things that are in my heart to say, but in closing, I'll be considerate of what's being put before me by the red lights. We need help. We stand before you today as a group, One PA, of residents of Philadelphia, advocates for the seniors, advocates for the elders, help us to keep the city of Philadelphia affordable and not given to the pressures and the money from the developers. Thank you.

Rich Rising, everyone. My name is Fredrica Lightford. Time is running out for the tenants who reside in neighborhood restorations, including myself. The 925 units owned by Jim Levine, announced last year that he wants to sell the properties. Let's take a moment and remember the mass displacement in 2017 when close to 240 residents of Penn Wynne Apartments, located in West Philadelphia were forced to move out following the sale of the building. We can't forget Penn Town, a 70-unit affordable housing complex at 39th and Market. These residents predominantly Black working-class families became displaced in 2023, when the owner decided not to renew a federal housing contract. I've experienced displacement several times. And it initiates intent and emotional feelings of despair. The ongoing pandemic is widespread and increases housing instability at a phenomenal rate. Preserving these affordable units are essential and to many developers, they may seem -- it may seem as it means -- it may be seen means of improving vulnerable neighborhoods. In retrospect, it's not a real remedy, because the goal for them is to attract further investments, increasing rental prices and property taxes for homeowners. As a resident of this city for more than half a century, I'm asking you to be remembered as a party of people who can help safeguard the residents by including money in the budget to purchase neighborhood reservations. Thank you.

Say your name. Please begin.

Good morning.

Good morning.

My name is Christy Davis. I live in West Philly. I'm also a tenant of Neighborhood Restorations, as you -- as you guys just heard. They have over 925 units that is up for sale. I have lived in my unit for years; 21 years. I was told when 18 moving in that if I stayed for a 19 certain amount of years, that I 20 would be able to purchase my home. 21 Okay? That was it. I'm also a mother of three, my youngest being 21. I have eight grandchildren. My mom's house is where it all goes down; holidays, birthdays, you name it, it's my house. I would like to stay in my house. I would like to purchase my house. I would -- and I'm asking for the city to purchase these homes; this would be very, very, very beneficial for everybody. Not only people from Project Restorations as well as the Local 33, and others that would like to come in and purchase their home for low market value. Okay? So again, we're asking for the city to purchase these homes. It's over -- and not only that, it will be over 3000 people that will be displaced. Where are we going to go? Where are we going to go? So again, we're asking for the city and you guys, and thanks for hearing us out, to purchase these homes. I want to thank One PA. I also want to thank Ms. Gunther for helping us along the way. Again, we need help and we're asking for you guys to come and show some love. Thank you.

Thank you.

Can we have Hannah Hawthorne, Saleemah McNeil, Julio Rodriguez, Max Ray-Riek, Nada Mays, Madelynne Johns, and Frank Cervone. Please make your way to the podium.

That's a pretty baby.

Thank you. I would say she's my best work, but I have two. Thank you for welcoming her. Okay. Did they say who's going first?

You are.

Oh, I am. Do you want me to start?

Yeah, sure.

Okay. Hello everyone. My name is Nada Mays. I'm honored to be here. I'm not going to lie, I'm a little bit nervous. My first time taking part in something like this. I'm here as a Philadelphia community member as well as a small business owner. And I have to say at this point in time, I disagree with the Uber-Lyft tax, and let me explain why. I'm always a proponent of social services. I actually am of the mindset that teachers should not be paid less than six figures, entry level. But I, as a small business owner, I'm a registered dietician, I specialize in culturally inclusive nutrition. And I came to -- actually I was born in Philadelphia, but I came here strategically to start my business because I knew my community here could benefit from the services I provide. But I can't afford to live here. I'm going to be honest. Me and my family are getting desperate with the BIRT tax. As someone who's self- employed, I did not get any maternity leave here in Pennsylvania. My best friend, she is an RD; Registered Dietician, in New Jersey. She got her six months. But I was proud because last year I actually made my best profit, and I was proud that I could put aside my savings to support myself and my family through my maternity leave. And I could do it without being on social services or in -- or have outside need. But once I got that BIRT tax, I expected my taxes to be between $10,000 and $20,000. My tax was $30,000 and 10,000 of that went to the city because the city wants this year, and they want next year upfront. I want to be compliant, I have two kids, I can't go to prison right now. Different time, different day, but not this year. So I love living here, I love being part of my community. You'll catch me outside in the -- in the neighborhood park cleaning up. I want to give back, I want to volunteer, but I can't afford to live here. Literally, we are meeting with tax professionals to kind of see what do we have to do to keep things afloat. All of my bank accounts are below the threshold right now. I'm paying bank fees because I am not at the minimum threshold that I need to be to -- what is it -- not have to have those. I am moving money around trying to keep everything afloat. My husband is also diving into his savings to pay that tax. I know other small business owners are paying -- are taking out their HELOC loans to pay the tax. Please, I want to be here. And we -- as Philadelphia, we need the diversity of these small businesses. I live in Port Richmond. I don't know if you've ever been on Richmond Street. It's beautiful. They want businesses to be there, but small businesses are not going to be able to afford to come to this city. And I know through personal conversations, a lot of people are leaving the city or closing their businesses just based off this year. So please give us some relief. I want to pay my taxes to the city I want to -- these are our treasures. I want to put my kids in public school. I want to see schools thriving. I want to see social services thriving. I want to see less homelessness. I want to see my senior citizens taken care of, and I actually want to be a part of that fight, but I can't afford to do it, and I can't afford to lose my home with this. So with the BIRT and the Uber -- the Uber-Lyft, I feel like us small families we're being squeezed to a place that isn't necessary and we don't need to be squeezed. I don't think that the Uber and Lyft companies are going to absorb the fees, unfortunately. I do think it's going to come down to the drivers. I do think it's going to come down to us as patrons, and I live near where -- okay, near Port Richmond. One last thing, we have all of the stores over there. I can't tell you how many times I see women in my scenario pushing strollers on a hundred degree days. Not a single tree over there, which is another issue. And where they should be able to afford Uber or Lyft. These are the people who are going to suffer.

I don't want to see a dead baby in the hospital because of heat stroke, because they couldn't afford that Uber or Lyft tax.

Thank you.

And this is Selma.

Oh, that's Selma? I'm Saleemah. Look at this, align.

That's so great. It's a beautiful piece, right?

Yes. Good day, Councilmembers. My name is Saleemah McNeil and I'm the Founder and Executive Director of Oshun Family Center. For the past eight years, we have stood on the front lines of Philadelphia's maternal mental health crisis, providing therapy, doula care, lactation support, advocacy, and healing spaces for families too often overlooked by traditional systems. Today, I am asking this Council to invest in a different future. Our permanent home on Frankfort Avenue in Kensington, located in District 6, will become the Maternal Wellness Center, an innovative community rooted hub, designed to support mothers, babies, fathers, and families across Philadelphia, before they reach the breaking point. I want to acknowledge Councilmember Mike Driscoll and the opportunity for District 6 to lead the way in redefining what maternal healthcare and prevention can look like in our city. Because right now, too many families are falling through the cracks. Just weeks ago, Philadelphia was devastated by the tragic death of a newborn involving a teenage mother in Northern Liberties. The story is heartbreaking, but it is also a warning. Untreated mental health needs, fear, trauma, isolation, and lack of support are still shaping outcomes for our families every single day. We cannot continue to build systems that only respond after tragedy. Last year alone, Oshun Family Center provided over 1300 therapy sessions to over 160 individuals, not counting the families and couples that we served as well. Through Black Maternal Health Week, which is April 11th through the 17th, we mobilized hundreds of Philadelphians more through direct service, education, and advocacy. With Medicaid credentialing now secured and expansion underway, we are preparing to serve even more families in a deeper, more sustainable way. This Center will create jobs, expand access to culturally responsive mental healthcare, doula and lactation services, workforce development, and holistic family wellness under one roof. Today, we are requesting a small but mighty $1 million capital investment because Philadelphia families deserve more than survival. They deserve care, prevention, dignity, and a system built to help them thrive before crisis occurs. Reproductive care across the spectrum is healthcare. My name is Saleemah McNeil and I'm the Founder and Executive Director of Oshun Family Center. Thank you.

Thank you.

Madelynne Johns. I am here with Transit Forward Philadelphia advocating with the package and delivery tax be in the city budget to fund SEPTA Zero Fare and Student Fares. From the discussions I have held with stakeholders who are affected by these services, I have learned about this geographic and financial challenges the current SEPTA Student Fare Program poses for many students and their families. The current SEPTA Student Fare Program limits student mobility and places financial burden on student families to transport their children to opportunities around Philadelphia. Middle and high school students in Philly deserve the freedom of mobility and access to opportunities that will help build their futures. Unfortunately, the current SEPTA Student Fare Program does not go far enough. Students who live less than 1.5 miles from their school and who have jobs after school, enrichment activities on the weekend or programs over the summer are unable to use their SEPTA passes to reach them. I've spoken with a student who is not even eligible for the Student Fare Program because he lives 1.4 miles from his school. He mentioned that he typically bikes to school, but in the winter it's too cold to bike even if the bike lanes are plowed. Think about having to walk by -- walk or bike 1.4 miles to school during a Philadelphia winter. This pass is not supporting the student mobility or academic success. I have also spoken with a student who is required by her high school to complete volunteer hours to graduate. She's only available to complete these hours on the weekend, and since her Student Fare pass does not work on the weekends, she must pay her fare to travel to complete this graduation requirement. I've spoken with students who do not have faith in the current public transportation system that Philadelphia offers, but have said that having increased access to affordable transportation through an expanded SEPTA Student Fare Program would increase their confidence in Philadelphia's public transportation system. Expanding the current SEPTA Student Fare Program has the potential to turn Philadelphia students into lifelong public transportation riders. D.C., New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and Seattle all have universal student fare systems in place for their students. We are asking you to consider expanding the current SEPTA Student Fare Program in the city budget with the package delivery taxes so that middle and high school students in Philadelphia can also utilize affordable public transportation to access growth opportunities around their city. Thank you for your time and attention.

Thank you.

My name is Max Ray-Riek. Good morning. I thank you for listening to my testimony. I'm a member of the Philly Homeless Union. For over four years, we've been documenting conditions in shelters and safe havens in Philadelphia. Through our experience in research, we have come to the conclusion that shelters are not an effective long-term solution to homelessness. We are encouraging Council to approve the hotel tax and expanded budget for OHS on the condition that OHS invest in permanent housing, not expanding the shelter system. We're asking that OHS also establish safe sleeping areas for people to whom indoor shelter is not accessible, to establish a paid advisory board of people who are or were recently homeless with real decision making power and whose members do not work for OHS, DBHIDS or shelter providers in other capacities, and to establish a property receipt system holding people's property in an easily accessible location when it's removed by city workers or private property owners. We believe shelters are not a long-term solution because congregate housing is more dangerous. With most shelter residents reporting they fear for their safety due to conflicts between residents, mistreatment by staff, theft, and unsafe physical conditions such as falling bricks, lack of fire exit plans, lack of soap and other hygiene supplies, etc. In addition, most shelter residents report they're not able to meet with a case manager in a timely fashion and get assistance applying for housing they may be eligible for or finding a landlord who will work with them. Many people are staying in our shelter system or bouncing between shelter and the streets for years at a time. Given that shelter beds cost over $1,600 per person per month, on average, we're wasting people's time and money warehousing people in unsafe shelters rather than helping people pay rent on their own place. Thank you.

I'm up here for Julio Rodriguez, but my name is Narita Pugh. Julio is with the Bicycle Coalition. I'm here with the Bicycle Coalition, Transit Forward, Families for Safe Streets, and Vision Zero for Philadelphia. I am a parent who commutes on SEPTA. I do drive, and I'm also a professional pedestrian. My kids use public transit, grandkids, my family bikes as well. I want to make sure that everybody, my family included, is able to make it home safely every night. As an active member of Families for Safe Streets, it's important to look towards progress and our infrastructure and this beautiful city that we live in. We want to ensure that we're looking out for all of our fellow citizens, every resident here. Everybody is important, I've heard that earlier today, we all do matter. I encourage the city to keep investing in all of us. My ask here today specifically, is for increase in the budget for the Fiscal 27 year for Vision Zero, specifically. I'm asking for an increase in an additional million. I know we've already been allocated to million, which is gross, very much appreciated. We do need more. We have a lot of things that we still have to work on. Just a quick aside, I lost my son who was a bike rider to a hit and run tow truck driver. I don't want to see that happen to anybody else's family members. If you don't care about other people's family, care about yourself. I don't want to see it happen to any of you-all. I want everybody to come outside every day, get back in the door every day, not keep worrying about, is everybody okay? Is everybody okay? Did they make it? We know people are driving crazy, recklessly, selfishly. So just asking for the ways that we can try to educate by talking about Vision Zero, talking about slowing down, putting these things in forward to change the infrastructure of our city. New road diets, the bike lanes, they are critical. They're everywhere now. Not everywhere, but there are a lot of places. We do need some concrete ones. The little plastic ones, great to see them. You ride past them, they're on the ground. They're on the ground, that means somebody's on the ground. That's it, so just trying to get that funding. Thank you.

We also have Jeanine Stewart, Dr. Karen Belding, Stan Horowitz, Susan Hagner, Hope Primus, and Nwenna Gates. Please come to the podium.

Good morning, Mr. President, members of Council, good to see you today. I'm Frank Cervone, appearing today on behalf of the Civil Gideon Task Force of the Philadelphia Bar Association and the thousands of men and women, fathers and mothers and their kids who are served by the Family Court Help Center. Thousands of Philadelphians come to Family Court each year without a lawyer. It's among the most scary and complex and challenging moments in their lives. Parents and caregivers must navigate custody and domestic violence cases alone, often in high stakes, unsafe emotional situations. Complex forms and procedures create delays, rejected filings, and real risks for children and families. The solution is the help center. The Philadelphia Family Court Help Center is a collaborative legal help system between Family Court of Philadelphia, Philadelphia Legal Assistance, and The Women Against Abuse that provides free onsite legal custody -- legal guidance to thousands of self- represented litigants in custody and dedicated domestic abuse advocacy in the DV filing unit. The center is located in the family court building. Family Court donates the time, the computer system maintenance. It's a wonderful partnership. These agencies provide staff, attorneys, and paralegals to oversee the volunteers and to interact directly with the litigants. There's a line every day that the place is open. This is one of the most in-demand operations in the city, and it comes at no cost to those litigants. The center and its host organizations need dedicated city funding to maintain and expand these vital services. In 2024, 2,466 families were served in custody matters and over 1,500 survivors were assisted in PFA cases. Dedicated and experienced advocates, lawyers, law students, paralegals, assist with critical legal matters while screening for domestic violence. They reduce the number of rejected filings, they increase customer satisfaction, they get the job done for these families so they can get on with their lives. Federal funding ran this place for about 10 years, but that funding went away not by virtue of the Trump Administration or anybody else, but just by the passage of time. And now PLA and Women Against Abuse need your help to keep it going. We'd appreciate your support. It's not a big ask. It's a tremendous leverage of volunteer services. Thank you for your support. If you'd like to come over -- we've been in touch with all of your staff, if you'd like to come for a tour, we'd love to have you. Thank you, sir.

Thank you. State your name for the record and please begin.

Hi. I'm Jeanine Stewart, a licensed clinical social worker in private practice in Center City. Do I begin? Okay.

Please begin your testimony.

Okay, thank you. I came to Philly for graduate school and stayed because I fell in love with Philly and its people and wanted to help the people in the city. I still want to do that, but it's become very challenging to see my future here due to the city's approach to meeting its funding needs. Regressive taxes such as the rideshare tax and the BIRT exemption removal are a huge problem in the funding approach to this budget. I implore you please listen to the citizens of this city begging you to put the burden of funding on it -- on those who are equipped to pay it; the corporations and the wealthy. Due to the removal of the exemption on the first 100K in earnings on the BIRT, my total tax bill was $8,000 more than anticipated this year and a 60 percent increase in my city taxes over last year. There was no warning leaving me and -- and 1099 workers across the city scrambling to come up with thousands of dollars for this new tax at the last minute. It's an -- it is absolutely crushing and absurd. As a result, I'm looking at moving my practice outside of Philly and I have a tour of an office in the suburbs scheduled for today. So do many therapists across the city. Hundreds of them have joined the Facebook group, Clinicians for BIRT Reform. Now that much of therapy is online, therapists in Philly who are licensed by the state, not the city, can truly move their practices anywhere and still consider -- continue serving their existing clients via telehealth. Many have already spoken up with plans to leave. For so many, the BIRT tax is the last straw in a city where taxes to 1099s were already much higher than surrounding areas. Not to mention so much higher than cities across the nation. Regressive tax measures are also impacting my clients who already struggle with symptoms of PTSD, including crippling anxiety and depression. They feel demoralized by the city's -- by the decisions of our leaders, from the president to the CEOs to our state and local leaders, which often indicate that those in power aren't willing to address the crucial issue of our day; the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer. The people who pull Philadelphians out of depression, anxiety, and the crippling impacts of trauma must not be taxed out of their homes. Nor must the food truck workers or the Uber and Lyft drivers who make every day run more smoothly for the people of the city. Or the countless members of the gigantic gig economy, all of whom are now required to suddenly give up six percent of their income to the city. Not to mention that with the prepay requirement, that increase this year is percent. That's 9 absolutely devastating blow to the 10 city's workforce and it will not be able to come back from it. You will lose the tax base that you have. I urge you to hold a hearing on Councilmember Driscoll's Bill No. 251026 and pass it. This adjusts the impact of the BIRT changes so that sole proprietors and single owner LLCs get some relief. At the Mayor's meeting last week, a Philadelphia citizen --

Wind it up.

Okay, I'll wind it up. The proposed -- there was a capital gains tax proposal that would fund millions of dollars in the city's budget by simply shaving a fraction of a percentage of capital gains off the wealthy. We need measures like this, a small percentage increase to the wealthy, not tax that gouges income of 1099 workers struggling to make ends meet. Thank you so much for your time and attention.

State your name for the record, and please begin.

My name is Dr. Karen Eselson Belding. I'm a clinical psychologist. I have had a solo psychotherapy practice in Philadelphia since becoming licensed in 1990. At 65, I feel lucky to be in a profession that I love that allows me to continue working as long as I'm able. Until this year, I planned to continue to see patients for the indefinite future. I am very pleased to see that Mayor Parker is looking for creative ways to fund the Philadelphia school system. A strong public school system will be critical for helping to move our city forward, and it is what the children and families of Philadelphia deserve. I do not believe, however, that placing a burden on folks who use Lyft or Uber, folks in the gig economy who drive for these services, is the way forward. And I'm also here to talk today about other tax burdens that are unreasonable. Like so many solo practitioners and other small business owners, I have been greatly impacted by the changes to the BIRT. As a result of the removal of the ability to deduct the first $100,000 of income, my city taxes have skyrocketed. Last year, I paid just over four percent of my business income to the city; this year it is well over six percent. Last year, my BIRT was $1,213. This year I paid $14,774. I recognize, by the way, that I have privilege. I am a person who has an advanced degree, who has been working in my field since 28, and it is a privilege to be able to pay taxes, but it's not a privilege to give up all of my income to the city. My BIRT burden for this year alone increased by $5,413. This regressive tax measure is going to have chilling effects. The young professionals, and I counsel many of them, are simply going to move their businesses outside of the city rather than continue to pay these taxes. Older professionals like me will close our businesses early. Those who are able to offer a sliding fee scale and serve patients with lesser means will no longer be able to do so. You need to incentivize practitioners to stay in the city. Because of the advent of telehealth, we no longer need to be in town to see our patients. I can personally see patients in 43 states currently due to the inter- jurisdictional contract. Why would I keep my business in Philadelphia? I love Philadelphia. I've raised my family here. I've lived here since I was years old. Please consider 19 Councilperson Driscoll's Bill -- 20 Driscoll's Bill which will adjust 21 the BIRT changes so that sole 22 proprietors and single owner LLCs 23 get some relief. Thank you.

State your name for the record.

Okay. My name is Suzanne Hagner, and I'm a member -- I'm a member of Families for Safe Streets, the Bicycle Coalition, Philly Bike Action, and a neighborhood advocate for safe streets. I'm asking for the Vision Zero budget, particularly the streets budget, to be increased by more. I know 2 million, I don't think that's enough, and I'll tell you why. I moved back to Philadelphia 14 years ago and I lived in Wissahickon neighborhood, which is right off of Henry Avenue. In the first couple of years, four people were killed from traffic violence there, and there was very, very little attention given. But I met with the streets engineer who then introduced me to the penn.engineer, and that section of Henry Avenue, which was the most dangerous, the most fatal accidents, has now been completely restructured. We have new traffic lights, we have red light cameras, we have an elevated multi-use trail that goes along that section for bicyclists, runners, walkers. And we have not had anyone hit or injured or killed there. I want to focus on -- I know that we are not meeting Vision Zero. I read -- I read the report and we are still having three to four children a week hit on our city streets, and so speed cushions are not doing it. And we have an epidemic of hit and run drivers who are hitting people and killing them. The numbers of people killed in our streets has not gone down from hit and run drivers. We're currently -- we have a petition going with Philly -- Philadelphia Bike Action for West Market Street where there have been so many deaths. And I just want to point out, because I was so affected by this, that last November, two women, both employed, were killed by hit and run drivers on Market Street at 36th and 33rd. They were going -- one woman was going to work, she was in the pedestrian crosswalk, when she was hit by a speeding driver who ran the red light and took off. The other woman was also at work, but she had gone out to get something to eat when she was hit in a pedestrian crosswalk.

Let her wrap up. That's okay.

Okay. I will. I'm just asking for the Vision Zero budget to be really increased so we can have structural improvements.

Hey, Stan.

Hi. Greetings. My name is Stan Horowitz, I reside in Fairmount, which is Council -- City Council District 5. I'm a wayward bicycle commuter and here with the Bicycle Coalition to request significantly increased Vision zero funding in the operating budget Bill 261099. Investing in Vision Zero is investing in Philadelphians. Article 1, Section 27 of the Pennsylvania Constitution guarantees all Pennsylvanians the right to clean air, water, and land. City Hall needs to stop favoring automobile-centric policies because automobile exhaust is a significant contributor to death and suffering of Philadelphians. Philadelphians who die on Philadelphia's -- Philly's roads don't pay taxes, don't generate economic activity, and they don't even vote. If Mayor Parker's rideshare tax is passed, more Philadelphians will travel with -- via bicycle thus making safe streets an even higher priority. Philly is far from where it needs to be in implementing Vision Zero. As I pointed out to Council President Johnson in Hoboken last October, making Philly's roads safer for pedestrians and bicycle riders also benefits motorists and enhances equity in how our city's roads are utilized. Vision Zero addresses climate change, enhances Philly's climate resilience, and prevents road deaths and injuries such as State Rep Malcolm Kenyatta's husband, Dr. Matthew Kenyatta, who was seriously injured by a motorist last week while he was biking home from work at Temple University. For these reasons, I ask everyone on City Council to reduce road injuries and deaths and live up to Pennsylvania's Constitution by fully funding Vision Zero to the greatest extent possible. Thanks for your time.

Good morning, everyone. My name is Nwenna Kai Gates, and I am representing the Community College of Philadelphia as well as I'm a proud member of AFT 2026, our faculty and staff union at CCP. At CCP, I teach in the English and Black Studies departments. I teach courses like research, paper writing, public speaking, African literature, African American literature, and a contemporary black cinema course. I've been teaching there for about 14 years. During my time there, I've participated in fellowships, published in literary journals, and I've continued to grow as an educator and a scholar. And like so many of my colleagues there, I bring all of these experiences back into the classroom. Our students at CCP are learning from people deeply committed to their craft and to this city, but they can only receive that as long as there is sustained investment in their education. I'm also a mother to a public-school student at Henry Houston Elementary School in West Mount Airy. So I stand before you, not only as an educator, but as a concerned parent invested in the future of Philadelphia's public education system from kindergarten through college. So you've heard a lot about me, but let me tell you about my students. My students are formerly incarcerated individuals working to rebuild their lives. My students are navigating addiction and emailing me to tell me that they're taking a day off, not to give up but to celebrate their sobriety. My students are survivors of gun violence. Some have lost limbs, some are elderly returning to school to prove to themselves and to their grandchildren that it's never too late. Our students are first generation Americans. They speak multiple languages, they are raising children, building businesses, caring for sick parents, and supporting families with children who have special needs. And they still show up. Sometimes they are late because the bus didn't come. Sometimes they fall asleep in class, not from lack of care, but from exhaustion and hunger. They are resilient, determined, and deeply deserving of opportunity. I've had the privilege of taking students outside of the classroom. I have traveled with students to Alabama for a civil rights trip. I have traveled with students to Ghana, West Africa for the first time, experiencing the African continent in ways that have transformed how they see themselves and the world. These are the kinds of life-changing experiences that investment makes possible. When you invest in CCP and in the School District of Philadelphia, you are investing in people, real people with real challenges and real potential. When you don't invest, the consequences are just as real. It leads to overworked, burnt-out faculty and staff. And let's be honest, Philadelphia finds money when it wants to. We find money for stadiums, large-scale housing and business developments, and for global events. So the question isn't whether the resources exist, the question is, what do we value beyond the cameras? If we value our students, if we value our future, then we must continue to invest in institutions like CCP and the School District of Philadelphia. Thank you.

How are you doing? State your name for the record and please begin.

Thank you. Good afternoon, Council President and committee members. My name is Hope Primus. I am a resident of the 8th District. I am testifying today on the FY 2027 budget, specifically regarding the financial stability of our city's loan funds and the Foundational Black Americans they serve. We face a capital crisis; treasury is proposing a $204 million cut on the CDFI fund and new rules that disqualify LIHEAP and school lunch enrollment as low-income proof. For example, the Philadelphia Accelerator Fund turned $6 million in loans into 55 million in development and 163 homes. Under the new rules, noncompliance could trigger a recapture of past awards, literally demanding back money already spent on those 163 units. This funding cliff will hit Foundational Black Americans first and hardest. Mayor Parker's budget proposes a $91 million federal funding reserve. My questions for the Council are; one, will a portion of the 91 million be earmarked as a local bridge fund for lenders who lose federal status due to these new treasury rules? And secondly, how will the Economic Mobility Cabinet ensure Foundational Black Americans do not lose access to essential credit and counseling during the shift? In conclusion, Philadelphia cannot achieve One Philly if our Foundational Black American neighborhoods' financial backbone is dismantled. I urge the Council to ensure that the final versions of Bill Nos. 260200, 260201, and 260202 include explicit safeguards for our local financial infrastructure, especially for FBAs. I also have a fax that I will give to the sergeant of arms to give more information as well as some response or solutions. Thank you.

Thank you.

Can we have Candis Davis, Gabe Carrion, Annette Randolph, Nikki Grant, Naval Petrie, Miles Owen, Patricia Green, and Lorraine Mobley. Please come to the podium.

How are you doing? State your name for the record and please begin your testimony.

Yes. Good morning, everyone and good morning, Councilmembers. Thank you for listening to my testimony. Please bear with me, it's my very first time. My name is Candis Davis, and I'm a disability advocate, an Overbrook resident, and a consumer of Liberty Resources Incorporated. I'm testifying today as a part of the Philadelphia Coalition for Affordable Communities. I've been a resident of Philadelphia for 11 years, and I acquired my disability that you see today due to complications from COVID-19. My new reality changed everything. Since acquiring my disability, my brother and I have had to move not once, but twice because access is still treated like a luxury, and affordability feels more like a myth. Even now in Overbrook, I'm still navigating spaces that were never built with me in mind. My rent is three times my income. I'll allow that to sink in. I live with my brother without whom I wouldn't have a place to live because the system was never designed for me to survive it alone. I've been on the PHA public housing list for four years; four years of waiting, hoping, and being told not yet. My story is not unique and that's what makes this difficult. I live in Council District 4 where 30 percent of us are disabled, just like me. So when I say this is bigger than me, I mean that. This is why we're calling for City Council to invest $15 million in Adaptive Modification Program and $140 million in Rental Housing Production and Preservation. $80 million in Basic Systems Repair and $6 million in Shallow Rent Programs, and $45 million in the Eviction Diversion rent payments. I'm trying to live in a city that has continued to ask more of its residents but has yet to make people with disabilities a priority. However, we're still here advocating for housing access for all because access is not a privilege and affordable accessibility housing is not a luxury, it's a human right. Thank you.

Thank you.

Oh, sorry. Sorry, give me one moment.

Good afternoon, Councilmembers. My name is Nikki Grant. I'm a resident of West Philadelphia in District 3. I want to first thank this body for passing the outside -- ICE Out legislation and Safe Healthy Homes. I was encouraged to see you all standing up for the dignity of our immigrant and return neighbors. Know that we are with you as you continue to fight for our right to breathe clean air and to keep our schools open. Today, I want to talk about what's missing from Mayor Parker's budget that fails to meet the moment. Mobile crisis teams are a lifesaving resource for people experiencing a mental health crisis. We know it works. As you heard on Monday, more and more people are using this service, but the city is not keeping up with the demand. Last year, we had the chance to add just $3 million to help meet that demand, and it didn't happen. You can fix that this year. You also heard from DBHIDS that the coming changes to Medicaid will see an estimated 84,000 Philadelphians on the low end lose their coverage and access to mental health services. As someone who has been on Medicaid in order to get the medication I needed for my mental health, I can tell you that it is already challenging system to navigate when you are just trying to make it through the day. I urge Council to ensure there's emergency healthcare funding to support people who will fall through the cracks. Finally, I ask that Council allocate $500,000 for the Abortion Liberation Fund of Pennsylvania. In the wake of 2022 Dobbs decision, Philadelphia became a national leader in protecting abortion access by directly funding its local abortion fund. As you saw in the last week, the crisis is far from over. In fact, federal attacks on reproductive healthcare are intensifying as we knew they would. Despite this, Parker's budget stripped funding for ALF-PA last year. This body can do the right thing and commit a half a million dollar to ALF-PA so that Philadelphians who are living in deep poverty can access abortion care. Thank you.

Good afternoon, Councilmembers, President Johnson. Thank you for taking the time to listen to us today. My name is Gabe Carrion, and I'm a full-time assistant professor of physics and engineering at the Community College of Philadelphia and have been at the college for three years. I'm also a proud member of AFT, Faculty and Staff Federation of CCP, Local 2026. And I'm here today to ask City Council to increase funding for CCP and for CCP -- and for CCP's administration to follow through on promises that were made to the CCP community during our last collective bargaining agreement. Promises and funding that would significantly benefit the lives of the members of the CCP community as a whole and specifically our student body. I'm asking on behalf of the CCP, specifically, I'm asking on behalf of the CCP community for free transit passes for students and for the development of a childcare center -- the development of a childcare center that would cater to the children of students, staff, and faculty. As you already may be aware from Dr. Marshall's or President Marshall's statements yesterday, a significant portion of CCP students come from working class households. Households where resources are already stretched far too thin, and where relief from the cost of transportation and childcare could go a long way to help our students focus on education. I've known countless students who couldn't make it to class because they couldn't afford the cost of transportation. Students blocked from -- students blocked from learning solely due to cost. Additionally, about 20 percent of my students have children. And during my time at CCP, I've had many students who have had to skip class because they couldn't secure childcare. Students who had to make a choice between getting an education or taking care of their child. No student, and better yet, no parent should have to make this choice. Transit passes and childcare would relieve a significant burden on our students and allow them to focus on what they should be doing, which is getting an education. This past Saturday, Mayor Parker spoke at CCP's commencement. In her address, Mayor Parker shared moving and inspirational stories about her humble upbringing; being born to a teenage mother and raised by her grandparents. She shared how her family was on welfare and how her grandmother would stand in the line at the welfare office and felt like her dignity was not respected just because she needed help. And that's all our students are asking for is help. Now, I would guess that Mayor Parker's mother and grandparents at times would've loved to have subsidized transportation or childcare offered by their jobs, but sadly, but that was not the case. But we have a chance to change that for the next Mayor Parker, who might currently be sitting in a classroom at CCP and increased funding for a CCP or -- excuse me, increased funding for CCP transit passes and childcare could make it so that the next mayor doesn't have to face the challenges that our current mayor did. Thank you very much.

Hi. Good morning, Councilmembers. My name is Cortez Fox. I'm speaking on behalf of my peer, Neville Petrie, a student of Science Leadership Academy in the 5th District. I'm here in support of attaining funding for the district. Thank you. Due to the funding deficit that is present in the district, my Algebra 2 teacher, and possibly future statistics teacher, is being laid off at the end of the year. In addition to that, right now our school only has two statistics teachers and next year it will be only one. To addition -- to add even more to that, next year, our school will be -- will add -- will admit more students it has in prior years. This means that in addition to losing a teacher, we're also gaining more students. This will lead to an unstable teaching environment with bigger classes. While my math teacher supports me in also every -- while my math teacher supports me, it is also everyday staff members in the building who supports my academic endeavors. Lastly, while the Uber tax will generate significant amounts of funding for our district, I cannot bring myself to support it if it means that cost will be picked up by Philadelphians. Our economic -- our economy is already becoming more and more expensive these -- and this tax will be paid by everyday Philadelphians and not only the one percent. We were given talking points to support the Uber tax and one more that was -- that the one percent of people who depend on Uber make under $50,000. But even as a 16-year-old, I know that $50,000 is barely enough to get by, especially if you have to rely on Uber. Thank you.

Thank you so much, dear. Let's give him another round of applause. It was so good to see you. Our young people providing advocacy. We're so proud of you and we hope that you continue to do so. Please proceed. State your name for the record and --

My name is Lorraine Mobley. I am a lifelong resident of Philadelphia, an active voter, and a member of the Rebuilding Together Philadelphia Executive Board. The housing crisis -- and also we are a member of Philadelphia Coalition for Affordable Communities. The housing crisis in Philadelphia is real. We need to recognize it and consciously do something about it. In Philadelphia, more than one in four homeowners are paying more than they can afford for their housing expense, leaving little or no money for other necessities. Since 2000, the medium home value rose 120 percent while medium income rose only percent. Half of all Philadelphia's household earns less than $62,000 and 100,000 of those households earn less than $15,000. It's not that the owner occupant doesn't want to fix their home, that they have the money and won't do it. They just don't have the money. I drove through my old neighborhood the other day and the only things that was the same were the names of the streets. The entire area had been gentrified. There were no familiar buildings except for the Catholic Church. It was like my past had been erased; became invisible. I mean, this is happening all over Philadelphia. In North, West, and South Philadelphia, displacement due to rising housing costs has pushed more than 40 percent of black residents out of their neighborhoods since 2000. The crisis is breaking our communities apart. Good home repair programs can change this. It will preserve housing stock and slow down gentrification. We are here today because we want you to know about the housing needs in your district to invest $80 million in Basic System Repairs, $15 million in Adaptive Modification, $140,000 -- $140 million dollars -- I'm sorry -- in Rental Housing Production and Preservation, $6 million in a Shallow Rent Program and $45 million in Eviction Diversion Rent Payments. I want to personally thank Councilperson O'Rourke and City Council for passing that safe home bill. I just want to say this here; it showed strength and compassion and empathy for stand -- and standing up for those who could not stand up for themselves, and I thank you.

Good afternoon. My name is Miles Owen. I'm a resident of Brewerytown in the 5th District, a regular user of our roads and transit systems and the Vision Zero Committee Co-Chair for 5th Square Advocacy, and someone who nearly every day sees deadly actions on our streets. I live right on Girard Ave. I love the vibrancy, the accessibility to stores, and transit, and most importantly, the people. Every day, there are people walking, connecting with neighbors, pushing baby strollers, enjoying the sun at an outdoor cafe and waiting for the bus and trolley. Every day, I also see people get hit or almost get hit by vehicles. I've lost count of the crashes I've personally witnessed on just my corner. Last summer, my window shook when a car exploded after a drunk driver collided with a light pole. Right now, the vibrancy of Girard is in spite of our unsafe streets, not because of it. It's amazing people walk anywhere at all with how dangerous it can be out there. This year, 33 people have been killed in traffic violence in the city of Philadelphia. These are your neighbors, your friends, your loved ones, people who just wanted to freely and safely move about our city, but were killed because of how we design our streets and enforce our traffic laws. We know how to reduce and eliminate these deaths and all the injuries and trauma that traffic violence causes. Vision Zero is a field- tested, results-proven method to create safer streets for all users of the road. By using design to slow down vehicles, create protected lanes for more vulnerable road users, and enforcing the traffic laws we have in the books, other cities throughout the US have implemented Vision Zero recommendations and seen results. Philly only invests $5 million. That's the same as last year, which means we're -- with inflation, we are actually cutting the Vision Zero budget for this year. For $2 million more, we can address this inflation, build more safety infrastructure, which protects more people, supports communities, and save lives. Thirty-three deaths is 33 too many. Please support the ability to safely travel around our city. Vision Zero works. It just needs your support. Thank you.

Can we have Paul Prescod, Jerrett Johnson, Shannon Crintini, Madison Nardy, Natasha Daniela de Lima McGlynn, Raymond King, and Heidi Goniork. Please come to the podium.

All right. Good morning. My name is Jerrett Johnson. I'm a Lead Transit Organizer for 5th Square Advocacy and Transit Foward Philadelphia. I'm here to support the expansion of the student fares and also the support of Zero Fares for adults. Making Zero Fares permanent. Our youth -- first for the student fares, our youth deserves the chance for independence to get to school, after school jobs, shopping, and leisure activities, as well as summer opportunities and internships without cost barriers. Right now, Student Fare cards do not work on weekends, holidays, and all summer long when students have programs or jobs to reach. Not all students are delinquents; there are young people that want to have a future in striving society. Students in New York City, Seattle, and Washington and D.C. have 24/7 access to student fares with New York City and Seattle having no geographic restrictions at all. Zero Fare -- the second thing I want to talk is Zero Fares. Zero Fare is important because it'll give families and adults that have low incomes a chance to thrive in society as well. I know a woman who works in the sports stadiums and she works for Aramark. She has a daughter that's a sophomore in high school who goes to the Philadelphia -- yeah, Philadelphia -- the School District of Philadelphia. But yet, on nights and weekends and summers when her Student Fare Card is not acceptable, it's hard for her to shell out money for her daughter to get somewhere. So she has to sacrifice her time when she's off just so her daughter can have a good time. And that's unacceptable. We got to pay it forward. I have a vehicle. I still ride at least once a week with the one-day convenience pass at SEPTA -- for SEPTA at $7.50. It is better than parking, which is like $19 for a day. I do this because I want to pay it forward for those who rely on public transit. I used to ride public transit every single day, so I'm paying it forward, and also looking out for your neighbor as well, who is in need. By expanding these programs, it'll open doors for adults and kids. It'll give them a chance to explore the outside. It'll give young families with the kids. One of those families that are -- that are with us today, and she -- you'll hear for her story a little later, will tell a story. So in conclusion, I'm going to quote the -- a paraphrase or a line from James Brown. Please, please, please invest in our youth because they're our future. Because you're looking at the next City Council woman or man. You're looking at the next news reporter, news anchor. You're looking at the next basketball star. So please invest in our youth. They're our future. Our youth depends on it. Thank you.

Good morning. I want to start off by thanking this Council for passing ICE Out and Safe Healthy Homes. And I want to highlight that that is what responding to real community needs looks like. My name is Madison Nardy. I'm the Executive Director of 215 Peoples Alliance. We organize residents across Northeast Philly and the choices in this budget --

Ma'am, pardon me one moment --

Yeah, sorry.

-- I apologize for the interruption. Council will be at ease. Please proceed.

Can I restart?

Well --

Okay. Great.

-- pardon me one moment. If you could just restart the clock for this constituent so that she could restart, that would be appreciated. Thank you kindly. Please proceed.

Thank you. Shout out again for passing ICE Out and Safe Healthy homes. That's what real leadership looks like. My name is Madison Nardy. I'm the Executive Director of 215 Peoples Alliance. We organize residents across Northeast Philly, and the choices in this budget are actively hurting working people. Our city has just lost 12 schools in addition to the 24 13 schools we lost in 2013 when I was 14 in high school. I was -- I am a 15 lifelong resident of South Philly. 16 I went to Creative and Performing 17 Arts on Broad and Christian. In 2013, we didn't have a musical that year; insane. And our kids deserve better, and we don't need to backtrack to that. So while our city in the last 13 years has just lost over 30 schools, close to 45, at the same time, the city has supported the opening of 64 charter schools in the last 30 years. So we have to ask ourselves, why are we closing public schools that serve majority Black students in the city while continuously funding systems that profit off of their same education? Instead of taxing wealth, we are being asked to support a regressive Uber tax that working families will feel immediately, even though it does nothing to solve the structural deficit of our public schools. Families are relying on rideshare more because SEPTA is underfunded due to state Republicans refusing to pass real transit funding. At the same time companies like Waymo are preparing to enter the city, raising concerns about public safety, reshaping public transit, and threatening jobs, while the largest corporations like Waymo continue to avoid paying their fair share in taxes. This tax system is backwards. This city has rolled back BIRT relief that has once helped small businesses and are now being hit with higher tax bills they cannot absorb. Meanwhile, instead of closing loopholes for developers, officials are considering expanding the 10-year tax payment while our schools and services are asked to do more with less. This pattern is clear; relief is being taken from working people while the wealth at the top is being protected. We are heading towards deeper cuts, loss of healthcare, and more displacement in the city. This budget does not meet the moment. We need City Council to pass the People's Tax Plan and take this fight to the state level and urge our state leaders to pass the Tax Billionaires, Fund PA legislation. Stop balancing this budget off the backs of working people, and it's time to tax the rich. Thank you.

Hi. I am Shannon Criniti. I'm here on behalf of Access Matters, which is a public health organization based in and serving Philadelphians with a focus on sexual and reproductive health. I'm here to request support for a very important adolescent health program in Philadelphia schools. Since the 1970s, Access Matters has been working to ensure adults and adolescents in Philly have access to high quality, medically accurate, sexual and reproductive health information and services. One of our key programs for adolescents is our Health Resource Center Program. It was established in 1991, which is 35 years ago for those of us, Gen X, who can't believe the 90s were that long ago, in Philadelphia to provide spaces in schools where youth can access healthcare information and referrals for services, from trusted and trained adults without facing the barriers that we hear from teens all the time, like accessing transportation and figuring out payment. This program serves youth, 13 to 19 in Philly, providing sexual health education and counseling, mental health screenings and referrals, and other related health services. We're located in 20 schools in Philadelphia, reaching 21 more than 3,000 adolescents each 22 year. The Health Center Program -- the Health Resource Center Program is a vital source of information healthcare for adolescents in Philly, but funding in this program is in jeopardy, and it's critical for the city to invest again in this program. In Fiscal Year 2025, this program reached 3,100 students in Philadelphia, an additional 19,000 students throughout their outreach activities and events, 7,000 adults, including parents and caregivers and youth-serving professionals like teachers and counselors. The staff made 11,000 referrals to school- based and social health resources connecting students to vital resources, conducted over 1,000 mental health screenings and over 600 STI tests, all at no cost to students. In closing, health resource centers provide a comprehensive adolescent health and prevention model to support adolescents, especially in higher need communities, to build the knowledge, confidence, and skills they need for healthy relationships and informed decision making while reducing risks such as unintended pregnancy, HIV, and STIs. Ensuring this critical resource remains for youth in Philly is vital to the future of our city, and we're urging Council to include and approve a one-year investment of $500,000 in city funding for the Access Matters Health Resource Center program to sustain this important service for youth in Philly. Thank you so much.

My name is Ray King, and I live on the edge of the city actually in -- just a short walk from 69th Street Terminal. I'm retired, so I spend a lot of time outside. I bike, I walk, I use SEPTA. When I choose to bike into the city, I like to come down Chestnut Street because I feel much safer with the parking protected bike lane, and we need to get more of that. I also ride the El a lot. And because I'm a senior, I ride for free, and more people need to be able to have that same benefit. Everyone deserves safe and affordable transit and mobility options, and no one deserves injury or death because they had to go to work or run an errand. Although that happens and that shouldn't happen. By investing in Transit, Vision Zero and the Circuit Trails, we are investing in safe and affordable mobility. Vision Zero needs more funding. This program is aimed at safety and that is why it is important. And I thank you for your time.

Good afternoon. My name is Heidi Gorniok and I'm the Vice President of Programs at the Food Trust, a nonprofit working in -- to ensure that all Philadelphians can access and afford healthy food. Today, I'm here to urge City Council to invest in the nutrition security of our residents by supporting proven programs that are focused on healthy food access, affordability, and nutrition education in the FY 27 budget. This includes continued support for Food Bucks programming, as well as support for farmers' markets and healthy corner stores and investment in the soon-to-be released Food and Nutrition Security Task Force recommendations. In Philadelphia, too many residents struggle with poor nutrition and food insecurity, often being forced to choose between eating healthy and eating enough. These challenges have real consequences including high rates of chronic disease, increased economic burden on the city, and higher healthcare costs, and reduced workforce productivity. At the same time, the safety nets and federal programs that were set up for decades to address these challenges are being decimated. Due to recent changes in SNAP guidelines, tens of thousands of Philadelphia residents face growing barriers to retaining their SNAP benefits and real uncertainty about where their next meal will come from. And SNAP-Ed, a $12 million investment in our city, has been completely eliminated. That program improved access to healthy foods, supported local farmers and retailers, and offered nutrition and cooking skills education to children, adults, and families. We now stand at the precipice of losing established programs and critical infrastructure while organizations have to make impossible decisions about how to significantly scale back their services. Now more than ever, Philadelphia residents are relying on their city leaders to help fill these gaps. Over the past year, we've been encouraged by City Council's commitment to nutrition security. We're grateful to Councilmember Ahmad and Mayor Parker for their role in securing $500,000 for the Philadelphia Food Bucks program. That investment has already helped residents purchase over $250,000 worth of fresh fruits and vegetables at over 50 retailers across the city, supporting both families and local businesses. It's a great start, but more is needed for FY 27. We hope that not only will Food Bucks funding be renewed in the upcoming year, but also be expanded to support nutrition education and healthy food retail interventions that work synergistically to improve nutrition security, including support for farmers' markets and healthy corner stores in neighborhoods that accept these Food Bucks. We also applaud Council President Johnson for his exemplary leadership in launching the Food and Nutrition Security Task Force and his staff for their careful support. Its newly completed and soon to be released recommendations focusing on access, education and affordability are actionable and grounded in proven strategies. But without funding, they're nothing but a Wish list. With funding, they promote coordination across the food ecosystem and become real solutions, signaling to our residents that we're not only committed to their emergency food needs, but the future of health for the long term. Thank you for your time.

All right. Good afternoon. I am Natasha Daniela de Lima McGlynn, Executive Director of Anti-Violence Partnership of Philadelphia, AVP. I am a co-victim of homicide, a survivor of violence, and a Latina immigrant. And I'm here today on behalf of the nine external victim service providers funded by the city of Philadelphia through Class 200 funding in the District Attorney's Office. So we are here in support of Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner's testimony before City Council this past Monday. Okay. Collectively, our agencies provide critical services each year to tens of thousands of Philadelphians impacted by violence. We support children, adults, families through counseling, advocacy, legal support, relocation assistance, court accompaniment, victim compensation assistance, and long-term stabilization. The list actually goes on. This is an extraordinarily difficult and uncertain moment for victim service providers, not only in Philadelphia and across the Commonwealth, but nationally as well. Many community-based victim service agencies, including those in Philadelphia, rely heavily on funding through the federal Victims of Crime Act, VOCA, as a primary source of operational support. VOCA funding is derived from federal criminal fines and settlements, and those revenues have been significantly declining in recent years nationwide. So as a result, VOCA funding across Pennsylvania was reduced by five percent in 2024, and it is scheduled to be reduced an additional seven-and-a-half percent effective this October. These reductions -- for organizations that are already have thin margins, these reductions are significant. At the same time, reductions in federal support for nonprofit and human service organizations have dramatically reshaped the funding landscape for organizations like ours. Simply put, decreased federal funding means there are fewer federal funding opportunities available to sustain victim services and violence prevention work. This places enormous pressure on community-based victim service providers and perhaps, most concerning, decreased federal funding forces us to compete with one another for shrinking resources, despite the fact that our work is deeply interconnected. And that is precisely why increased local investment is so critical right now. And that is also precisely why the District Attorney's augmentation last year was so significant. At the request of DA Krasner's, City Council approved a one-time augmentation to the grants provided to us by the District Attorney's Office, and it was the first meaningful increase in funding by the District Attorney's Office in over 15 years. The approximately 90,000 increase per agency was transformative. It allowed our organizations to stabilize staffing, sustain and even expand programming, and continue delivering critical services in the aftermath of violence. The value of this investment is not just monetary; it's not just the funding itself, but the flexibility that comes with it. Local funding allows us to respond to real community needs in ways that many federal funding streams don't allow us to. Let me -- let me share an example. According to a 2025 Gun Violence Resiliency report on Philadelphia by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency -- this red light is really scaring me -- the top method for community- based victim service agencies to provide outreach to community members in need of services --

Please conclude your testimony.

-- is through community events. Yes, community events, the very kind that each of you sponsor in which you graciously invite our organizations to attend, to share information and resources with your constituents. Community events are vital to increasing public awareness of the victim support services and violence intervention and prevention programs available to Philadelphia's at -- Philadelphians at no cost for us community events. Help us expand our reach yet federally funded grants --

Ma'am, I need to ask you to conclude your testimony. We must keep it fair for everyone who is here, and we appreciate you coming, but you must conclude.

So in conclusion, investing in our agencies is investing in our communities and investing in Philadelphia. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. We appreciate you and we hear your message and we thank you very much for coming. This committee will stand in recess until 2:00 p.m. (Lunch recess.)

Will the clerk please call the next witnesses to testify?

Marla Davis Bellamy, Benjamin Clark, Al Gillard, Pauline Berkowitz.

Please approach the witness table and state your name for the record and proceed with your two-minute testimony. And to be clear, we have a number of individuals signed up to give public comment. Each individual has been allotted two minutes, and we ask that you please adhere to the two-minute timeline. Thank you very much for your understanding in advance. Please proceed.

Good afternoon, Councilmember Katherine Gilmore-Richardson, and other Councilmembers and staff. My name is Marla Davis Bellamy, and I'm the founding person and editor and executive director of the Philadelphia CeaseFire Program. First and foremost, I want to acknowledge the city's proposal of million investment in violence 22 prevention. That commitment is 23 important. But I also want to 24 commend the Office of Public Safety and the mid-city agencies, community partners, and stakeholders that work and have contributed to a significant reduction in homicides and shootings that we're seeing in Philadelphia alongside other major cities across the country. But funding alone is not enough; what we are missing is coordination. Across our neighborhoods, organizations are doing critical work, but too often in silos that leads to duplication in some areas and gaps in others. And when leadership changes, we lose momentum. We're proposing a community-based hub to serve as a central place for coordination, training, and healing, connecting organizations so they can work together and smarter. In practice, this model operates through structured referrals from hospitals, community organizations, law enforcement, and in some cases, judicial partners, so the individuals at highest risk can be identified early and connected to intervention before violence escalates. This work is not new to us. Six years ago, we launched a coordination hub model after a successful approach from the Chelsea Police Department in Massachusetts, where hospitals, social service agencies and community organizations collaborate to review and respond to high-risk cases. Our hub meets every Monday virtually bringing together community-based organizations, city agencies, and neighborhood stakeholders to coordinate intervention and prevent violence in real time. This model is not unique to Philadelphia. We are one of several across Pennsylvania, including Montgomery County, and there are approximately similar hubs across the country. The evidence is clear, coordinated, cross-sector collaboration works. Philadelphia CeaseFire has been engaged in this work for over years, and if we 8 want to certainly have better 9 outcomes, we need to work much 10 closer together. We're committed to 11 developing a coordinated system and 12 looking forward to having 13 discussions with the Office of 14 Public Safety about this matter. 15 Thank you. SARGEANT-AT-ARMS: Thank you. Next, state your name for the record.

Pardon me one moment. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Ahmad.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Are we asking questions? No, we're not. Okay.

Receiving public comment.

Okay.

Thank you. Please state your name for the record and proceed with your testimony.

Good afternoon, City Council. Thank you for having me today. My name is Pauline Berkowitz. I'm an environmental and park professional working in Philadelphia, and I'm here on behalf of the Circuit Trail Coalition to express support for continued dedicated funding for trail development and maintenance, while also urging City Council to recommend additional funding to support Park and Natural Lands Maintenance. Thank you for already supporting and funding this work. Continuing to fund our public and green spaces through increased investment and creation of stable jobs is key toward advancing Mayor Parker's vision of a clean, green, and safe Philadelphia. This means funding parks and recreations capital budget line item 40.8 for trails at least $250,000 annually. And the Streets department's capital line item 70.1, multimodal trails and side paths at least 500K annually to invest in trail citywide. On the operation side of things, it means ensuring PPR has sufficient dedicated funding for park maintenance and trail maintenance crews for years to come. This is what OnePhilly looks like. City agencies successfully collaborating for a cleaner and greener Philadelphia. We have one of the best park and trail systems in the country, with over 100 miles of trails and over 10,000 acres of parkland. Over a century ago, Philadelphia worked to preserve much of that parkland, and in the last decade has completed over 30 miles of trail. We need to protect these assets because they provide tangible quality of life benefits, including local green jobs, positive economic impact, increased mental and physical health benefits, environmental benefits. The list goes on. However, according to the Trust for Public Lands 2025 ParkScore, the City of Philadelphia allocates $82 per resident, while the national median is $116. I know that we can do better together and so do the over 100 Philadelphia residents who have already signed letters to Council in support of dedicated maintenance funding. Regular, proactive park and trail maintenance is necessary to have welcoming, activated, and accessible public spaces. It's a Vision Zero issue when we're talking about trail safety. Councilmember Ahmad said in this room, just last month, "Let's not be a victim of our own success." Let's continue investing in critical assets that are our parks and trails. Thank you again. We would love to host you in our parks and our trails, and explore ways to bring more resources for a cleaner and greener Philadelphia. Thank you. SARGEANT-AT-ARMS: Thank you. You can begin. State your name for the record.

My name is Al from North 10, and I represent the illegal-dumping fight. When trash old furniture or construction debris is dumped on our sidewalks, alleys, or vacant lots, it doesn't just look bad, it creates real problems for families, children, and neighbors. So what we did at my job is we created a voucher program. And here's a voucher right here. Since -- we created this in September, I've given out 69 of these to contractors across the city. We partnered up with Burns Recycling, and this voucher is good to cover up to $120 of their bill or 2,000 pounds of trash. And I'm just here to share that I feel the city should get behind this and support these vouchers. This way we can keep more construction and debris off the streets of Philadelphia. Thank you. SARGEANT-AT-ARMS: Thank you.

Patrick Houston, Margaret Guerrera, Inella Ray, Eden MacDougall, Mason Carter. SARGEANT-AT-ARMS: State your name for the record.

Majority Leader Katherine Gilmore-Richardson, a student here is by the name of Ataya Gant is here but needs to leave early, would you mind if I swap my spot with her? My name is Inella Ray.

And you stated the student's name is?

Ataya Gant.

Oh, yes, I see that here. Please proceed.

Hi. Good afternoon, City Councilmembers. My name is Ataya Gant, a scholar at Science Leadership Academy in the 5th District. I am speaking today with a clear ask: support the ride share fee and fund public schools. Imagine walking in the halls every day of the week, met with a smile, a joke, a hug, a laugh. Picture being in the worst moments in your teenage years and having someone to hear you, someone to listen. Visualize in-school conflicts and rowdiness. That there is someone to provide order, structure, and peace. I can stand here today asking you to imagine picture and envision, but I need you to come to reality now. This bill. This bill is our future. It is our fighting pass. Families, not just student families, but every single teacher and staff that works in a school district of Philadelphia school, and their loved ones depend upon this. Children's mental health, education, safety, order, and structure within our place of learning, simply put relies on your decision and a $1 bill. This bill 24 impacts Philadelphia's reputation for it is a reflection of the values that our Philadelphia has for its young, and its care for true and full education, including all staff with their countless day-to-day efforts. It is something -- it's not something I fear for the future; it is something happening directly in our faces today. For example, a first-year teacher at Science Leadership Academy, Ms. Showalter, I never had the honor of taking her math course taught this year. I and future other students at SLA will share that we will never get to experience all that she as a teacher and a caring soul could have brought to the classroom, because at the hands of budget cuts and funding loss, she and countless others have lost and will lose their jobs. I am asking our City of Philadelphia City Council to fund public schools, support ride shares to ensure my school has the resources we need. With approval of the vital 50.4 million investment to prevent these cuts. Thank you. And happy Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week.

Thank you for coming in. We appreciate your testimony. Please state your name for the record and proceed.

My name is Eden MacDougall. I'm a District 2 resident. I teach in District 8. I'm a regular transit rider and cyclist. I support the increased SEPTA funding, funding Key Advantage, Universal Student Fares, and Zero Fare funding. Without SEPTA, I would not be able to get to school to teach, and many of my students would not be able to get to school to learn. Funding Zero Fare is also really important because costs are rising all around. I have a friend in Baltimore who struggles financially, but there's no Zero Fare in Baltimore for their transit. So on top of having to pay rent, bills, groceries, they also have to pay to go to work. We're really lucky to have this program in Philadelphia, and it should be a permanent program. I also want to ask for another 2 million for Vision Zero. I almost got hit by a car biking home from the Broad Street line last week, and I almost got hit again this week. We need more traffic calming and protected bike lanes. And preferably concrete protection, because flex posts will not stop a car. They will not stop a car from coming into the lane and hitting you. I love living in a city where driving isn't necessary, but there's still room for improvement. Thank you. SARGEANT-AT-ARMS: State your name for the record.

Patrick Houston. Good afternoon. My name is Patrick Houston. I live in North Philadelphia. Thanks for this opportunity to testify today. Today, I am testifying about a good thing: the Philadelphia Energy Authority. First a bit of an anecdote, I grew up in Hunting Park. My family lived in one of those old row homes down the street, right down the street from the park. And back then, even then, the house was around 95 years old. The insulation was horrible. In the winter, the heat bled right out of the walls, right out of the window seals. It bled my -- and it also was bleeding my family's finances. And we were stuck. We were stuck in this cycle of overpaying for our utilities, which made it harder to afford full home repairs, whole home repairs for our old house. This of course is not unique to my childhood home experience. 65 percent of Philadelphia houses are at least 65 years old, so it's a really old building stock. And old despaired homes drive up our energy bills and they drive up displacement across our city. But the good thing -- the good thing is now we have the Built to Last, Whole Home Repairs Program run by the Philadelphia Energy Authority, which we did not have back then. And more good news, thanks to all of you, you-all have funded that program through the first year H.O.M.E. Initiative budget with 8.25 million. So that's progress, but there's two serious limitations I want to name, one of which we can act on in this city budget. The first one, that 8.25 million is for the repair work itself in the H.O.M.E. Initiative, Philadelphia Energy Authority still needs the operating money to administer that work. The second limitation is that, that 8.25 million while very good, thank you, it does not stretch very far. Philadelphia Energy Authority says that each home cost about 34,000 to complete the holistic repairs so that that allocation is going to serve less than 270 homes. So wrapping up here, that's just a drop in the bucket, there's 4,600 people on that wait list, thousands, thousands more homes that are eligible. Please keep on funding that program. But right now, in this city budget, I'm asking City Council to allocate that $4 million for the Philadelphia Energy Authority, Whole Home Repairs, increase safety, they increase comfort, they increase green jobs, they reduce energy bills, they reduce harmful impacts of climate change, and they reduce displacement, win-win-win, 4 million for PEA. Thank you.

Thank you. SARGEANT-AT-ARMS: State your name for the record.

Hi. My name is Mason Carter. I live right between Germantown and Mount Airy. And so today I'll talk about a few things: One is just to echo the sentiments that others have had about BIRT desperately needs reform. The LIFT Act really needs to be passed. The heart and soul of the city is at stake. ACCT. So we have a crisis in animal intake, and intake is increased by 86 percent. It's a real strain. We are still like one of the lowest funded animal shelters in the country for a city our size. And I know that there's been an extra investment, but ACCT is requesting $2 million increase in the budget. And I think if for something that's honestly kind of a drop in the bucket, 2 million, the investment would make a huge difference. So I implore go -- doing that request. I'd like to talk about the TNC ride share tax. So I think that there is -- I mean, we know that there's absolute -- it's absolutely imperative that it's an emergency when it comes to school district layoffs. There's, you know -- we know they just closed -- voted to close schools. I think that the issue that I have with the ride share tax is that technically, since it is a regressive tax, that really means that you want to be able to have the tax fund a viable alternative for people. So that means with public transit. And you could really spend that in all kinds of ways. You know, really codifying Zero Fare, expanding student fares, being able to increase service, like really anything. It's going to generate about 43 million per year projected. And I think that the issue with this is that then you end up kind of putting yourself in a corner, if it's just -- so I would suggest that with the district funding issue, that there be some kind of emergency fund that maybe comes from the surplus, and then, you know, we can come up with a new mechanism. And then just to wrap things up quickly with the retail delivery tax, I think it definitely makes sense to fund towards the pothole squads. I would suggest once again, you could figure transit into this by prioritizing transit corridors, because then buses will have less operational costs with potholes and such. Thank you so much for your time today. SARGEANT-AT-ARMS: Thank you. State your name for the record, sir. State your name.

Good afternoon, Majority Leader Gilmore- Richardson and other distinguished Councilmembers. My name is Richard Gliniak. I'm a democratic committee person in the 30th Ward, 10th division. I'm also here with the Philly -- excuse me, Transit Forward Philadelphia and the Bicycle Coalition. And I took SEPTA to get here today. Three years ago, your bold leadership produced a budget that increased street repaving to 100 miles per year, and the results speak for themselves. Streets like Kimball Street and 16th Street at Chestnut were resurfaced and new line striping and crosswalks, making it safe for wheelchair users and those with mobility challenges to cross. Your leadership then helped reverse decades of neglect, as this graph from the 2023 Safe Mobility platform shows, repaving consistently fell short of the city's own 131 miles standard, leaving hazardous conditions you see in these photos. Thank you, Isabelle. Your leadership helped then reverse this neglect, yet many hazardous streets still remain. Montrose Street in my 10th division, unpaved for over years, and South 4 Juniper Street through the Gabriel 5 Hood are -- is also in need. Both 6 would make excellent bike 7 boulevards. 8 So the proposed Fiscal Year 9 '27 budget, which cuts repaving to 10 just 50 miles is deeply alarming to 11 me. As the Safe Mobility platform 12 also makes clear, repaving is more 13 than asphalt; it's about safe 14 mobility for everyone: drivers, 15 cyclists, bus drivers, parents with 16 strollers, wheelchair users, and 17 pedestrians. I know this 18 personally, having been struck by a 19 car while bicycling. 20 A budget approaching the 21 131-mile standard prevents injuries, 22 saves lives, advances Vision Zero 23 goals, reduces costly lawsuits, and 24 creates good paying jobs and build civic pride. The recently repaved Kimball Street Block was recently selected to be a Philadelphia 250 block party block. I strongly urge you to restore the Fiscal '27 repaving budget to at least 100 miles per year for safer streets for all Philadelphians. Thank you so much.

Candace Davis, Kenneth Michael Blackwell, Angelita Ellison, Hope Primus. SARGEANT-AT-ARMS: If your name's called, please come up.

Tia Tines, Olivia Hummell.

All right. Hello, Council. My name is Angelita Ellison. I am a board member of the Women's Community Revitalization Project, and I am testifying on behalf of the Philadelphia Coalition for Affordable Communities. Thank you. And I currently live in New Sharswood neighborhood. Previously, my family lived in Point Breeze. We had to move when my mother was unable to afford the repairs to our home, and the need -- and the Basic Systems Repair Program couldn't help us because of the cost. My mother moved down south while my sister, my son, and I looked for a place here. Since 2000, 50,000 Black residents have left gentrifying areas of north, south, and west Philadelphia. Since leaving South Philly, we have lived in the Northeast and North Philly before coming to Sharswood. Each place we moved to was more expensive than the last. It forces you to be very conscious of what you are spending, because there's very little wiggle room and sometimes you have to choose which bills get paid each month. Since 2000, the median home value rose by more than 120 percent, while median incomes rose by only 4 percent. In the 5th Council 5 district, my district, the median 6 home value rose more -- by more than 7 400 percent. Rents are going up. Currently, half of all renters and over 25 percent of homeowners are paying more than they can afford in housing costs. I can only afford my current rent because I share the cost with my sister. With this current housing situation, it will be very difficult for either of us to live on our own. This is why we are asking Council to continue to make investments in housing programs that support the lowest income Philadelphians. We are asking for 140 million in rental housing production and preservation, 6 million in Shallow Rent program, 45 million in eviction diversion rent payments, 80 million in Basic Systems Repair, and million in 4 Adaptive Modification Programs. With 5 this funding, our city will be one 6 that works for everybody. Thank 7 you. 8 SARGEANT-AT-ARMS: State 9 your name for the record, sir. 10

Hello, 11 everyone. Thanks for having me. My 12 name is Kenneth Blackwell. I'm in 13 Southwest Philly, but I pretty much 14 lived in every part of this city so 15 far. Let's see. My partner was here earlier talking about the conditions of the homeless shelters -- sorry about that. Let me get a little closer there. And so I'm just going to read a little thing here. We need to try something different in dealing with our homeless community because the current solution is obviously not working. With the upcoming events, you know, out of sight, out of mind is not a real option. And here's a few key points as to show why. This was as early as 2026, warehouse style overcrowding, you know, there's crowd in there as at the moment already, and you want to get to the FIFA, and it is going to be even more crowded. And a lot of these guys are elderly, have mobility issues, and they don't -- and places are not ADA compliant. And let's see, safety and security concerns, reports indicate with safety including instances of theft, in some cases, verbal or sexual abuse with the -- within the facilities from other residents, as well as shelter staff. Unsanitary conditions: Some reports indicate -- describe maintenance issues, including mold buildup and at times pests like rats, bed bugs, head lice, and roaches in some facilities. Systemic strain: as early as 2026, homelessness in Philadelphia has increased for the fourth consecutive year with a 6 percent rise in 2025 alone, putting immense pressure on existing shelter capacity. You know, what we need is more affordable housing, not more shelter beds, especially when the cost of one bedroom apartment for a month is the same as a shelter bed for one person for a month. There's plenty of unused houses and apartments, and why not put them to good use, you know, eminent domain. That's all I have to say. Sorry. Thank you. SARGEANT-AT-ARMS: State your name for the record, please.

Hello. Good morning, Councilmembers. My name is Olivia Hummel. I'm a student at Science Leadership Academy in the 5th District. I'm involved in the Science Leadership Academy sports teams, such as Ultimate Frisbee, basketball, and Students Run Philly Style. As a member of these communities, I am speaking today with a clear task: support the rideshare fee and fund public schools. Currently, without the support from Rideshare, public high schools don't have the resources they need to be able to pay teachers and budget cuts have taken effect. My advisor, Ms. Showalter, was sadly a victim of these budget cuts and will not be able to continue to teach at SLA next year. Ms. Showalter is such a breath of fresh air when I would walk into my advisory room. She brightens my day and makes me want to go to advisory. Ms. Showalter offered me and countless students math assistance and positive feedback, all with a caring and engaging smile on her face. I was incredibly disappointed when I heard that she was not continuing her time at SLA. And I'm sure that next year I'll miss her dearly. When we lose teachers, we don't only lose resources, we also lose our comfort zones in a part of our community. Our goal should be to expand our staff, instead of subtract from it. When all is said and done, the most important thing is our education. And if our education is being sacrificed because we don't want to pay the $1 surcharge on rideshare, then that is unacceptable. I'm asking the City Council to fund public schools, support rideshare, surcharge to ensure the school has the resources it needs. Please approve the $50.4 million investment to prevent these budget cuts. Thank you.

Thank you so much, dear. We appreciate you coming in. Please state your name for the record and proceed with your testimony.

Good afternoon, all. My name is Tia Tynes. I'm with Clean Philadelphia Now, and I'm also co-director of Trash Academy. There should be nothing unusual or remarkable about a clean and green environment. This should especially be the case for a city like Philadelphia that has an extensive park system, two rivers, blah, blah, blah, and proximity to other naturally interesting places. Mayor Parker is to be commended for her efforts to make Philadelphia the cleanest and greenest large city in the country. Achieving that will be a bit of a lift, but it is nothing impossible, nor are the efforts that need to be taken to maintain that cleanest, greenest status. However, one thing is for certain, two things are for sure: change requires change. One significant change is the city's transparency on how it presents information on its processes, metrics, and results of its efforts. At this time, there appears to be discrepancies or outright -- or outright missing information. As said before, this is a bit of a lift, but the city's residents are willing to help with that, but we can't do it with missing, miss or disinformation. As a kid, my mother would ask me, I know you're not saying so and so was lying. So there was to be no nuance in the answer. It was either yes or no. Either answer could get me in trouble. Also, I could not say anyone was lying. So for this, I'm going to say that the city may not be telling stories, but the information is being misinterpreted inaccurately, it is incomplete, it is misleading. So let's not just make Philadelphia cleaner and greener by investing more of the budget and education and outreach, prevention, and enforcement with regards to illegal dumping; let's make it more transparent as well. Thanks so much for your time.

Good afternoon, Councilmembers. My name is Braylon Fabulous-Ocrout, and I'm here -- and I'm a student at Science Leadership Academy in the 5th District. I am here with a clear ask: support the rideshare fee and fund our public schools. Staff has always made school a better place for me. From the moment I walk through the doors at SLA, I've never felt unwelcome; I've always felt included. There is always someone I can go to, whether it's about school, grades, or even personal struggles. At my school, there's someone waiting to greet you at the door every single morning, someone who asks about your day and actually means it. The kind -- that kind of support makes everything feel lighter. It gives me stability and confidence to keep going. As a student involved in sports, extracurriculars and academics, I've always had staff supporting me through burnout, helping me manage my time, and giving me space to express myself. People like my advisor, people who are at risk every day of losing their jobs. Like my peers mentioned, teachers like Ms. Showalter have a huge impact on students' lives. I haven't had her myself, but I've seen how much she means to others. And it makes me think about all the teachers who have supported me, how devastating it would be to lose them. If we lose teachers and staff, we lose more than just positions, we lose our support systems, our confidence, and a source of hope in our environment. We lose pieces of our community; we lose safe spaces that students depend on every single day. These are the people who dedicate their lives to serving others. They have families to provide for, bills to pay, and responsibilities just like anyone else. I'm sure each one of you can think of a staff member who changed your life, someone who supported you, believed in you, and helped you get where you are today. If they were at risk of losing their jobs, you'd be sitting where I am right now. So I ask you, look where you came from and who helped you get here. After all, none of us made us here -- made it here alone. Please support the rideshare fee and approve the $50.4 million investment to fund our public schools and prevent these cuts. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you so much to all of the young people from SLA Beeber who joined us this afternoon. We appreciate each of you, and we are thankful that you were able to come today. Please call the next set of witnesses. We received your testimony earlier. Are you okay, dear?

I am speaking for another person.

Okay. Please allow us to call the names off of the list, so we could keep it fair.

Yes.

Okay? All right. Thank you, dear.

Inella Ray, Cortez Fox, Mitch Channon, Isabel Melvin.

Good afternoon, Councilmembers. Again, I'm speaking on behalf of my friends Alex Moranke and Lev Zecta. My name is Cortez Fox of SLA Science Leadership Academy in the 5th District. I'm speaking with a clear ask: support the ride and share fee and public -- for public schools. School districts should increase public funding for teachers as a --

I apologize for the interruption. May you please repeat the names for the record, because they are not on the list that we have, so that we have them for the official record for public testimony and also for the stenographer.

Okay. I'm speaking on behalf of Alexander Moranke. I don't know if he's on that list.

They're not, but I'm going to allow you to proceed with the testimony.

Yes, ma'am.

Because the other students have just testified, but we do have to get their names for the record. May you please spell that, because I can't hear you very well.

Alexander Moranke.

Okay. Moranke. Okay. And then you said a second name.

Forget about that.

Okay. Please proceed with the two minutes of testimony, and then we will recognize you next, because you're on the list. Okay?

Yes.

Thank you very much, dear.

Thank you, ma'am. My name is Cortez Fox at the Science Leadership Academy in the 5th District. School districts should increase funding for teachers as it would directly improve the quality of education that students receive. When teachers have better access to resources, updated materials and classroom support, they can create more engaging and effective lessons. Increased funding can also reduce class sizes, giving teachers more time to focus on each student's individual needs. In addition, fair pay and support for teachers help them stay motivated and committed to their work. Overall, investing more in teachers benefits not only in the classroom, but also across the entire school community, helps students succeed and prepare them for the future. Our students are the future of this city. If you contend to defund the school, you'll cause decrease in enrollment, decrease in student morale, decrease in the reputation of the city. Investment in the school isn't an investment in students and teachers; it's an investment in the future. Thank you.

Thank you.

Good afternoon, Council, Council Majority Leader Gilmore-Richardson, and also Education Chair Isaiah Thomas. I'm here today to represent Children First. My name is Inella Ray. I'm the Director of Parent Advocacy and Engagement. So we are here today for a statement on both the rideshare and the school closures. The district and school board need to rebuild trust in the process so that City Council can play the role that they had always has in supporting our schools. For 46 years, Children First has been a passionate advocate of delivering more for our kids. We worked with parents, teachers, principals, businesses, and community members to push the city, the state, and the school district to step up for Philadelphia's children. Time and time again, we've seen our local elected officials, including the mayor and City Council, join us as leaders in that fight for our kids. When the closures of 14 schools was first announced, we knew 15 that school facilities plan will 16 destabilized education of students, 17 making the continuity of teaching 18 and learning and access to school 19 more complicated for many families. 20 Cognizant of the desperate impact of school closures on Black, Hispanic, and Latinx students, we called on school officials and elected officials to spell out and guarantee that every child will be better off than they are now when that plan is implemented. Further, we call for the district to increase the depths of the details of the plan, and associated with pre-K, CTE, and modernization. So students of family, children, and faculty, and all concerned Philadelphians can determine if that vision and goals of this plan align with the estimated cost of implementation. We also urge the school board to add a new principal to the plan's framing and the essential goals that this plan would do no 18 harm. This includes outlined supports a student transition process, and at minimum includes the following: robust communication within support of impacted families for students being relocated to receive priority access to unfilled seats in other schools, including special Ed mid schools, and priority offers in the school selection process. Individualized transition plans for students with IEPs and IFSPs, and a full suite of mental health services for students in schools that are closed. I realized the time, I'm almost done. At the same time, we also understood the need for the facilities plans that focus on resources wisely and provide a pathway for our crumbling infrastructure. The School District of Philadelphia is currently underfunded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania by nearly $1 billion. A stark reminder of the decades of disinvestment. This process was never going to be easy, but in order for it to work through school district and the school board needs to rebuild trust with the communities, parents, teachers, and principals, most importantly, the students who will be impacted. We participated on the facilities task force --

Please conclude your testimony. I'm just keeping it fair for everybody.

Yes. Absolutely.

Okay.

And so I think the main summation here is, I have like three more paragraphs, but to summarize, is that we really need the school board to work in good faith with City Council as we both look at this facilities master plan process, but also as we look at the structural deficit. So thank you all for your time, and thank you also for graciously allowing me to swap out with the other student.

Thank you very much. Please state your name for the record and proceed with your testimony.

Sure. Just -- I'm sorry. One second here. Okay. My name is Mitch -- Oh, okay. My name is Mitch Channon. Thanks for the opportunity to testify. I'm a lifelong resident of Northeast Philly, a graduate many years ago of George Washington High School, the son of two PFT retirees who spent thousands of dollars buying supplies, basic supplies for their schools. I want to thank Councilmembers for standing up against the school closures. I'm going to deviate a little bit from what I wrote. We've been hearing about so many crises today and so many unmet needs. And what is driving that is economic and tax policies that are designed to benefit the ultra- wealthy at the expense of everyone else. Where I live in the northeast, whether we're talking about our overcrowded schools and under staffing, the broken HVAC system at the Bustleton branch of the library that had my library closed last summer, the nine-month wait to get an appointment at the District 10 Health Center, we are suffering from chronic underfunding of essential services while the wealthiest people hoard the resources that we all need. Without taxing the rich fairly, we will not have the services and facilities that we deserve. And we need tax policies that require far more from those who have the most at the state and federal level, and also right here in Philadelphia locally. The proposed Philly budget goes in the wrong direction by continuing to cut BIRT across the board, while failing to remedy the harm caused by eliminating the $100,000 exemption for the smallest businesses and for independent contractors like me. I -- we really need Council to take the lead in fair taxation. I understand that the uniformity clause is a challenge, but I want to be honest, it's also an excuse. And of course, not my testimony by the way. With bold leadership and creative -- bold and creative leadership, there are ways forward at the state level and the local level. We really can't afford excuses. I'm tired of hearing how the uniformity clause makes it impossible to tax fairly. It's not true, and we need your leadership right now to reverse this. In addition -- this will be my last point, I urge Council to fully fund the $4 million operating budget for the Philadelphia Energy Authority. PEA programs like Solarize and Built to Last are really essential for addressing both the crisis of poverty and the climate emergency by repairing and weatherizing people's homes so that they're safe and healthy and energy efficient by enabling working class residents to access solar energy and reduce their energy bills, and by creating living wage green jobs. I cannot understand why Mayor Parker keeps proposing to cut the small budget for this essential agency only $4 million a year, especially since every dollar that's invested produces like $90 in private investment matching it. It's really important to me and to so many of us in Philly that Council ensures the Energy Authority is fully funded. Thank you. SARGEANT-AT-ARMS: State your name for record.

I'm Isabel Melvin. I'm here on behalf of our family business at G.M. Venango Street. Thank you, Councilwoman Kathy Gilmore-Richardson, and members of Council and staff for the love you give to the city of Philadelphia. SEPTA and the city of Philadelphia have been very good to us. I agree with Council President Johnson, we need to invest in our workers. To continue our success and other employers' success in Philadelphia, our company encourages prioritizing and increasing funding in the 2027 budget for SEPTA, Vision Zero, and Zero Fare. Public transit, safe corridors for our employees to and from our facility at G.M. Venango is paramount to our success. Multimodal transit reduces traffic so we can get our deliveries out on time. It also -- I'm asking you, please, let's fuel Philadelphia's economic engine with safe, clean, SEPTA, Vision Zero, and Zero Fare. I just want to add, both my grandparents, Mary McCarthy and Mary Melvin, Philadelphia residents and my brother Michael Melvin, have been victims of traffic violence and struggled with those injuries. And tragically, my neighbor, three doors down, Dana Dino was hit and killed by a car. Please give love to Vision Zero funding to keep everyone safe. Please give love to the city budget and invest in the freedom of mobility and making transit more affordable. And please give love to fund the Zero Fair Program and make it permanent through a transit access fund. Thank you.

Sarah Bradley, Sultan Smalley, Gabriel Carrion, Jeffrey Markovitz, and Ruth Convasser. Alex Haynesworth.

Hello. I'm Sarah. I'm a mother, CCP student. I've recently lost my job due to working for a small business which couldn't make it. I love also how we are trying to come to a resolution for our childcare. I believe for CCP that if we have not a daycare on site, that may be a voucher for the students for daycare through CIS or something throughout the city that we know our children are in a safe zone, that would be great, but childcare would definitely be able to push me to complete my digital imaging program at CCP. I'm very busy; money is tight. I often can't afford to get to class and take my son to speech therapy. But at the end of the day, if the CCP gets the promise of the -- gets the promise that we had from the CCP to get free SEPTA passes, then that would help a lot. You see, I'm not uniquely busy, there are thousands of other CCP students just like me, students who are taking care of aging parents, students -- new parents, single mothers, single fathers struggling to pay childcare, workers coming off of shifts and going directly to class, wrung out and exhausted, trying to absorb the information. And yet we still put in the effort. And the least the college could do is give us a way to get there and back. Given how much students struggle worrying about where we can afford to get to campus shouldn't be a problem, but the college insisted on making it one. The college present board has stalled for over one year, again on SEPTA passes. The college yet -- the colleges having to spend $1 million on a fancy AI metal detector investigated by FTC, which has privacy breaches and also false positives. So these things haven't been installed yet, but it's clear that if they do, it will -- CCB will become more like a prison. That place is beautiful; the atmosphere is nice. What real crime do you hear from right there in that area? We all, I feel, come to do the same purpose as the better our future. So we know where -- we know where we stand, we know what we need: We need more money for CCP and childcare. No more beating around the bush from the states, no 23 more saying we have to look into something or numbers by the states. We want to work together to these actions right for us students and faculty. Let's work to make it -- let's work to make a better future together. Thank you. SARGEANT-AT-ARMS: State your name for the record.

Sultan Smalley. Good afternoon. My name is Sultan Smalley, and I'm a student at the Community College of Philadelphia, studying computer science. Our school has been chronically underfunded for decades. When the school was created, it was created with the promise that the city would pay a third of the cost. Tuition would pay a third, and that the state would pay a third. That has not been met since the 80s. And increasingly that burden has been shifted onto students. As you know, the Board of Trustees voted to raise our tuition by 9.5 percent. And yesterday, we had budget hearings for CCP where we were not allowed to give public comment, unlike in previous times. So I want to respond to some of the points that were made yesterday by our president. As you know, the school signed an agreement to provide SEPTA passes for students after AFT 2026 almost went on strike last year. The agreement did not say that SEPTA passes would be for, you know, means tested or that would be for a limited amount of students; it just said SEPTA passes for students. And the president says that only 50 percent of students have applied for the pilot program that they've done at CASTE. However, when I talk to students, nobody knows that it exists. The campus, you know, that they have it at has fewer students than on main campus. And yeah, it also has free parking. And any student knows that admin knows how to flood your emails and let you know what they want you to know. Yet, somehow none of my friends knows that this pilot program, you know, has even been started. So over a thousand students signed a petition to get free SEPTA passes. This is something that students want. If you're not able to provide something, then don't agree to it. You don't get to tell us one thing to avert a strike, and then go change your mind because you supposedly don't have the money. So I urge Council to increase funding for CCP, broadly speaking, and I encourage Council to, you know, tell the Board of Trustees to live up to its promises and provide SEPTA passes for students and childcare for students as well, so thank you.

Narita Pugh, Marie Ranzell, Emily Abendroth, Reverend Gregory Holston, Gabriel Ballard, Marcus Allen, Ryka Cooper, Dr. Candace Player, Dan Miller, Martin Robinson, Lydia Cooper. SARGEANT-AT-ARMS: If your name is called, please come.

Okay. Hello, my name is Emily Abendroth. I'm a resident of Cobbs Creek in West Philly, and a member of the HERE 4 Climate Justice Coalition, which focuses on the intersection of housing, justice, and climate justice. Our coalition's name stands for Housing Equity Repair and Electrification for Climate Justice. Thank you, Councilmembers, for your recent support of both ICE-Out and Safe Healthy Homes, and the values for human life, health and dignity that those legislations reflect. Many of us here today hope the investments made in this 2027 city budget can reflect the same. As a city resident, I stand in support of the shared requests and demands that people have put forward here to fully fund public services, mobile crisis units, abortion access, libraries and rec centers, CCP and more. As a member of the HERE 4 Climate Justice Coalition, I want to draw specific attention in my testimony to the $4 million operating budget request to the Philadelphia Energy Authority. Our coalition, which includes 18 distinct Philly-based orgs, supports PEA'S request and calls on Council to do the same. I also want to say like neither the public nor City Council should have to fight every single year for the Philadelphia Energy Authority to receive adequate operational funding in the mayor's budget. This program has an extensive track record of proven impact and efficacy as PEA's Emily Schapira testified before this body last month, for every dollar of city investment, they have spurred $90 of local investment in clean energy projects and programs. PEA is one of the only of a small handful of city- funded agencies that is directly addressing climate change through programs like Built To Last and Solarized Philly, despite the dire need for action and intervention on this front, the kind of investments in home repair that Built To Last provides, help people have homes that are more climate resilient, that can keep them safe and comfortable in both extreme heat and cold -- this will be the last bit, which we are getting more of each, and that are energy efficient in ways that keep their utility bills affordable and which help prevent the -- all too pervasive utility shutoffs that endanger the lives of Philadelphians. Please fully fund PEA's $4 million operational budget requests. And the last thing I'll say is just that we hope we can work with City Council to push the mayor, so that we are not, both Council and ourselves, repeating this same fight every year, and can push for the many other essential things that are being advocated for here today. SARGEANT-AT-ARMS: State your name for the record, sir.

Thank you. My name is Dan Miller, and I am the business manager for the training department at Mental Health Partnerships. I'm also a certified peer specialist, and thank you for the opportunity to provide public testimony. Mental Health Partnerships serves individuals experiencing homelessness and housing instability. Although my own role does not involve direct delivery service within homeless programs, my -- through my work in mental health systems training and peer support, as well as through lived experience, I understand how closely housing stability, access to healthcare, and recovery are connected. I want to express strong support for the city's continued efforts to reduce homelessness and for the progress made through coordinated service-driven investments. The city's plan to expand shelter capacity while pairing shelter with wraparound services and stronger connections to permanent supportive housing reflects an understanding that homelessness is not just a housing issue, but a health and systems issue. Continued investment in safe havens, recovery housing, supportive housing, and continuity of care is critical for individuals experiencing serious mental health challenges. As a certified peer specialist, I want to highlight how close to many people are losing stability. I've personally come close to experiencing homelessness due to my own mental health. If my Medicaid coverage hadn't been reduced or eliminated in 2017, I would've lost access to treatment and medication and would've been unable to remain housed. That lived experience informs how I view these budget decisions. For many people, healthcare coverage is what makes housing possible. The risk of housing instability is increasingly urgent, given that an estimated 310,000 PA residents are expected to lose Medicaid and SNAP benefits. When they lose Medicaid, they often lose access to mental health care, medications, preventative services. And when SNAP benefits are reduced and unlimited, and food insecurity increases, together these losses significantly raise the risk of housing instability and homelessness, even for people, those who are actively engaged in recovery or employment. In that context, the city's investments in homelessness prevention, shelter, supportive housing --

Please conclude your testimony. We have to keep it fair for everyone.

All right. I will say, as someone with lived experience and who has been on the social security, please help people who cannot advocate for themselves and think about them. Thank you.

Hello. My name is Lydia Cooper, and I am the program manager of Family Education and Support at Mental Health Partnerships. First, I'd like to commend and congratulate City Council for continuing funding for the groundbreaking service that the city of Philadelphia has been providing to its citizens. The Philadelphia Police Department's Crisis Intervention Response Team, also known as CERC. In response to emergency calls of a person in mental health crisis, CERC sends out a duo of personally dedicated and specially- trained uniformed officers, who are accompanied by a behavioral health specialist from Merakey to provide specialized, competent de-escalation with safety, protection, and support as a team. Additionally, and unique to Philadelphia, CERC then follows up with patients and their families within 72 hours to provide additional help and resources. This program is successful. This program supports families, and this program is building much needed trust between the police force and neighborhoods. And yet, unfortunately, the CERC team's current level of funding is only enough for them to operate Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 5:00. Evening, night, and weekend crises go unsupported by their expertise. Councilmembers, mental health challenges do not follow a work-week schedule. And it's not just the families and community that are being shortchanged by this lack of access. In just the first year of CERC's operation, other Philadelphia police officers who had responded to 911 calls radioed asking for help from the CERC unit more than 500 times. It's outrageous that only officers working the day shift can call for backup when they recognize that specialized compassionate service is needed. What a shame? I exhort members of City Council to champion increased funding to expand the response team's hours so that it's available to citizens, families, businesses, neighborhoods, and the police force itself. Thank you very much for your time.

Suzette Folks, Robin Hanson, Allegra Dingle, Tracy Allman, Margarita Padin, Patricia Ford, David Sims, Gloria Cartagena. SARGEANT-AT-ARMS: State your name for the record and you can begin.

Hi. My name is Suzette Folks.

Ma'am, please bring the mic up. Thank you.

Hi. My name is Suzette Folks. I'm from Limitless Ladies Ministries, Limitless Ladies CDC. And we provide assistance in most life issues, but my passion is our love bag initiative and interactive workshops provided to women and teens in shelters, recovery homes, the unhoused, and in crisis. However, I have been granted the honor of assisting and building relationships with those in mental health crisis. I am calling on mental health agencies and policy makers to take greater accountability and ensure consistent follow through on critical issues such as crisis response services, housing support, and case management. These gaps can have serious consequences for individuals living with mental disabilities and their overall wellbeing. Being in ministry and having a loved one experiencing mental health crisis, it is important to note that our loved ones are more than just a diagnosis. And decisions regarding their care should always reflect their humanity, dignity, rights, and best interests. I know firsthand the devastating impact that occurs when those responsible are not held accountable, leaving individuals emotionally broken and only a shadow of who they once were. I am calling for people in charge of their own care, policies and procedures to create a system rooted in hope, compassion, accountability, and meaningful support for our loved ones, their families, and all those involved in their care. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Good afternoon. My name is Allegra Dingle, and I represent Southwest Philadelphia on behalf of Transit Forward Philadelphia. Many have spoken to structural issues today, and funding public services. I believe that they are all connected, and access to them can truly change a person's life. As we all know very well, public transit in this city has taken hits that have led to a massive lack of trust from ridership. This year, we'll have the 250th celebration, the MLB All-Star game, the World Cup, and a hot summer coming for us all. Many Philadelphians have spoken to -- I have spoken to have expressed pessimism towards the influx of tourism and its effects on our already underfunded public transportation system. We're preparing to welcome thousands more people daily, and we are not guaranteeing that our rapid transit system is running on time. Student cars have time limits and location restrictions. We had to fight to save the Zero Fare program for low-income riders. Here is my ask, as a public transit rider and advocate: we make decisions that will augment our public transit system even after the summer ends. We guarantee city and state funding for increased capital and operational budget so that we have safer and more reliable access to public transit. We know that access to public transit makes for a healthier, more culturally educated and greener city. We know that allowing our students access to the city allows them to learn outside of the classroom. We know that getting cars off of the road reduces traffic deaths. We spend billions of dollars a year on public safety when we know that getting people where they need to go, allowing them access to the doctor and the food distribution, and getting their basic needs met will reduce crime. It does matter where this funding comes from. We are asking consumers to take on more expenses to fund public transit and it's a heavy lift. Investing in a proactive solution that allows Philadelphians to meet their neighbors and get their shit done will go so far to rebuild trust in our beleaguered public transit system, that by the way, we'll be offering free rides on the Broad Street line to tourists that are visiting the city for the World Cup. Thank you.

Good afternoon, City Council at large, Katherine Gilmore-Richardson, City Councilmembers, and all who are here. My name is Tracy Allman. I'm here on behalf of my parents, Beverly Allman and my deceased father, William Allman, who reside on the 5900 block of Latona Street. I need City Council to allocate a budget to help fix a retainer wall that never was built proper with proper drainage on 5900 Latona Street, of which I've been fighting a long-time during City Council Blackwell's term, since 2010 and long after my deceased father William Allman begun in the 80s and the 90s, up until now under Councilwoman Gauthier's term. That's a long time to slowly watch a deteriorating wall worsen. This wall has already partially collapsed behind the houses in the middle of the block from my parents' house two doors over, years ago where a huge tree 13 once was, but the roots caused it to 14 compromise that wall in that area to 15 cause it to collapse. Finally, we 16 got the huge tree cut two years ago, but the roots from the weeds and this tree, along with other re-pollinated weed trees in the alleyways, has caused the deterioration of the wall to progress along with my mother's alleyway, which had a hairline crack, which is now a huge crack, is beginning to buckle, worsen, and we're concerned about the collapse of homes in the close proximity of that area. I want to thank Councilwoman Gauthier and her liaison, Andrew Goodman, who helped facilitate the huge weed tree removal, which was in front of the area that was most compromised, but -- and I also got the weed trees cut, but the stumps were not being able to be removed, so therefore the roots are still pushing the bricks apart, which is compromising all the homes in that area, which can cause foundation infrastructure and possible collapse. My mom -- my father, used to get in the shower and be afraid to get in the shower thinking he's going to collapse into the side because not only we have a retainer wall issue for the foundation in the back, there's an empty lot on the side, which the city demolished the house and they never insulated the wall properly or did anything to help do the foundation on the side. So our home is in jeopardy of foundation in the back from the retainer wall and also on the side from the lot which our home is not meant to stand alone. So I wish the City Council could allocate some budget to help save our family home from falling or collapsing and help us repair the retainer wall, and get some insulation or something done to the house. Thank you, City Council, for your time.

Thank you. Thank you very much. We appreciate your -- oh, you just want to make a comment. Very quickly, Councilmember Gauthier.

Thank you, Ms. Allman, for coming out today and I'm so sorry that you continue to deal with this. And we have put this on the list for the NTI funding, and we've been checking and checking, and pushing and pushing, but we will continue to. We know how important this is. Not only to you, but to the entire block. And thank you for your persistent advocacy on behalf of your neighbors.

Thank you.

Good afternoon. My name is Robin Hanson. I'm here speaking as an advocate of Mental Health Partnerships, but not just at Mental Health Partnerships, period. I'm not only an advocate; I am a patient. I'm a psychiatric patient. There are 236 psychiatric programs in the city of Philadelphia that include adult and adolescent programs. They're funded under the DHS funding. It falls short every year. It includes the crisis support team, inpatient psychiatric program, outpatient programs, psychiatric offices, addiction services, and adult disabilities. I kind of want to go off on a tangent here. I'm a psychiatric patient. The program that I was in was supposed to close due to the fact that there was no funding for them. In the last hour, they finally got a grant. But funding is majorily important to the mental health system. We all need a little bit of help every day, but I appreciate your time. Thank you, and have a good day.

Good afternoon, everybody. My name is Gloria Smooches Cartagena-Hart. I am a long-term resident in Kensington, and I'm always here to advocate with Transit Forward, the PAHC, Philadelphia Affordable Housing for Communities. Name it, I'm there. I wear many hats in the community that supports them. I'm here today and also with Kensington Corridor Trust in keeping generational families in our community. We are living a life of chess, but if you take this money and put it in the places where it belongs, it will fall like a domino effect. It is -- the three necessities I always say: clothing, food, and shelter, and now education, because now we are losing our schools and how the students are going to learn. Housing is going up, rents are going up, employment is going down, salaries are not rising. So how are we going to maintain, and support, and live, and thrive in Kensington? I want to give flowers to Quetcy Lozada for fighting and believing in us in Kensington; Nicholas O'Rourke for fighting. I appreciate you in fighting for us to travel to get to and from. And those that I don't mention, please forgive me, but if you're fighting with us, I appreciate it and thank you. Keep fighting. I'm going to keep it short and brief, because this is so serious. This is really serious. People are falling back, and we not -- we want to thrive and stay in the communities. We are losing culture. We are losing history. We would love to keep that here in Kensington. And Kensington is a good place. It's -- everything lands there. I know it doesn't look pretty, but it's common. It's like a baby. You got to crawl before you can walk. And I appreciate those that support us in helping us crawl, so we'll be able to walk and be proud where we live. And thank you again. I appreciate you-all.

Good afternoon, everybody. My name is Margarita Padin. I'm a 40-year resident of Philadelphia. How do we make sure that we are not funding employers, developers, and general contractors that are exploiting the labor force by subcontracting to contractors who are committing tax fraud by skirting around laws that mandate payment into unemployment compensation and workers' compensation? This includes recipients of our public land through the Land Bank. Privatizing municipal services often leads to negative impacts, including higher costs, due to profit motives, decreased service quality, reduced public accountability, and diminished transparency. Private contractors frequently cut employee wages and benefits to maximize profits, causing higher staff turnover, and reduced service efficiency. Private contracts don't reduce costs in the long run. We need L&I fully funded, staffed, and trained. Neighbor's homes throughout the city are becoming unsafe, because of all the construction and the adjacent row homes. Work being done without the proper permits and certifications and qualifications to do the work. And finally, in Philadelphia, LGBTQ+ youth represent about to 40 percent of the young 17 people experiencing homelessness, 18 meaning the group is over 19 represented in the city's unhoused 20 population. Can we make sure that 21 we fund the agencies that give 22 support to the LGBTQ+ community? 23 Thank you. Have a nice day, 24 everybody.

CJ Randall, Christopher Williams, Anthony Winston, Jigar Mehta, Patricia Dominguez, Jane Knight, and Jenna Lamb.

Good morning. My name is CJ Randall from North Philly, and I'm here on behalf of the Mural Arts program. There's a line in the Will Smith movie, I, Robot, where Will's character is defining the nature of a soul, and he asks the -- if a robot can paint a beautiful picture, and the robot responds with, "Can you?" And Will is caught up -- and Will is caught up short because I presume he cannot. I can. But as valuable as that gift is, I need you to understand that it does not come without cost. As a kid growing up in Cheltenham -- as a kid growing up between Cheltenham and Broad and Airy, I had what could be considered an exceptionally violent childhood here, among other things, being a gentle and artistic soul, put a very specific target on my back as early as the second grade. And I grew up with the constant reinforcement that beautiful things were not allowed because they weren't inherently tough, and therefore, must be destroyed. I actually won an illustrated poster contest in the first grade that landed my picture in the Philly Enquirer. But in the second grade, I became the target kid, because I was the artistic sensitive child, and it wasn't considered manly or Black enough, even for an eight-year-old. I almost quit school in the fourth grade because school wasn't where I went to learn; it was where I went to get my butt handed to me on a weekly basis by 3, 4, 5, or kids all at once. It was a very tooth and claw existence, where my only counterbalance to the violence was my artistic pursuit. I wasn't the gifted engineer, like my brother was growing up to be, or the athlete that so many black boys were told as the only career path available to them. My gift was in the ability to draw and paint, and it was nurtured with a serious dedication across the entirety of my developing years. In high school, I got so addicted to drawing Ninja Turtles that I went to on to become a -- that I wanted to become a comic book artist. And I had a teacher who recognized my talents and helped me to get a partial scholarship to Kutztown University. By this point in my life, the physical conflicts had gotten so bad that I knew if I stayed in Philadelphia, I would not survive to see my 25th birthday, or that if I did, it would be because I had to fight hard enough that it would in inevitably land me in prison. I came to believe that staying in Philly would invariably lead to either a quick death by stupidity, or a slow death by poverty or incarceration, neither of which were a future I wanted for myself.

I'm sorry, sir. I'm sorry, sir. We need -- we need you to summarize your testimony.

Okay. Let me skip, skip, skip, skip, skip. Shoot. I'm here to ask the city to keep funding the arts and the mural arts program specifically to give communities something to inspire, to work together towards, and to prove to myself that there is a place for me here. I happen to believe that the Sistine Chapel ceiling is one of the greatest accomplishments in human history, and that that renaissance sense would not be possible without it. And that --

Sir, we got you. Fund more arts.

I got, like, just one more sentence.

Yep. Are you going to leave the painting with us?

What's that?

Are you leaving that with us?

I'm perfectly willing to do that with you guys.

Two more sentences.

Thank you. At a time when Philadelphia is known as the birthplace of the nation and the greatest city for murals nationwide, art is the best defense against fascism. It is the purpose of life, and that a beautiful painting is worth more than a thousand words; it's worth the souls that pour into it, the souls that are uplifted by it, and the community it represents. Thank you.

Thank you, sir. As a board member of Mural Arts, we appreciate you being here and we're serious about that painting. All right? So don't go too far.

Thanks.

State your name for the record.

All righty. My name is Anthony Winston. I'm part of the Philadelphia Homeless Union. I'm here to advocate for affordable housing. I'm actually a recipient of a voucher program myself. I was homeless for almost four years, going on five. I've been through the shelter system, I've seen what it is, I've seen what it can do to people. It's -- it basically, it's not a place that, you know, you're going to go and get the help that you actually do need, besides, you know, sitting there and dealing with so-called, you know, case managers that don't really care about your situation, they're just there to collect the paycheck. You know, you get -- you get hollered at by staff, you get down, you know, be berated for the simple fact is that you're homeless, but yet you're sitting here trying to help me prolong myself to get back into society. But we all know, if you give somebody housing, and it does work, it's -- it is proven. You can look at the studies that they did in Denver, Colorado, Canada. Okay. They -- it works. You know, if you put people inside housing -- if you put people inside a housing,

I hear it, too. You can continue with your testimony. We're just asking everybody to keep their phones on silent. It's distracting the public comment. Go ahead, sir. I'm sorry.

It's a proven -- it's a proven study fact that you put people in housing; it does work. Only 2 -- only 2 percent of people that failed the whole program in Denver, Colorado. One -- and another thing is, staying with Camp Chloe on every -- on the things that they're fighting for to simplify the things of freedom, that public piece of land has been -- we all probably know, we've seen it growing up as kids. It was a -- it was a go-karts, golf -- a driving range and batting cages back when I was a kid in the 90s. It was abandoned for like over years. You know, 11 all of a sudden, just one day, the 12 -- a public developer is going to 13 stand up and say, Hey, I want the 14 Land Bank. And after that, you 15 know, my -- like I said, other than 16 that -- and you just have a great 17 day. 18

19 Thank you for your testimony. 20

Thank you. 21

22 Please state your name for the 23 record, and you may begin with your 24 testimony.

First, I'd like to apologize, but I didn't know that was still on.

We can't hear you. I'm sorry.

I said, first, I'd like to apologize for my phone.

You're fine.

Christopher R.K. Williams. I'm from the 5th District, North Philadelphia, born and raised, and I'm with the North -- I'm with the Philadelphia Homeless Union at the same time. You-all want to pass these bills; I don't understand how you-all do these things too much and not think about the people that are outside. Right now, outside. She's sitting there yelling, looking for help, but we're here talking about it. What are we going to do about it? I mean, is it the 26th of this month that that sort of tax is up? I'm just asking a question, because that made 600 something million out of it. And what do you-all do with it? I'm just following the money. I mean, I'm a business owner too. I'm a small business owner, and I got $135 back in taxes. I only made like grand. So 11 you're taxing me, but you won't tax 12 those other corporations out there, 13 like Grainger that sits right there 14 on 8th Callowhill, where I got to go 15 and get tools from, and I do employ 16 some of the transients, some of the 17 brothers, they all had to go. And 18 it's $1,800 for a room right now. I 19 can't even afford to pay them $14 an 20 hour yet. 21 So -- I can't even pay -- I 22 can't even afford to pay them $14 an 23 hour yet, and then your shelter 24 systems, they're horrible. You tell people to go in these shelter systems, but there's rape going on in there by staff and clients. There's other stuff -- mold. And not only that, when I came home from being incarcerated, February 3rd, 2024, I was told to go to OBP. My case was overturned. I go there, I'm treated with nothing but demoralization and disrespect, then I get kicked out because I wanted to serve my religion. And then I filed a grievance and then it was a stonewall. And you-all talk about you-all want to make bills. There's people out there right now that's on these grounds that's asking for you-all help, but you-all want to make more taxes. That's all I got. Get it together.

Thank you for your testimony.

Good afternoon, Council. My name is Patricia Dominguez, and I'm here to ask if we could reconsider the BIRT tax change, and allow small businesses and gig workers to be exempt from this. I am a small business owner, I'm two-and-a-half years in, and I got walloped this year by these taxes, and I'm like, oh. And you know, as everybody knows, small businesses, any business is hard to get up off the ground. And I am, like, teetering on that edge of, like, will I be able to withstand -- take keeping moving forward to get past that, like, hump, and the BIRT tax is like making it quite increasingly difficult. But I also want to relay that I just also feel the stress of also supporting independent contractors that support me and my business. And I don't want them to also lose -- I mean, they're also getting hit on their other end, too, but, you know, I also support work for them, and I want to make sure that they're taken care of in that respect. But yeah, that's -- I could let go of, but I don't -- I think you got it. Thank you.

Thank you. There are some folks who want to get your information, so if you can give us your information, we'd appreciate it. Please state your name for the record, and you may begin with your testimony.

My name is Jager Mehta. I talking -- registered for the rideshare, but it really is about just employment, similar to what the current testimony was. When someone's a W2 worker, if they're not making a living wage, they're going to go out and become a gig worker as well, or they'll have two jobs. That's just normal living right now in Philadelphia and everywhere in the country. If that W2 worker loses their job, they're working for a corporation, they lose their job, they now also become a sole proprietor, independent worker. What we're asking for is to give them relief. What we're saying is that these folks, these independent workers, they don't have access to unions, they don't have a voice out there. I can tell you from personal experience, it's been very difficult to get people organized. It's very difficult, because if you want to talk about diversity, this is the most diverse group of Philadelphians you can find. It's the independent contractor. Now, I know there's some concerns that if we somehow exempt sole proprietors and individuals that they'll be a runaway with developers, that somehow that the developer will greatly benefit from this. But I can tell you that developers, they go after access of capital. They're looking for money. They're not being structured for a tax cut. What we're asking for is to think about the other 60 percent, and give them the relief that they need. Councilman Driscoll's Bill 15 251026, that was created in partnership with all of you. That was created in partnership with two of the top tax attorneys in Philadelphia: Stradley Ronon, and Ballard. What we're asking for right now is that because you've done the work, you've put the -- you used -- I mean, I've worked with -- I'm sorry, people have worked with you guys, and all I'm asking for is that we can get a hearing. If there is a process to get a finance hearing, that's all we want. We just want to talk about it. And if from there, God willing, with God's grace, we will be able to move forward, and maybe there'll be a vote and we'll give -- we'll give some relief to these folks. So all we're asking --

Thank you, sir. We'll make sure you get a hearing.

Thank you.

I'm looking at my colleague, and we'll make sure you get a hearing.

Thank you.

Thank you, sir.

Thank you.

I appreciate your testimony, and thank you for your continued advocacy. Can we -- we're going to -- we're going to read these names one more time, because we want to make sure that this is the last opportunity for folks to testify. We just want to make sure we haven't missed anybody.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Is this a Jane Knight -- excuse me, Zane Knight and Jenna Lamb?

That's correct. Okay. So these are our last two for the day. Sounds good. All right. Whoever wants to go first, please state your name for the record, and you may begin with your testimony.

My name is Zane Knight. I'm a community activist organizer, a resident in North Square, part of many organizations, groups, et cetera. I'm grateful to be here, and have the opportunity to testify today. Thank you, City Council, and a big thank you to all of the groups and advocates that came out today to make their voices heard. I wanted to say that it's abhorrent that this city is considering tax increases and the implementation of a new regressive tax on the average people of the city, when it has done little to nothing transformational in the everyday lives of these people. The cost of everything has skyrocketed with inflation, and the -- and price gouging, while wages have stayed stagnant. All of our surrounding states have mandated wage increases, and if the city or state wants to increase taxes, then the city and its officials should be pushing state level officials to increase the minimum wage. This city just closed public schools and initially more than that were slated to be closed. Meanwhile, charter schools eat up exorbitant amounts of public school funding while operating like private schools exempt from the basic guidelines and requirements of public schools. With a surplus on the books, the issue surrounding funding and this budget do not have to be either or issues. The people of Philadelphia deserve better and the people of Pennsylvania deserve better. We have a homelessness crisis, not a housing crisis, with as many cheaply built developments that we have that we have -- that have been approved and erected in the last five plus years. There are more than enough empty units for the number of individuals in need. Stop the disposition of public land to private for-profit developers who almost always rent or sell at rates significantly higher than that of the area median income, AMI, in the neighborhoods they are in. Not every empty lot needs to be a cheap, ugly, gentrification project, and those who built truly -- and those who build truly sustainable and repurpose -- and repurpose existing buildings should be the only ones even under consideration for subsidies and/or abatements. We do not have to choose between funding transit or community services and programs; we do not have to choose between funding housing or schools. It is not a matter of money; it's a matter of political will. Fund sustainability, fund our schools, fund teachers, fund housing, fund people, fund communities. Free Palestine. Free Congo. Free Sudan. Free Yemen. Thank you for your time, and all power to the people.

Please state your name for the record.

My name is Jenna Lamb. Thank you, everyone, for your stamina so being here, good Lord. My name is Jenna Lamb, part of the team at People's Budget Office, a project of Mural Arts Philadelphia that uses art to invite Philadelphians into the city budgeting process. In Philadelphia, budget decisions are not theoretical. We have heard today about the many concrete ways they affect people's daily lives. Amid the converging crises of housing instability, public safety, economic inequality, and the rise of authoritarianism, including people with lived experience in shaping government's priorities is no longer optional; it is essential. This budgeting process, it needs to be accessible, democratic, and genuinely reflective of community needs. We've had 700 participants speak about the survey in our budget. At this time, where democracy feels increasingly gradual, trust in local governments that become even more important. We know more equitable models are possible because we've seen them. The city's budget office previously experimented with promising approaches: a participatory budgeting pilot, the creation of an education, engagement, and impact unit, and budgeting for racial equity. With these processes, communities' concerns were recorded before the budget was shaped, and tracked throughout the process. Let's do this in reverse: public testimonies before the budget gets decided. These efforts aimed to give residents the opportunity to shape the budget as it was being formed, and provide meaningful data points to make sure city departments were meeting equity goals. But today, those practices are no longer in place, and the opportunities that remain are limited and difficult to navigate. I am here today because I believe the opposite is possible. Philadelphians hold deep local knowledge that can strengthen the local budget and make your jobs easier and more effective as legislators. To harness that knowledge, we need to expand engagement opportunities outside of the spring so residents can shape the budget. The city needs to make more budget documents accessible and create structural and legal reforms that make these changes happen. So let's invest in that. Let's invest in that and make the opposite happen. Thank you so much.

Thank you for your testimony. Seeing that there is no 13 one else to testify, the Chair calls on Councilmember Gauthier for a motion that the public hearing and meeting on the bills and the resolutions before the committee today stand in recess.

So moved.

Second.

It's been moved and properly seconded that the public hearing and meeting on the bills and resolutions before the committee today stand in recess. All those in favor will signify by saying aye. COUNCILMEMBERS: Aye.

Those opposed? The ayes have it. The motion carries. The committee will stand in recess. Thank you. (Committee of the Whole public hearing concluded at 3:45 p.m.) C E R T I F I C A T I O N I hereby certify that the proceedings and evidence are contained fully and accurately in the notes taken by me of the above case, and this copy is a correct transcript of the same. ______________________ Samanda J. Rios