You know, it's interesting, when some people talk about housing, and I love listening to varying opinions, but when some people talk about housing, they don't think people living in low- and moderate-income communities deserve nice things. Don't kill me, Council President Johnson, but when you all hear me talk about my grandmother having plastic on her living room sets, you might not even understand what she was doing. And every time she got a new living room set, it was usually clear plastic, and before she passed away, she got fancy. We got blue plastic, 1900 block of Pinto Street. True story. And she was proud of that blue plastic. Summer, it suck to your legs when it was Stated Meeting 136 03/14/2024 outside. Guess why my grandmother put plastic on the living room furniture? We didn't have much. She was proud of what she had, and she was trying to preserve what she had. (Applause.)
And so I don't get how when people are thinking about folks who come from low- and moderate-income communities and working-class communities why they don't think that they deserve nice things. The way I see it, affordable housing must be high-quality housing, and it's what you will hear me refer to as affordable luxury. My Administration will ensure all new City-supported housing has the kinds of high-quality fixtures and finishes that we all want in our homes. Don't put me somewhere else and Stated Meeting 137 03/14/2024 subpar and less because I'm low income or moderate. If that was the case, I wouldn't be standing here on today. (Applause.)
How are you going to get it done? We've seen it, and we know that it's possible. All you got to do is look at Turn the Key homes. I can't describe how powerful it is to see a family move into one of those beautiful homes. And on today, we have a Turn the Key homeowner with us. Let's recognize Marjorie Howell, who works in the City's Health Department. Marjorie, are you here? Are you here? Wherever you are, Marjorie -oh, you are there. Thank you, Marjorie. Thank you for coming. (Applause.) Stated Meeting 138 03/14/2024
Thank you. Listen, she bought her home in Sharswood, and Turn the Key provided a mortgage down payment, making Marjorie's homeownership dream a reality. I am so grateful that Marjorie got enrolled and participated in that program, and we want a thousand more homeowners like Marjorie right here in the City of Philadelphia. (Applause.)
Now, in order to make that happen, Mr. President, we need the Neighborhood Preservation Initiative, NPI, and we need the Building Trades. Wherever you are, Ryan Boyer and Bill Sproule, Building Trades and Carpenters, we want you to know that we are looking forward to working with you on many, many -- 30,000 many -- more housing units in the years to come. Stated Meeting 139 03/14/2024 (Applause.)
Cherelle, what else is it going to take? It's going to take moving the inventory stuck in the City's Land Bank. My Administration will turn those parcels into vibrant homes and community spaces, including gardens. Councilmember Kendra Brooks, I know how much you support those precious green spaces maintained by our community members. The easiest parcels, and everyone should know this, for the Land Bank to convey are unoccupied and tax delinquent properties. But that only works if our tax lien sales are up and running. We know that the lack of tax sales has cost the City and the School District an estimated $35 million in tax revenue, and those dollars could have been invested in classrooms and in rec Stated Meeting 140 03/14/2024 on building affordable homes. I want to note for the record, and this one I'm proud of, Council President Johnson, Sheriff Rochelle Bilal, City Solicitor Renee Garcia, and I, we have been meeting. Together, we all recognize the need to have tax sales up and running. On today, I am pleased to announce that the Sheriff's Office is now working with the Law Department to resolve this issue in the next four weeks, with the goal of the first sale occurring before July 1st, 2024. (Applause.)
Sheriff Rochelle Bilal, are you here? Madam Sheriff, let me say what I said to you privately and I'll say it publicly so folks know that we're being transparent. No one was expecting you, Stated Meeting 141 03/14/2024 Johnson, Renee Garcia, and I to be able to sit in a room and hammer out a compromise. I'm proud that we've done it. Now, I know it's just a compromise and you've got to get it done first, so I don't want y'all to think I'm celebrating before it actually happens, because anything can happen. But, Sheriff, I want to say to you and I want to say to you, Mr. President, because you were the chief mediator in the midst of this conversation, I want to say to you, Madam Sheriff, I want to thank you publicly for that, and I'm looking forward to working with you. Give our Sheriff a huge round of applause. (Applause.)
Again, these sales will generate millions of dollars Stated Meeting 142 03/14/2024 for the City of Philadelphia and the School District, and they can help transform neighborhood blight into homes and gardens. Now on what's near and dear to all of us, public education. Our goals are high, and they must be. We're going to innovate to provide what we refer to as a world-class education for students of all ages and backgrounds. (Applause.)
For far too long, our students have struggled with far too little. The days of settling for crumbs, they're over. Our students deserve a full loaf, and they're going to get it. (Applause.)
Following the Commonwealth Court's historic ruling last Stated Meeting 143 03/14/2024 year, the state recommended an infusion of $1.4 billion for Philadelphia schools over the next seven years. Governor Shapiro proposed 242 million more in education funds for Philadelphia this year, and we're going to continue to advocate vigorously for public education in Harrisburg. And I hate to shout him out, but I have to say to Senator Hughes, Chairman Hughes and Chairman Harris, we're looking forward to working with you, standing side by side as we advocate for that state funding, but in the meantime, my Administration is moving full steam ahead on our vision for public education. I want you all to be proud to know that my One Philly Budget includes over $24 million in new operating investments for education, with nearly $140 million over the Plan. And of that, 129 million is for the School District of Philadelphia. Stated Meeting 144 03/14/2024 (Applause.)
Now, I've already said out loud, and I just want to say it again, when we start talking about the School District, no one should ever try to talk with me about public education and pit traditional publics against charters. It's a non-starter for me. All of these -- if you were with me at Northeast High, if you were with me at Imhotep, you realize these are all of our children and we shouldn't be trying to pit one against the other. (Applause.)
Now, some people hear School District and they think we're just talking about K through 12. Not me. I know, and I want you to know, for those of you who know me, you know I don't say this lightly, because like I stand back Stated Meeting 145 03/14/2024 I watch people and I don't say a thing, but I want y'all to know that we have a terrific Superintendent in Dr. Tony Watlington. He knows that the foundation for careers, it needs to be laid early. Superintendent Watlington, please stand up. Please give him a round of applause. (Standing ovation.)
He has one of the toughest jobs in the City of Philadelphia. Superintendent Watlington, you're my God. You have my support, and I'm looking forward to working with you. In partnership with the Superintendent, I want you to know that this budget includes a plan for full-day and year-round schooling, offering students educational enrichment Stated Meeting 146 03/14/2024 year, with schedules that work for working families. Yes, give that a round of applause. (Applause.)
Scheduled around the needs for working families. The Mayor's Office of Education will coordinate the multi-year rollout of this initiative, which will launch in 20 pilot schools this fall. Councilmember Anthony Phillips I know from Youth Action. I know you support this vision, and I know that I am grateful for your leadership, sir, on City Council's Committee of Children and Youth, and we can't wait to partner with you to make this out-of-school-time, year-round education a reality for students in the School District of Philadelphia. Stated Meeting 147 03/14/2024 (Applause.)
Our students deserve to learn in safe, healthy facilities that's 21st century learning. We need to modernize existing schools and build new ones. Now, doing so is no small task. It's going to require an intergovernmental strategy, working with our allies on City Council like Education Committee Chairperson Isaiah Thomas, again our Pennsylvania General Assembly, and our federal delegation, but it also presents an opportunity for us. I'm looking forward to working with you, Isaiah Thomas. And I need to say this to you: When we get to the table to work on this issue, let's imagine our Building Trades giving students actual on-the-job training in restoring and rebuilding schools and building new schools, and then welcoming them into a union workforce. That's what Stated Meeting 148 03/14/2024 do. Today's generation building for the next. (Applause.)
And I'm looking forward to working with you, sir, in order to make that happen. We're going to do all of this work in collaboration with our teachers, with families, and partners, all of us focused on what's best for our young scholars. Now, know this: City government is worth investing and believing in. I want to take a moment to recognize and appreciate our workforce and their labor leaders who are with us here today: District Council 33, Omar Salaam, District -- are you here, Omar? Please stand. (Applause.) Stated Meeting 149 03/14/2024
Thank you. Now, in addition to negotiating fair contracts, in the Parker Administration we hope and expect that Stated Meeting 150 03/14/2024 clerk is tomorrow's departmental commissioner. That's why my budget includes $14 million in new operating investments for FY25 and close to $141 million over the Five Year Plan for the resources that help our world-class municipal workers do their best. Now, the funding supports our current workforce and it invests in recruiting new employees. We're going to have to do a better job marketing and recruiting for the good jobs that are available with the City, jobs for nurses, social workers, paramedics. We'll tell people about our total compensation package, the health benefits, the retirement security, the professional development, programs like Turn the Key, and we can try to compete for talent as an employer of choice in our region. How are we going to get there? We're going to work with our Law Stated Meeting 151 03/14/2024 our unions to let retired City workers come back to work for several years while still collecting their pensions. (Applause.)
So what does this mean? For all of my retired City workers out there, if you feel the call to come back to service, if your heart still stirs at our vision, please consider coming back. When I first introduced this concept when I was in the City Council of Philadelphia, like a whole lot of other things I've done in life, I had a whole lot of people laughing at me. You think a retiree is ever going to want to come back and work with the City? If people love our city and if you believe that people can love our city as much as we all do, they will come back if we give them the opportunity. Stated Meeting 152 03/14/2024 (Applause.)
And for current City employees, I know we'll have more to say about our return to office. We'll be talking about that in more detail, but what's important for me that you know right now is that in developing our policy, we're taking into consideration your needs. That includes childcare and elder care. And you heard me say I was a State Rep working in Harrisburg while caring for my grandfather and he lived at home. So I'm ultra sensitive to the childcare and the elder care challenge that some of our municipal workers are facing right now. City workers are people, not assets, and my Administration will treat you with respect. (Applause.) Stated Meeting 153 03/14/2024
My One Philly Budget also supports the data and analytics behind those new approaches to doing the work. Let's start with PhillyStat 360. It's performance management, it's result-based accountability, it's our future. Here's what it means: Every department will communicate with each other, backed up by data, on what they're doing to advance our vision. That's how we're going to ensure accountable government that you can see, touch, and feel. We're breaking down the silos between departments. We're using a data-driven and research-based approach to make decisions. And I know that's music to the ears of one of my fellow data lovers, Councilmember Rue Landau. Yes, performance management is here. (Applause.) Stated Meeting 154 03/14/2024
We're taking new approaches to our work together. Don't simply listen to what I say, watch what it is that we're doing. I want you to know that my name is Cherelle L. Parker and I am the 100th Mayor of Philadelphia, the first woman to lead this city in 341 years. (Standing ovation.)
I've proposed this One Philly Budget to the City Council of Philadelphia, with $2 billion of new investments in the people of our wonderful city, and I want you to know that I approve this message. Today is just the beginning. I'm coming to a neighborhood near you for a budget briefing and a town hall meeting. Let's work together with diplomacy, diligence, and purpose toward Stated Meeting 155 03/14/2024 and implementation for the people, all with one shared goal in mind, to make our city safer, cleaner, and greener, with access to economic opportunity for all. If we do this, City Council, Mr. President, if we do this together, that is the only way that we are going to ensure that we truly are -- and you all already know what to do, put them in the air. Put your 1's up. Everybody, put your 1's in the air. And I want them to hear us outside. Let me hear you say one Philly. (One Philly.)
Members please take their seats. Stated Meeting 156 03/14/2024 on the part of the minority? The Chair recognizes Councilmember Kendra Brooks.
The Chair recognizes Councilmember Kendra Brooks.
Thank you, Council President. As I consider this budget, I will be weighing on how our choices impact Philly working families.
One second. Will the Sergeant-of-Arms Stated Meeting 157 03/14/2024 (Brief pause.)
Thank you very much. Now the Chair recognizes Councilmember Kendra Brooks.
Thank you, Council President. As I consider this budget, I will be weighing in on how our choices impact Philadelphia's working families. I'll be thinking about families like mine who count on our city's public schools and libraries, parks and pools, families who are hoping to stay rooted in their homes and neighborhoods even as rent and groceries can -- (microphone issues). I think of families of women like Rafina Rodriguez, who is a domestic worker with me today as my guest for today's budget address, who is fighting for the rights to basic protections, like a lunch break and sick days at her job. I think of the thousands of Stated Meeting 158 03/14/2024 afford menstrual products and turn to Lynette Medley from No More Secrets, who I'll be advocating for in my budget request. My priorities in this budget come from my plan for working families, a report that lays out the concrete steps we can take to build a city where working families thrive, a plan which I released last fall. It shares several common priorities with Mayor Parker's proposed budget. Working families depend on safe, affordable programs for young people. I'm pleased to see 11 million for public pools as well as an increase in funding for public schools in Mayor Parker's proposal. The summer is getting hotter each year, especially in some of Philadelphia's lowest income blocks, and every child deserves a local pool to cool down and connect with neighbors and learn to swim. Stated Meeting 159 03/14/2024 Community College, which is where I earned my first degree so that I could get a better job and provide for my children, and I'm pleased to see 10 million in additional funds for Community College of Philadelphia. Working families depend on affordable housing, and I look forward to seeing more details in Mayor Parker's plan to prevent the disruption and displacement of eviction to keep families in their homes. Working families depend on green, welcoming public spaces like community gardens that exist in Black and brown neighborhoods across our city. As some of you know, my office has been working with community gardens for years to protect these life-giving resources, and I'm glad to see that's also a focus. And today on behalf of Council President Johnson and with the support of Mayor Parker's Administration, I'm Stated Meeting 160 03/14/2024 a priority bid to move vacant properties into the Land Bank. The majority of these community gardens used to be vacant lots, overgrown, filled with trash, dangerous places for children, and ugly reminders of the historic disinvestment that has robbed many of our Black and brown neighborhoods of resources, stability, and safety. Community members who live near these lots put in time and energy and care to transform them into beloved green spaces that provide shade, fresh air, food, and social connections across generations. My office has partnered with community gardens to ensure that the land that they tend and transform will not be sold out underneath them. Last June, we announced 91 parcels were currently protected from sheriff's sales, and I want to thank former Council President Darrell Clarke, Stated Meeting 161 03/14/2024 Gauthier, and Councilmember Quetcy Lozada for contributing to that work. The next step in the process is to create a priority bid that will allow these parcels to pass into the Land Bank and ultimately into the hands of community gardeners.
By passing this legislation, we will be moving closer to a responsible, sustainable system of land management for our city, one that recognizes and prioritizes the leadership of community members and caring for their own neighborhoods and creating our own vibrant public space and determining the future of the land. Working families depend on medical care that is affordable, easy to access, including mobile crisis units that bring trained mental health providers directly into our communities, and treatment options for family members who struggle with substance abuse. So today I'm also introducing a resolution Stated Meeting 162 03/14/2024 for our overdose crisis, in particular its impact in Black communities in our city. As I shared with the body before, I know and love people who struggled with addiction and are at risk of overdose. My zip code, 19140, is one of the hardest hit by the increase of overdose deaths. Overdose deaths in Black Philadelphians has nearly doubled in the past five years, increasing faster than any other group, and yet racial disparities in our healthcare and criminal justice system mean that Black people who struggle with substance abuse are far less likely to receive timely, evident-based treatment, and far more likely to face arrest than white people. As we consider a citywide approach to this crisis, we must take into account the voices and needs of Black families and communities that have already been devastated by 50 years of a Stated Meeting 163 03/14/2024 We can't afford to get this wrong, and as we define our approach here in Philadelphia, our two guiding lights must be impact community -- impacted community members and the research, scientific evidence, and expert healthcare professionals. Philly families are counting on us, and I look forward to delivering for them in this budget. Thank you so much, Council President.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes -- any speeches on behalf of the majority? The Chair recognizes Councilman Curtis Jones.
The Chair recognizes, on behalf of the minority also, Councilmember Nicholas Stated Meeting 164 03/14/2024
As-salamu alaykum to all the Muslims and Ramadan Mubarak for all those celebrating. If we are timely -- and if we follow your lead, Council President, we will be -- today begins about two and a half months full of hearings and plenty of deliberation. At the end of this process, God willing and the creek don't rise, as my father would say, we'll have us a budget. The Prophet Isa and the Injill both in Luke and in Matthew, as Christians understand the Gospel, is recorded as saying that where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Essentially the idea behind that passage is that where you invest, where you entrust your treasure reflects what you love or what you value. A budget is a moral document. This document is the most concrete statement of our collective values, a Stated Meeting 165 03/14/2024 believe we can deliver a Philadelphia that is resilient to the many challenges that we face. There are a lot of fresh faces on Council, a new Council President, and this is Mayor Parker's first at bat as an executive proposing a budget, so this will be a precedent-setting, historic period in so many ways. As we dive into this process, it's clear that there are some steep learning curves that I'm looking forward to climbing as a freshman Councilmember, but I'm thrilled and I'm grateful in advance for the chance to learn from my upper classmen, my upper classmen colleagues, and from the hard-working staff embedded in our City agencies, who are the folks that really make it all happen. Philly should know and take comfort in the fact that we have some true masters, like Councilwoman KGR, of the craft of budget analysis in this Stated Meeting 166 03/14/2024 aren't the only ones ready for a hands-on education in how Philly's budget comes together. So many who were in this room earlier, maybe a few that are still here or watching around the City, also want to learn more about this process. And if that's you, I want to welcome you to reach out to my office. We do have a short online form where you can ask questions about the budget process and share your budget priorities as well, and you can find the form on our social media or by giving our office a call. We want to help demystify the budget process and hear about what matters to you and to your families. And to not be afraid to chime in during this process. That is our ask. There are three days for public comment during the budget hearings, the first one being on March the 27th, as I understand it. So, Philly, please hear me when I say this. We want to hear from Stated Meeting 167 03/14/2024 you, we need to hear from you, and we would love to hear from you soon. Real quick, I want to honor Madam Mayor for standing firm on the priorities that she has for our city and that she spoke about just before. A safe, clean, and green Philadelphia, one with ample opportunities to put money in the pockets of working people, that is a worthy goal. I don't care who you are. Of the Mayor's proposed budget, I am most excited about the new investments in our public spaces. I share the Administration's interest in flowing more funding to our libraries, our parks, our recreation centers, and I commend investments in street paving, another public good that all of us rely on. We don't want to be riding around a bumpy roller coaster, as she said. I'm also happy to see a commitment to housing in this year's budget. I'm all the way down, ten toes down, for investments in home repairs. Stated Meeting 168 03/14/2024 task force addressing home appraisal bias, which lock so many out of homeownership and risk the relatively strong record that we boast of when it comes to Black and brown families owning homes in Philadelphia.
Simply put, there are many, many, many points of unity in this budget, and I believe we all acknowledge that today. As we work as a collective, however, to get this done, I will also elevate issues that rise to the top of my agenda. For me, I'm laser focused on building a greener city for working people. I'm driven by the need to lay the foundation -- Philadelphia should be the first to do it -- for a just transition to a more climate-conscious world, and we should lead on that front. Our parks and our recreation workers, like Ms. Jameele Mitchell, which is a DC47 union steward and a consistent public servant, who like many had to get Stated Meeting 169 03/14/2024 1 o'clock but who I was honored to have as my guest today, and especially the youth of our city, they need our support on this front, this environmental front. When I say "environment," I mean the air we breathe and the spaces that we inhabit. The atmosphere, whether we're dealing with poor air quality or poor behavior in our shared spaces, I mean -- the ad campaign is a bit corny, but really you shouldn't smoke on SEPTA. There's babies on SEPTA. Speaking of creatively raising funds to extend pro working class, pro SEPTA programs, like zero fare, well that's good investment for the environment too, but I'll wrap with this: I want to welcome all of Philadelphia to what should, should be the high water mark of our local democratic practice, which is the crafting of our City's budget. I'm not sure that this process is always viewed in that light, but we as Stated Meeting 170 03/14/2024 blessed opportunity to make it so, and I look forward to being part of that. So excited to get started. Thank you so much, Council President.
Thank you, Mr. O'Rourke. I just want to double check and make sure, will the senior member, Councilman Curtis Jones, I know your light isn't on, but it was on earlier. Would you like to be recognized, sir?
The Chair recognizes Councilmember Curtis Jones.
Thank you, Mr. President. At your urging yesterday after we got our budget briefing, you asked us not to interact with the press. For the record, we did not. We gave Madam Mayor Stated Meeting 171 03/14/2024 her budget, but I was like a kid at a holiday. And first let me join Member O'Rourke in saying Ramadan Mubarak to the two billion Muslims, some of whom are recognizing Ramadan this month and are fasting, and thank you for that acknowledgment. But you asked us not to. For the most part, I don't think we did, but I couldn't wait to talk about some of the things that were unveiled by the 100th Mayor of the City of Philadelphia, things that I like. First and foremost, no new taxes. It's been a long time since we did not have that threat to have to go knock on doors, hi, I'm your elected official, and oh, by the way, we're raising your tax. So it's very nice that she started out with that. But when you start to unwrap some of the things she's doing, the school-to-paycheck pipeline, growing our Stated Meeting 172 03/14/2024 workers, Majority Leader, to be able to cultivate a workforce I think is amazing. The 1,500 new trees, Member O'Rourke, that she wants to plant I think are amazing. I like the fact that 62 percent of our pension is paid up now. That came a long way. And thank you, former President Clarke, for insisting upon that fiscal stability. But look at what she is bringing to the party. When you start thinking about the SEPTA commitment and how they should work together closely, I think that's amazing. Bringing back sheriff's sales is sad, but that is also how we replenish our stock of affordable housing, and she's made a commitment to that. So there's a lot of things in this budget that I like that I couldn't wait once I got a preview yesterday to talk about, but the devil is in the details, and we have to do our job to Stated Meeting 173 03/14/2024 tinker in the right places to make sure it goes where it is intended to go. Her commitment to the Kensington Caucus was loud and affirmative, and I actually believe her. And when she started talking about some of the responsibilities of holding our citizens accountable for what they do, it felt like my auntie. Way back in the day, you ain't always like what she said, but you respected it that it came from a place of love, and that's how I felt about this budget address. Finally, I look forward to us doing the work, to us doing the detailed work over the next four months to deliver to our Mayor a budget that she can work with so that she can implement her vision. Thank you, Mr. President.
You're welcome. The Chair recognizes Councilman Stated Meeting 174 03/14/2024
Thank you, Mr. President. First, definitely want to say Ramadan Mubarak to all of the Muslims throughout our region. I also want to wish the City of Philadelphia a happy St. Patrick's Day. This past weekend I had the honor of walking with the Carpenters in the St. Patrick's Day Parade, and that was a great experience for me. But I am here to let the City know that tonight, this evening our office will be hosting with Councilmember Thomas a town hall, a state of emergency town hall, to discuss the issue of youth gun violence. Yesterday I attended a great event hosted by Council President and Cindy Bass, and I'm sure they will be able to tell you about those details, but the energy in that room was amazing. It was something that our city needs, and I Stated Meeting 175 03/14/2024 continue to do this all throughout our city, because gun violence knows no borders, no Council districts, no police district lines. It affects all of us. As a father of a young boy, of a young Black man, a young Black boy in the City, you know, I'm kind of scared, right? Because there are children out here killing children, and that makes me nervous. That makes me nervous for my son who looks like me walking around in North Philadelphia, other parts of our city. So I encourage everyone who is under the sound of my voice to attend. It is at 6:00 p.m. this evening at the Fox Gittis Room at the Liacouras Center. We will be having special guests. Commissioner Bethel confirmed that he will be able to attend tonight. We want to have the conversation with the community about solutions to the issues that we see. We Stated Meeting 176 03/14/2024 of the programs that we have had in the past need to stay there, because this is a new day, this is a new era. These kids are a different generation, so we have to listen to them to see what it is that they need so they can be successful and productive citizens in our city. So I look forward to having that conversation this evening. It's at 6:00 p.m. at the Liacouras Center. Thank you, Mr. President.
You're welcome. Great work, Councilmember Young. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Anthony Phillips.
I just want to say briefly that today's -- this morning's mayoral budget address was inspiring, electrifying of the remarks that were made. What really inspired me is the funding that will go towards districts to have cleaning crews do some Stated Meeting 177 03/14/2024 things that our neighbors ask for, and that is for our streets to be clean. This is an idea and thought that has been shared with many -- that has been shared by many residents, and for our Mayor to listen to the calls of all of the residents in the City of Philadelphia around this issue is pretty remarkable. I'm also impressed as she mentioned about me, my commitment to out-of-school-time programming and from Youth Action. That's how we -- actually how we met. So it was really nice to see that commitment and that clarity. The last thing I just want to say is that the community policing part I think is going to be an incredible opportunity for all of us, and we're looking forward to seeing all the infrastructure changes that also happens. As Congressman Dwight Evans has always said up in Northwest, you know, when you Stated Meeting 178 03/14/2024 neighborhood, that changes behavior. We looked at what he did in West Oak Lane. That changed West Oak Lane so much for the better, where it became a community of desire to be in. So I want to say thank you to Mayor Parker. We're looking forward to coming together to learn what else we can do to support this initiative, but also raise the questions so that we can really get to the details that are needed for us to be able to execute this budget well for the City. I also, lastly, want to announce, because we won't be able to announce it the next week, but Wednesday, March 20th at Northeast High School from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., Council President Kenyatta Johnson will be working in conjunction with me to host a Peace, Not Guns town hall meeting at Northeast High School with our friends Councilmember Driscoll and Councilmember Brian O'Neill as we try to come up with remedies and Stated Meeting 179 03/14/2024 of gun violence in the City of Philadelphia. So, again, Wednesday, March 20th, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Northeast High School on the 1600 block of Cottman Avenue. We're looking forward to responding to that horrific incident that took place last week. And just to know that our Police Commissioner, who is doing a great job, has already found, him and his team, all of the individuals and identified who they are and have three of them in custody, I believe one is on his way, the fourth one. So we're looking forward to that and also getting over to the Imhotep suspects as well. So thank you, Council President. I'm excited for Kensington as well. Thank you.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Jamie Gauthier.
Thank Stated Meeting 180 03/14/2024 you, Council President. Mayor Parker delivered a powerful budget address, and I share her determination to make Philadelphia the cleanest, safest, greenest big city, with economic opportunity for all. I was particularly excited to hear Mayor Parker propose fully funding the Office of Homeless Services, increasing the School District's share of property tax revenue and investing millions to improve basic municipal services. For years, I proudly fought for the financial resources City agencies need to equitably deliver quality-of-life services, and I am even more proud of the movement we have built. The community has been asking the City to provide high-quality basic City services for decades, but it wasn't until this body united around this issue that it became front and center. And while we did not see as Stated Meeting 181 03/14/2024 in the FY24 budget as we hoped, I couldn't be more excited, because Mayor Parker's commitment to clean, green, and safe and her intent to deliver comprehensive relief rather than the piecemeal improvements we usually see is exactly what our neighborhoods need and deserve. I will continue to be the Mayor's biggest cheerleader around cleaning and greening, and I look forward to working with all of you to turn her proposal into action. I was also glad to see the Mayor's plan to hire more 9-1-1 dispatchers and set aside money for future labor costs. Last year I called on the Kenney Administration to give our 9-1-1 operators a raise so we can recruit and retain the high-quality dispatchers we need to respond to emergencies quickly and effectively. The botched police response to last summer's mass shooting in Stated Meeting 182 03/14/2024 up at night. Expanding the call center and paying our 9-1-1 dispatchers the salary they deserve is our best shot at preventing tragic errors like the one last July from ever happening again. I'm similarly enthused about allocating $36 million for housing programs. Housing costs continue to soar, and income is not keeping up. Thirty percent of homeowners and 54 percent of renters in my Council district spend more on housing than they can afford to. We must help families access safe, stable, and affordable homes, and the magnitude of our housing crisis demands that we tackle this issue from every angle, including building and preserving affordable housing, cracking down on illegal discrimination against residents using housing vouchers, and rental assistance for those at risk of being displaced, and I plan to prioritize this last piece during this year's budget Stated Meeting 183 03/14/2024 assistance with our nationally acclaimed Eviction Diversion Program, we achieve a win-win-win. Renters remain in their homes, landlords get paid, and the City avoids footing the bill for expensive societal costs associated with evictions. And as the newly minted Chair of City Council's Committee on the Environment, I look forward to working with advocates like the Sunrise Movement and PennFuture, as well as the Office of Sustainability and the Philadelphia Energy Authority to fund programs that steer Philadelphia into a greener future, including fully staffed and operational parks, libraries, and recreation centers. As we continue to grapple with high levels of violence, world-class neighborhood public spaces have never been more important. After hearing Mayor Parker's plan to upgrade PPD's Forensics Lab and allocate an additional 25 million Stated Meeting 184 03/14/2024 partners, I'm optimistic that the City will continue investing a record amount in grassroots gun violence prevention.
Watching the gun violence rate continue to decline fills me with hope, because it means that our approach has been working, but I've also never been more determined that now is the time to double down, because even one victim of gun violence is one too many, and the violence we have seen just in the last couple of weeks, especially among young people, shows how important this work remains. The City must do more to wrap its arms around our young people and provide them with the support and services they need to stay safe. And as the Councilmember who represents the Philadelphia Juvenile Justice Services Center, to me this work includes addressing the Center's overcrowding crisis. I commend Councilmember Jones, Stated Meeting 185 03/14/2024 Ali, and the Deputy DHS Commissioner Williams for working with me to make PJJSC safer for our employees, young people, and community. But we cannot lose momentum, which is why this body must invest in diversion and prevention, services inside the Center itself, and resources to help young people integrate back into society. Under the leadership of our new Mayor and Council President, I'm optimistic that this budget will be one of the most equitable and impactful in our city's more than 300-year history. I look forward to working closely with all of you and the Mayor to deliver for our neighborhoods and our city. Thank you so much.
You're welcome. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Cindy Bass.
Thank you, Stated Meeting 186 03/14/2024 think that I want to join the sentiments of my colleagues in congratulating the Mayor on this budget address. I found it to be very exciting. I think that the details that were given today, that were provided today are really going to shape the direction of this city. And because there haven't been investments or it doesn't feel like there have been investments from the previous Administration on this level, this is going to really be unprecedented in terms of the services that people are going to see and feel. It's going to really be tangible. And so I'm super excited about this budget. I also wanted to publicly thank you, Mr. President, for bringing Peace, Not Guns on the road and starting with the Eighth Council District, where unfortunately we had the loss of life with a young student at Imhotep Charter High School. And I want to thank you. Stated Meeting 187 03/14/2024 night all night and we went over time. People are sick and tired of being sick and tired. They're tired of the violence. They're tired of the gun play. And I just wanted to bring it back to something that we've been, as you know, Mr. President, pushing for quite some time now, a phrase that was coined from my office, "what do you do when the shooter lives with you." Because one of the guns that was confiscated from one of the folks who was apprehended in the shooting in the Northeast, one of the guns was found in the home where he was. And so this is real. This is not make believe. This is not something that we are guesstimating. These are all young people who are living at homes with mom, dad, aunt, uncle, grand-mom, whoever, a caregiver. And so we're going to put out that call once again to go through that room, look under that mattress, look in Stated Meeting 188 03/14/2024 closets, look in those dresser drawers and check out who your young person is hanging with, what they're doing, what their mentality is. Check their social media. If you're not following them on social media, that right there is a problem. And so I just really want to encourage folks, we have to be much more engaged in the lives of our young people. And, again, Mr. President, I want to thank you for all of your help on this matter. I want to thank my colleague Councilman Young for coming out last night and also State Representative Darisha Parker for attending as well. But, again, it was a packed house all night, over time. And so it wouldn't have happened without us all coming together and saying what can we do to find solutions to this problem. So I'm optimistic, and I thank you for your assistance. Thank you.
Stated Meeting 189 03/14/2024 recognizes Councilmember Driscoll. One second. In terms of Councilwoman Lozada, do you want to be recognized?
Thank you, Council President. I just want to share in the excitement that everybody is feeling around this budget address. I think that I am extremely excited for the people of Kensington. Mayor Parker made a commitment to them when she visited their community many times, and she has consistently demonstrated that she is living up to that commitment. It's been a long time coming for that community, and so I'm grateful to her, I'm grateful to my colleagues who have consistently remained supportive of myself and of the Caucus. I know that Stated Meeting 190 03/14/2024 know that often times it's not easy. But the commitment is there. I want to continue to extend my open doors for conversation when there is confusion or where there is questions about the work that we're doing. I think that the Mayor was very clear today that if you are not on board in the work that is happening in Kensington, sit down, move out of the way and let the work move on, because the people of that community deserve it. They have not had quality of life for a really long time. I'm excited to hear that she is investing in what the City of Philadelphia has not had in a long time, and, that is, quality of life. Addressing quality-of-life issues across the City has not happened for a long time, and I think that her committing herself, her Administration committing themselves to ensuring that our Stated Meeting 191 03/14/2024 safer, are greener, that people feel like they're being heard is extremely exciting, and I think that we are going to see a different city. We are going to see different participation, different involvement by community residents because they feel her energy, because of the commitment that she's made and how she's showing that she is going to follow through on the things she says. And so I just -- I'm excited about it. I can't wait to really see the work happening. And I also want to take the opportunity to thank the men on this body for the work that they are doing, for them showing up and stepping up and having conversations with our young people and being mentors to them, being present and showing them the examples of being good leaders, being good men in this community, in our city. So I want to thank you all for the work that you all are doing. Stated Meeting 192 03/14/2024 come to the Seventh, come to the Seventh and speak to the kids in my community as well and show them the support that they need. Thank you.
You're welcome. Thank you. Councilmember Mike Driscoll.
Thank you, Mr. President, and thank you for supporting all our St. Patrick's Day events last week, leading up to our great parade on Sunday. I thought Mayor Parker was -- yes, I'll comment on that shortly. I thought the Mayor's speech today was powerful and inspiring, but what was also powerful and inspiring was Mayor Parker led our parade down Market Street on Sunday, and as she was walking, there were thousands of people on the parade route, and as she was walking down Broad Street towards Independence Hall, the young women in that crowd that were looking at her in awe and inspiration Stated Meeting 193 03/14/2024 become Mayor of a big city and that women can rise to the highest offices in the land, and then she would run over and take pictures with them, she was shaking hands, she was a rock star. She named herself Mayor O'Parker for the day, and she didn't disappoint. But I also as a member, a Board member, of the St. Patrick's Day Observation Association, there's 26 of us that put that parade on, and it's a 12-month job of getting all the groups that want to participate, raising money and making sure that we have the resources. I want to thank each of those Board members for their work all year long. I want to thank the police officers that lined the route, all the City municipal workers that helped us that day setting up the grand stands. It really was a really great day, and she talks about One City. Well, Stated Meeting 194 03/14/2024 City, and she was truly a rock star in the Irish community on Sunday. And we'll be ending the week up, this Sunday will actually be St. Patrick's Day itself, so we'll be celebrating with a mass, and lots of the neighborhood organizations will be throwing parties on Sunday. So we're looking forward to that. And then, lastly, you lifted up the Irish potatoes that my wife made and distributed to all of our Council colleagues. (Applause.)
And I have more in my office if you run out, so don't worry. And you also have the badge that we wore for 2024 celebration, and I have more of those if you need them. And it doesn't go unnoticed that Councilmember Jones is wearing a green Stated Meeting 195 03/14/2024 Jay Scott [sic] and Rue, and I thank you for that. And it's just been a great week all around and just wanted to express my sincere gratitude, Mr. President.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes now Councilmember Rue Landau.
Thank you, Council President. I just want to join the chorus right now of our praise for our Mayor, the budget address that she gave, for your leadership as well, and the work that we're doing collectively in this body. I believe that we're all walking away today with hope that we have needed for far too long that we can address and tackle the most pressing issues in our city, those that are disproportionately affecting our most marginalized communities, particularly Black and brown communities in the City, and I feel Stated Meeting 196 03/14/2024 City employee, I will tell you I could not be happier from her address and all of the departments I'm meeting with of finally breaking down the silos. There is too much information siloed in our departments, and sharing that information and that data is crucial for us to solve these issues. As Chair of the Information and Tech Committee, I believe the focus on evidence-based decision-making is crucial, particularly when we are handling and resolving the most pressing issues for our communities, and moving forward, I look forward to collaborating with my colleagues and the Administration throughout the budget process. One area of particular importance to me is the funding of affordable housing initiatives. We must ensure that our City budget reflects our values and priorities, and there is perhaps no greater priority than ensuring Stated Meeting 197 03/14/2024 access to safe, healthy, and affordable housing. Throughout the budget process, it's also very important to recognize the importance of investing in initiatives that will directly benefit our lowest income residents. The Mayor proposed fantastic solutions to this, things that we -- it's music to our ears of what we've been waiting for of basically a school-to-good-job-with-good-benefits pipeline that sounds fantastic. And this strategic allocation of resources demonstrates a commitment to tackling systemic inequalities and building a more equitable Philadelphia. In addition to affordable housing, I'm going to advocate for the same investments in our neighborhoods and essential services that she was discussing. From cleaning and greening to improving public transportation, to enhancing community health resources, these investments are essential for Stated Meeting 198 03/14/2024 communities across the City. This is equity. And equitable economic growth and opportunity are also top priorities for me. We must work to ensure that economic development initiatives benefit all Philadelphians, especially those who have historically been marginalized or underserved; namely, Black and brown communities throughout Philadelphia. It is particularly essential too with all of the initiatives that she has that we tackle our public safety crisis that we have in Philadelphia, and I couldn't have been happier to hear many of the initiatives that she's proposing. But, finally, I'm committed to using a civil rights and equity lens to evaluate the impact of the City budget on LGBTQ+ Philadelphians and all members of our diverse communities. It's essential that we consider the unique needs and challenges faced by these communities in Stated Meeting 199 03/14/2024 you so much. Can't wait. Looking forward to working with all of you through this process.
Thank you. Looking forward to getting down to business. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Isaiah Thomas for a motion to adjourn.
I'm about to say, I don't got no speech, Council President. Thank you, Council President. I move that Council stand adjourned until Thursday, March 21st, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. sharp.
It has been moved and seconded that Council stand adjourned until Thursday, March the 21st, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. Stated Meeting 200 03/14/2024 signify by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it, and the motion carries. ) Stated Meeting 201 03/14/2024 CERTIFICATE I HEREBY CERTIFY that the proceedings, evidence and objections are contained fully and accurately in the stenographic notes taken by me upon the foregoing matter, and that this is a true and correct transcript of same. MICHELE L. m. m. S.