Anyone opposed? 6/4/26 - STATED - 2ND READING (No response.)
The ayes have it. The resolution is adopted. Chief Clerk, please read the title of the next resolution.
A privileged resolution recognizing the work of land stewards and supporting transparency and land disposition in the long-term preservation of stewarded land in the City of Philadelphia. Introduced by Councilmember Lozada.
Chair recognizes Councilmember Quetcy Lozada for a motion on the resolution.
Thank you, Council President. I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.) 6/4/26 - STATED - 2ND READING
It has been moved and properly seconded that the resolution be adopted. All those in favor will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it. And the resolution is adopted. Chief Clerk, please read the next resolution.
A privileged resolution honoring Leo Elliot, Susan Layne, and Nancy Geist Giacomini for their skillful and committed work in making the Eviction Diversion Program Portal possible, and their nationally recognized success in keeping 6/4/26 - STATED - 2ND READING thousands of Philadelphians in their homes. Introduced by Councilmember Brooks.
Chair recognizes Councilmember Isaiah Thomas for a motion on the resolution on behalf of Councilmember Kendra Brooks.
Thank you, Council President. And thank you to Minority Leader Brooks for her leadership. With that being said, I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that the resolution be adopted. All those in favor signify by saying aye. (Aye.) 6/4/26 - STATED - 2ND READING
The ayes have it. The resolution is adopted. Chief Clerk, please read the title of the next resolution.
A privileged resolution recognizing and honoring June 30th as Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenital Awareness Day in the City of Philadelphia. Introduced by Councilmember Harrity.
Chair recognizes Councilmember Jim Harrity for a motion on the resolution.
Thank you, Council President. And I move for the adoption of the resolution. 6/4/26 - STATED - 2ND READING (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that the resolution be adopted. All those in favor signify by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it. The resolution is adopted. Chief Clerk, please read the title of the next resolution.
A privileged resolution honoring and recognizing Covenant House Pennsylvania on the occasion of its 25th anniversary celebration and commending the organization for its commitment to serving young people 6/4/26 - STATED - 2ND READING experiencing homelessness, trafficking, and instability across the City of Philadelphia. Introduced by Councilmember Bass.
Chair recognizes Councilmember Cindy Bass for a motion on the resolution.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move for the adoption of the resolution. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that the resolution be adopted. All those in favor signify by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it. The resolution is adopted. Chief Clerk, please read the title of the next resolution.
There are no further resolutions in my possession, Council President.
That completes our Calendar for today. Are there any brief speeches on behalf of the part of the Minority? (No response.)
Are there any brief speeches on behalf of the Majority? Chair recognizes Councilmember Dr. Nina Ahmad.
Thank you, Council President. I will be brief. I just wanted to thank all my colleagues for voting on this Child Welfare Commission to be put on the ballot, and this really is about making sure our most vulnerable and precious constituents, our children, are taken care of and that their families can stay whole as conditions allow. For too long, residents of Philadelphia have navigated a Department of Human Services that lacks some transparency and a child welfare system without much accountability and impacted families and caregivers have been telling me that they need this body to be able to have a clear and accountable way of knowing how DHS does business. Philadelphians deserve to understand how their tax dollars are spent, and I look forward to this getting on the ballot and hopefully passing so we can serve our children and families. And finally, I also want to say that today we had a first reading of Bill 260303, legislation that establishes basic guidelines for T and U visa certification requests, including timely response to applications, written explanation for denials and protections against applicants' immigration status being shared without consent. These visas provide federal immigration protections for crime victims and trafficking survivors. And to qualify for a U visa, applicants need certification from certified government agency, which includes our DA, our police and DHS -- Human Services, not the federal DHS. And these certifications are not necessary for T visas. But if they're given, they're very helpful with the final process that happens at US CIS. This is really a public safety measure and I'm pleased that we have come this far. I hope at our next stated meeting this bill 10 will pass. And I thank you all for your support on all the resolutions and bills thus far. Thank you so much, Council President.
Thank you very much. Councilmember Cindy Bass.
Thank you, Mr. President. Today I introduced a resolution honoring Covenant House Pennsylvania on the occasion of its 25th anniversary and recognizing its extraordinary service to the young people of Philadelphia. At a time when youth homelessness is increasing at alarming rates, the work of Covenant House is more important now than ever. The fact that more than 10,000 children and youth in Philadelphia were identified as experiencing homelessness during the last school year should be a call to action. Behind every number is a young person who deserves safety, dignity, opportunity and the chance to build a brighter future. What makes Covenant House so remarkable is that it understands a simple but powerful truth: Before a young person can thrive, they must feel safe. That fact was brought into sharp focus yesterday during the shooting near Fitler Academics Plus School, a school slated to be closed in the school district's new facilities plan. During a scary situation, which was a shooting outside the school, the school's staff and administrators acted swiftly and effectively, implementing a lockdown to help keep students safe. Parents, teachers, school personnel and first responders all came together with one shared goal: protecting children. The successful response at Fitler demonstrated the critical role our schools play not only as places of learning, but as places of safety, stability and support. Every day schools serve as anchors in our communities, especially for children who may be facing challenges beyond the classroom, including homelessness, housing insecurity, trauma and violence. That is why it is impossible to discuss organizations like Covenant House without also acknowledging the importance of protecting and supporting our schools. The same children who rely on organizations like Covenant House often rely on their neighborhood schools for meals, counseling, trusted adults and a sense of belonging. These institutions form a network of care to help young people navigate adversity and find hope. It is particularly pointed that Fitler, a school that recently demonstrated its value as a safe haven for children during a community crisis, is among the schools currently being considered for closure. As we make decisions about the future of public education in Philadelphia, we must remember that schools are not simply buildings. They are community lifelines. They are places where children are protected, nurtured and connected to services and support systems that they need to succeed. Organizations like Covenant House remind us that when we invest in young people, we strengthen our entire city. When we provide shelter, support, education, and opportunity, we interrupt cycles of poverty, homelessness, violence and instability. When we stand with our youth, we build safer and stronger communities for everyone. So today, as we celebrate years of 24 Covenant House Pennsylvania and their service, let us also recommit ourselves to the broader mission that Covenant House embodies, ensuring that every young person in Philadelphia has a safe place to turn, a supportive community to rely on and a real opportunity to reach their full potential. To the leadership staff, volunteers, supporters and most importantly, the young people whose lives have been transformed through Covenant House, thank you. Your work has changed tens of thousands of lives and has made Philadelphia a more compassionate, more equitable and a more hopeful city. Thank you, Mr. President.
Thank you very much. Chair recognizes Councilmember Quetcy Lozada.
Very quickly, Council President. I just want to remind my colleagues of the street renaming after our former colleague, Councilmember Sharon Vaughn, tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. and the 300 block of East Rockland Street, between B and C. All are welcome to attend. Thank you.
Thank you very much. Very well done. Chair recognizes Majority Leader Katherine Gilmore Richardson.
Thank you. Thank you very much, Council President. I rise this morning to say thank you to you as our Council President, for your leadership throughout this budget process. We are deeply grateful as a body for how you have shepherded us through this process, for taking all the calls, answering all the emails and really hearing the concerns of our members as shared by our constituents and community residents across the City of Philadelphia. Today we passed the Fiscal Year 2027 budget out of committee, which included an additional $50 million for the School District of Philadelphia, and we offset some of that increase with spending reductions. City Council's job, per the Home Rule Charter, is to appropriate funds in an annual budget that is balanced, and that is what we did today. I'd like to reiterate, we did our job. So for anyone who's asking us not to do our job, don't ask us not to do our job. The Five Year Plan is required to ensure the City is on stable financial footing and that is managed by the Administration, and they will now present their plan to the PICA Board for approval. It is at their discretion if they choose to include the additional funding approved by City Council today across that plan. For the record, Council President, I'd like to add that from FY18, Fiscal Year '18, to Fiscal Year 2026 the City of Philadelphia has increased its annual contribution to the School District of Philadelphia by $686 million. 7 million in eight years. None of these increases were considered one-time funds. They were all included in the annual budget and across the plan as reoccurring revenue. I'd also like to remind everyone that the School District of Philadelphia used one-time federal COVID relief dollars to hire new positions and expand school staff and services. Those funds were not considered detrimental to the district's financial position. Additionally, the School District of Philadelphia receives an annual grant from the City of Philadelphia, and typically when the City and the District finalize their respective Five Year Plans, the annual funding level of the contribution for the adopted fiscal year is maintained across the plan, despite the contribution only being approved as an annual line item. It is at the discretion of the Mayor and the school district if they decide to maintain the funding level for the contribution. In addition to that, Council President, I'd like to share from the School District of Philadelphia's five year financial plan, wherein they sent us a graph notating their projected fund balance for Fiscal Year 2026 as $406 million. Projected fund balance for Fiscal Year 2027, $200 million. Projected fund balance for Fiscal Year 2028, $83 million. Projected fund balance for Fiscal Year 2029, $20 million. Projected fund balance for 2030, $54 million. Projected fund balance for FY2031, $113 million. Council President, I reject anyone who will rise anywhere to say that this Council did not stand up to do what we needed to do for our children. Because you want to know what, my children go to public school, two of them currently in 3rd and 5th grade at two different schools. I am a graduate of the public school system. I previously worked in the public school system. Yes, we have to make difficult decisions and choices, and that is what negotiations are. They're a two-way street, not a one-way street. So I reject anyone who will purport that this Council has not stood up for our children, because that is what we have done year over year. And I especially take exception to it as a mother with children in the public school system and a graduate of this system. I wanted to ensure that we got that on the record because we also have to balance the delicate needs of our constituents and what they are telling us that they want us to do. This is not about any of us. This is about the people we serve and about our children and the legacy that we will leave to them. So anything else is just that, nothing.
The Chair recognizes Councilmember Isaiah Thomas.
Council President, my energy is the exact same. First of all, thank you for your leadership. I want to say thank you to all of the District Councilmembers who sacrificed so much to make sure that we passed a budget that felt good for the citizens of Philadelphia. I know At-Large members sacrificed too, but nobody sacrificed like District Councilmembers because they looked at what was going on and they said I can't do this to the people I represent. Let me add a little more clarity. I'm not going to repeat any of those numbers because I agree with all those numbers. Those numbers are facts, but let's add a little more clarity to where we are. I think it's very disingenuous for us to sit up here and give up everything that we did and sacrifice everything that we did for children in schools that we care about. I think the only thing we should be hearing from the School District of Philadelphia and the School Board is thank you. That's all we should be hearing. Some of the communication that's been sent to this legislative body is not only disrespectful. We haven't even finished the session yet and they're disrespecting us. Not only is the communication disrespectful, it proves the point that we've been saying for a long time, that these folks don't respect this legislative body. Well, guess what? They learned today. Now, you want to talk about recurring revenue. That's what we want to talk about, recurring revenue. Last I checked I've been fighting for recurring revenue. Last I checked, on this same floor last year, I begged for recurring revenue and I was told no. 23 Actually, if I remember correctly, I was told you can't tell everybody yes. That's exactly what I was told. So now, if you look at where we are, right, recurring revenue, I submitted ideas around recurring revenue. I've been asking for recurring revenue for years. Every recurring revenue idea I have presented since being a legislative member of this body, since being the Education Chair of this Committee, has been shut down. Now, I'm no dummy. I ain't saying my ideas are the best, but they can't all be bad. So now, for us to be in this moment where we should be, we should appreciate the fact that legislators were willing to give it all up for children and not tax people. That was our biggest goal today. It is offensive for anyone to pretend that this legislative body does not care about recurring revenue, does not care about children, and we did everything in our power to make sure that staff don't have to be moved and/or laid off. If staff gets moved and/or laid off, that's not on us. That's a choice. There is money and we put more money on the table. That is a choice. I'll close out by saying this, Council President. Even after all these issues around operating dollars, we still have a facilities plan that we don't agree with. What I want to be very clear about sending over communication to this legislative body, after getting the funding you got, is not only offensive and disrespectful. This is my question, Council President: When the school district and the school board did get reoccurring money last year, did they send a letter to the Mayor? Did they complain to the Mayor? Hey, Madam Mayor, the legislative body asked for recurring revenue last year. Was there a letter sent? Was there disrespectful communication to the Mayor? No, it wasn't. At some point, them folks over at 440, they're going to recognize they do not work for me, they do not work for the Mayor. They work for the citizens and the people of Philadelphia. That's who we work for. And everything we do and everything we fight for, that's who it's for. Thank you, Council President.
Thank you very much, sir. I want to take a moment to welcome my friend, District Attorney Larry Krasner, for joining us at our session as we wrap up the day. Thank you for being here, sir. Came at the right time. You know how you got family squad when you like, yo -- let me stop. We airing out the laundry. Councilmember Nicolas O'Rourke.
Thank you, Mr. President, for your indulgence. Real brief. The Trump administration and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which we know as HUD, announced that they are winding down and effectively ending the Restore Rebuild program. I want to make sure I get this on the record. This is really important. Restore Rebuild allowed public housing authorities to create new, deeply affordable housing units while accessing both Section 8 rental assistance and private financing tools. It essentially allowed for more units with Section 8 financing arrangements than the number of Section 8 vouchers that HUD gives the City. I don't want to sugarcoat this. This regulatory change will be debilitating for some public housing authorities who are relying on this program even more than we were. PHA will forge on. But as we think about budgeting, as we think about allocating dollars and colleagues, we're talking about that today. Please understand that there is a new burden on us to contribute to the preservation and production of truly affordable housing, that's if we actually want to meet the goals we have set or the goals that we signed on to, and I know this body does. If we're serious about preventing displacement of long- term citizens across the city, this change in D.C. has changed the game for us here at home. It should change how we're thinking about the H.O.M.E. Plan going forward. Over 20% of the City's affordable housing complexes that rely on the federal low-income housing tax credit and Section 8 subsidies, about 100 out of 450 complexes are set to expire over the next decade, 100 or 450. If we want to talk about maintaining public trust in this institution, much less our individual places in it, we've got some rethinking to do as it relates on that front. I just want to make sure I got that on the record. Thank you for indulging, Mr. President.
Thank you very much. Thank all the members for their hard work through the budget process, as we advocate for not only the children here in the City of Philadelphia, but also the citizens, the overburdened citizens who are sick and tired of being sick and tired of being taxed. And so, I just want to thank all of you for your hard work and listening to your constituents. Thank you very much. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Isaiah Thomas for a motion to adjourn.
Thank you, Council President. I move that Council stands adjourned until Thursday, June 11, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that City Council stand adjourned until Thursday, June 11, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. All those in favor will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it. The motion carries. Thank you all very much. - - - (Stated Meeting adjourned at 1:45 p.m.) - - C E R T I F I C A T I O N I, hereby certify that the proceedings and evidence noted are contained fully and accurately in the stenographic notes taken by me in the foregoing matter, and that this is a correct transcript of the same. ________________________________ TANEHA CARROLL