Aye. The ayes are 16, the nays are 0. A 10/10/02 - STATED - 2nd READING, FINAL PASSAGE majority of all Members of Council having voted in the affirmative, the bill passes. The next bill to be called for consideration is Bill No. 020379.
An ordinance authorizing the Commissioner of Public Property on behalf of the City of Philadelphia to acquire some or all certain real estate parcels in the Eastwick Section of the City of Philadelphia, all under certain terms and conditions.
This bill having been read on two different days, the question now is shall the bill pass finally? The Clerk will please call the roll.
Aye. The ayes are 16, the nays are 0. A majority of all Members of Council having voted in affirmative, the bill passes. That concludes the Calendar for today. Are there any speeches on the part of the minority? (No response.)
Are there any speeches on the part of the majority? The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Brown.
Thank you, Madam President. I am not unlike thousands of citizens across this City and many of us in government, and most particularly those of us in this legislative body, who have been what Councilwoman Marian Tasco advised me of when I first came here, and that is, paying attention to this important public policy debate around tax reform. And we know that over the last few weeks the Finance Committee here has wrangled with this issue on how to best give the citizens of our City some relief on the high increases in property tax. Indeed, many of the increases that we've learned about and heard about and read about are outrageous. And I salute and commend my colleagues for their willingness to take on what is indeed an issue; for if it were not that, it would have been resolved years ago. We all know that we currently have a number of bills that have passed out of the Finance Committee, and by all appearances there will be a need for the meeting of the minds. My experience since I've been here is that when we have had multiple bills on an issue, we've met with both the leadership and the membership to figure out a resolution that is a win-win. Today, I want to weigh in two observations. One, I believe what we're facing is what's called a good-news problem. And why do I say that? David Thornberg in a letter to the Inquirer on September 27th -- and for those of you who may not know, David Thornberg is the Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Economy League whom many of us look to, including myself, for his position on complex issues like property tax reform. He stated, and I read as follows: "Last time we checked, rising property taxes are a good thing for homeowners, communities, and the City. They're also long overdue. After adjusting for inflation, total property values didn't grow at all in Philadelphia 1970 to 2000. So that's good news in the sense that the City's image is better, property values are going up, and we know when that happens property taxes go up. " And Mr. Thornberg illustrates that by saying the 60,000 vacant properties and structures in Philadelphia, more than any other City in America, bear witness to the consequence of decline in values. So we are indeed facing what I call good-news problem. Prior to any measure passing in this Body, it will be important for me that we give more full recognition and discussion to what has happened with our schools as it relates to property tax reform. While we have justifiably discussed the property tax reform in recent weeks, we have all been discussing the lack of funding for the Philadelphia Public Schools for years. It is my understanding that if we do a freeze on the School District portion of the property tax, we would be removing $14 million from their budget, $14 million afford to lose. So as we move forward, I will continue to pay attention and will certainly support reasonable measures that offer our citizens relief for their high increases which has already been demonstrated in Finance Committee hearings are outrages. " The property tax issue is important. But so are our students and our schools. For me, it's a moral issue. No matter where we live in the City, be it Chestnut Hill or Mount Airy, the wonderful homes in Overbrook Park, to those of us who reside ina Olde City, historic Penns Landing, to senior citizens in the twilight of their lives on fixed incomes, all of us share some responsibility when it comes to the funding of our schools. So it will be a lot difficult for me to support a measure that has a significant impact, and that needs to be underscored, a significant impact on the school budget.
So I'll be paying close attention to the information we still await from the Board of Taxes, and more particularly looking to see the figures they provide us and how those bills impact our schools. I felt it was important for my colleagues to hear this at this time, for me to weigh in because, as I've said, I've been paying attention. And as we move forward in this discussion on how best to remedy high property tax increases, I would ask that we be very circumspect and be very thoughtful and keep our students in mind. Our students, like the residents of this City deserve that kind of consideration. So I thank you, Madam President, for this hour. Thank you very much.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Cohen.
Thank you, Madam President. To my colleague Councilwoman Reynolds-Brown, one good way to give your constituents tax relief without in any way acting in a way adverse to the school system would be by supporting the wage tax cut to the targeted group that's now exempt from federal and state taxes and that matter. It would also help senior citizens and part-time workers of all kind. So I'm just saying the picture is not all dark. There's some very bright spots ahead for taxpayers in Philadelphia. But I wanted to deal with one other subject, and that's the Convention Center from a different point of view than what's been discussed hitherto. The discussion is getting confined to the labor issue at Convention Center with everybody believing that once we get the labor issue straightened out, if ever that comes about, that then the coast is clear for large-scale contribution by the state government and by the City of Philadelphia. Let me say, in my judgment, that is not at all the case. They're two separate issues entirely. Once we get over the labor hurdle, you have the problem that Representative Dwight Evans referred to yesterday when he said, you know, Philadelphia usually gets a packaged amount of money and if you take several hundred millions of dollars for a Convention Center, you're going to be taking it away from the schools which themselves need a for the new school program that Paul Vallis talks about. You're also acting in competition with all the other needs that the City depends on the state for support for. So I want everybody to know that the Convention Center is not simply a matter of the question of resolving what people call a labor question. That really does exist. But in addition to that, once that problem gets settled, we have the real public policy question with respect to what do we do with public funds. I think public funds, and I'm urging members of this Council to be ready for a full scale debate and discussion on is it proper again to use public funds for the purpose of private businesses. When businesses can afford it, I think they ought to pay their fair share of the freight. If something can't be done unless there's governmental help, that's an entirely different thing. But the situation isn't going to be resolved at the Convention Center simply on the labor issue. On the labor issue itself, I'm hoping that common sense is going to prevail soon and that issue gets removed from the table. Because it is quite embarrassing to hear those who have said to us times, and they've said it to me and I'm sure they've said it to every Councilmember, they say, "Councilmembers, jobs is the whole thing." And yet to hear one of the strongest exponents of that position take a different position on Convention Center and take positions which are costing working people in this area many thousands and thousands of jobs and future convention assignments, it's very difficult for us who have supported labor so faithfully and so strongly because we believe it's the right way to go. Labor is an essential part of the democratic can process. We think labor has a duty to lead the way. I don't like solutions imposed upon labor by anti-labor elements, and I think those of us who support labor have the same feeling. And therefore, I think there's a special responsibility in the current situation for labor to resolve a labor issue. That's where the solution must come forth, and I'm hoping that steps are being taken in that direction. Thank you very much, Madam President.
You're welcome. The Chair recognizes Councilman Goode.
Thank you, Madam President. I don't have a speech today. I would ask that before we adjourn, we have a standing moment of silence in honor of the memory of Father Paul Washington.
Thank you. May we have a moment of silence by standing at this time. Thank you. (Moment of Silence.)
At this time, the Chair recognizes Councilwoman Tasco.
Thank you, Madam President. I just would like to go back to the tax issue. This is a very serious matter, and there are a number of members of Council who have introduced bills to address the issue of the assessment problem. And I don't know at the end of the day which bill will get voted on, voted out, what will happen. I suspect that something may get voted out and then we would get a veto or we will get a letter from the Law Department saying that we don't have the right to pass legislation relative to the Board of Revision of Taxes or anything having to do with that. Yesterday, during the committee meeting, I expressed concern that there is an outcry in the City about the process by which our properties are assessed. I applaud those Councilmembers who have introduced legislation to address the issue. And I've signed onto most to them just so that we can have a debate and a discussion about each of those bills. I'm not sure what each of them does, where they are, what they mean. We haven't had an in-depth kind of analysis of any of them that would give me any sense of where I should be. But I think it's very important that we at this juncture try to come together as one, as a Council, to come up with something, and in relation and in conjunction with the Administration, of a way that we can resolve this issue. And so I ask you, Madam President -- and I have not spoken to you about this, this sort of like came on the heels of Councilwoman Reynolds-Brown's statement -- that you reach out to the Administration and ask that we sit down and maybe form a task force between the Administration and this Council to look at these bills or look at any other way that we can resolve the issue or helps the citizens of Philadelphia. I think that's much more productive than forming the we/they, them/us, all these different sides and lining up on one side or the other, but that we put that all aside and look at how we resolve the issue of the tax assessment that can be fair, not only to the citizens, but also generate the revenue that we need to run this City and also to fund the public schools. Because we can pass legislation, and at the end of the day we'll feel good, but also we will have done nothing. I think we have a responsibility to the citizens of this City to work together as an Administration and a Council to come up with a way that we can be able to deal with the tax assessment. And that is my comment. Thank you.
Thank you. I would just like to say that last week we had asked the BRT for information as to what the financial impact would be on every bill that was introduced. We were told that by last Friday we would have the information. When we called last Friday, we were told that the information would not be available to us until this Friday or possibly Monday. It is also Administration is asking for the same information. So when we receive the information, I think we will be in a better position to meet with the Administration and ask how we can work together to resolve this issue.
Thank you, Madam President. Just on that note, for the information we're waiting from the BRT, I'd basically like to point out that whatever information they give us may not actually be as accurate as we would like it to be because I believe either Monday or Tuesday of this week the condo owners are now beginning to get their reassessments, as is the same case with the commercial property owners. So we don't really get the full big picture of this until all of the reassessments for the various homeowners and property-owners has been completed. So we're not yet done with that whole issue. Whatever we get, obviously, is some help, but it won't be enough, in my opinion.
Understood. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Brown.
Madam Chair, I wish to underscore that, as has been reflected in my colleagues' comments, all of us are for fair and reasonable tax reform. I would ask that in the information we get from the BRT that it in addition reflects the impact of each one of those bills on the Philadelphia School System.
Thank you. Any other comments? The Chair recognizes Councilman Clarke.
Madam President, I have to say this. With respect to the discussions, since we're talking working in the spirit of cooperation, there is one particular bill that still remains in committee, and I ask that the members of the Finance Committee consider getting that bill out of the committee so that can be a part of the discussion. I'm not seeking an answer at this point.
Madam President, I held the bill because I was told that it would not get out of the committee. And we'll do what we need to do to get it out of committee. But I would hope, since I heard one of my colleagues say that getting things out of committee is to get all of this legislation into the mix so we can come up with the best piece of legislation. I don't need it to be mine, but I need mine to be heard and not held in committee. So I don't plan to vote for any of this legislation until I have an opportunity to get mine out of that committee.
Well, may I suggest that you send a memorandum to the Chairman of the Finance Committee so that it can be listed as soon as possible?
But you're asking that there be a hearing scheduled.
That's correct. I now. Have a hearing scheduled so we can try to get it out of committee. Thank you.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Nutter.
Thank you, Madam President. I'll be brief. Councilman Rizzo raises an important issue. My recollection, as a member of the Finance Committee at those hearings, was the sentiment of the committee was to move all bills out of committee. And we were told at that time that the Councilman -- this is not about Councilman Rizzo. I'm pleased to vote his bill out of committee. We were told that the bill was being held at the request of the sponsor. Now, I don't know what that communication was. I don't know who said what to whom. But if the information was available at the time that there was a request to move the bill, I would have been more than pleased to vote the bill out of committee. The general sentiment, I recall, of the committee that day was to move every bill out of committee. And I believe we moved every bill out of committee for which there was a request. So I don't know whether there was forward to the committee hearing. It should probably take about 30 seconds for that hearing to take place because all there's left to do is to have a public meeting to move that bill. The Councilman is absolutely correct, he should have the opportunity to have his bill out and all the bills should be out and on the Calendar to have a full and complete debate on the issue. So, Councilman, I'm pleased to support your bill getting out of committee.
Thank you, Madam President. I am pleased to speak as Chair of the committee. When it came time to reporting my colleagues' bills out, there were some concerns by some members of the committee that it would not have full support because it puts a lien of senior citizens' property. Having said that, I had staff confer to ask my colleague if he wanted to hold a bill irrespective of ultimate support for the bill or not. In other words, Madam President, we're happy to report the bill out. We were only having a content. And that is absolutely his right. And I certainly support, as did everyone on the finance committee, we supported everyone having their bills out on the table for discussion. And certainly, we absolutely support his right to do that. And we're very, very happy to do that.
Thank you. Are there any other speeches on the part of the majority? (No response.)
Seeing none, the Chair recognizes Councilwoman Tasco.
Thank you, Madam President. I move that Council stand adjourned until Thursday, October 17, 2002 at 10:00 a.m.
It has been moved and seconded that Council stand adjourned until Thursday, October 17, 2002. All in favor will say aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it. Council will be adjourn until Thursday, October 17th. Thank you. (Council adjourned at 11:10 a.m.) C E R T I F I C A T I O N I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing proceedings of the Council of the City of Philadelphia of October 10, 2002, were reported fully and accurately by me, and that this is a correct transcript of the same. RE: STATED MEETING ___________________________ Lisa C. Bradley, RPR and Notary Public