Council president Kenyatta Johnson speaks at the podium, flanked by Mayor Cherelle Parker, Councilmembers Anthony Phillips, and Jim Harrity at Thursday’s budget discussion press conference.
Photo: Philadelphia City Council
Philadelphia City Council’s last meeting included the passage of the City’s 2026 Fiscal Year budget and some protections for Philadelphia’s renters.
By Denise Clay-Murray
When I walked into City Hall on Thursday for Philadelphia City Council’s final meeting before it takes its summer break, getting down the hall to go to City Council chambers took a little negotiation.
That’s because the halls were teeming with people protesting the 2026 Fiscal Year budget, a press conference spotlighting Councilmember Isaiah Thomas’s bill requiring a minimum level of training a bill being introduced during the day’s session was going on and there were a couple of Social Studies classes coming in to see how government works in person.
That last group of folks got a real show during a meeting that included more than 70 public commenters, more than 50 pieces of legislation, a bunch of resolutions and legislative last words.
If they sat through it all, I mean. The meeting didn’t end until 2pm, which wasn’t as long as some of these wrap-up meetings have gone, but was a lot longer than people are used to in the Council President Kenyatta Johnson Era.
As the number of protestors would indicate, the big story was Mayor Cherelle Parker’s 2026 Fiscal Year budget and the $800 million bond issue that will become the mayor’s H.O.M.E (Housing Opportunities Made Easy) plan.
While the $6.8 million plan was more than what Parker had originally proposed due to additions reflecting Council’s priorities, many felt that it didn’t go far enough in certain areas including housing.
Protestors from OnePA Renters United Philadelphia, Philly Thrive, and other advocacy groups came to Council to say that while they appreciated the emphasis on housing, some of that emphasis is misplaced.
As part of a package of Safe, Healthy Home bills introduced by Council Minority Whip Nicolas O’Rourke, Council passed a bill authorizing the Department of Licenses and Inspections to provide relocation money to renters forced to move due to unsafe conditions.
Unfortunately, there’s no money in the budget to create the fund, which brought out the activists.
“We need to see Mayor Parker’s home plan include funding for relocation and for the repairs that help those struggling stay in their homes,” activist Melissa Monts said. “This isn’t just a renter’s issue. It affects the neighborhoods. We also need to be clear, renters need the full package of protections. This is just one piece of the Safe and Healthy Homes act. We will be back in the fall to fight for the other two bills, and we will not stop until they pass.”
Activists also came to decry the cutting of the Business, Income and Receipts Tax, and the $100,000 exemption that allowed small businesses to forego paying the tax on that money and gave these businesses the chance to expand.
But in the end, the budget passed by a vote of 15-1 with Council Minority Leader Kendra Brooks being the lone no vote. In fact, she was the lone no vote on just about every bill connected to the budget except for the bill that would raise the Realty Transfer Tax — where she was joined by Councilmembers Brian O’Neill, Jeffrey Young and Katherine Gilmore Richardson and the bill ending the Development Impact Tax, where she was joined by Councilmember Mike Driscoll.
With new cuts coming from the federal government every day, Philadelphians needed a budget that took those cuts into consideration, Brooks said. This budget doesn’t come close to doing that, she said.
“The budget that we are voting on today is largely unchanged from the mayor’s proposal,” she said. “City services are cut at a time when we need them the most across the country, and legislators in Harrisburg are worried about cuts in state and local funding. I made a promise to protect Philadelphians this budget cycle, and this budget doesn’t do it for me.”
In a post-meeting victory lap, Council President Johnson joined Mayor Parker in extolling the virtues of the budget and what it promises to do for Philadelphians.
“This budget represents our unwavering commitment to the people of Philadelphia,” Parker said. “At a time of real uncertainty in our country, this budget makes substantial investments in Philadelphia.”
“This is a balanced budget that reflects the needs of the citizens of Philadelphia,” Johnson said. “In a city with a rich history and resilient people, no one should be forced to sleep on the streets, live in unsafe conditions, or choose between rent and putting food on the table.”
But now that Council is over until September, what happens next? Unlike most people believe, Council isn’t off because it’s not meeting. There will be lots of community stuff that Councilmembers will be doing. And we’ll still be Hanging In The Hall.
But starting Sept. 11, the Councilmembers will be back in chambers and things like the Safe and Healthy Homes package of bills will come up for a discussion.
Have a great summer!
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