City Hall

Mayor Parker Signs Public Safety, Quality-of-Life Bills into Law

Mayor Cherelle Parker signed several bills into law yesterday, including a curfew for select Kensington businesses, a license plate flipping device ban, and new casino-style skill games regulations. Meanwhile, Philadelphia police have yet to devise a clear strategy to enforce a ski mask ban that went into effect at the beginning of the year.

City Council Wants to Make Eviction Diversion Program Permanent

Thursday’s City Council meeting saw the introduction of legislation to make the City’s pandemic-era eviction diversion program, which mandates that landlords and tenants pursue mediation and rental aid before court proceedings, permanent, though Mayor Parker’s FY25 budget proposes cuts.

Budget Hearings Update

During Tuesday’s budget hearing, Philadelphia officials addressed the City’s ongoing staffing shortage crisis, highlighting efforts to improve recruitment and retention. Despite progress in hiring, nearly a quarter of City jobs remain vacant. City Council members raised concerns about the impact of the Parker administration’s return-to-office policy on hiring and asked what is needed to reduce average time-to-hire. City Council will be hosting neighborhood budget town halls for residents and community leaders to provide feedback on the proposed $6.29 FY25 Operating Budget beginning next week.

The full schedule of FY25 budget hearings and a link to watch them can be found here. The following hearings are coming up next week:

• Managing Director’s Office (including Office of Public Safety), Police, Prisons (Tuesday, April 9 at 10 a.m.)
• Fire, Licenses & Inspections (Quality of Life; Inspections, Safety & Compliance) (Tuesday, April 9 at 1:30 p.m.)
• Streets, Office of Clean & Green Initiatives (including Sanitation), Fleet Management, Public Property (Wednesday, April 10 at 10 a.m.)
• Philadelphia Energy Authority, Sustainability, City Commissioners (Wednesday, April 10 at 1:30 p.m.)

Upcoming Committee Hearings

Philadelphia City Council holds several public hearings throughout the legislative calendar year. Watch here.

• A Committee on Commerce & Economic Development hearing on Thursday, April 4 at 2 p.m. will include testimony regarding legislation to provide protections for service employees, including laid-off employees.
• A Committee on Streets & Services hearing on Friday, April 5 will include testimony regarding the efficiency, implementation, and enhancement of the City’s outdoor dining program, as well as consideration of several parking regulation ordinances.
• A Committee on Rules hearing on Monday, April 8 will include consideration of several zoning ordinances.

Around Town

CDR Committee Reviews Revised 76 Place Master Plan

The Civic Design Review (CDR) Committee held a day-long public meeting Tuesday to review the 76 Place master plan, which has been revised incorporating feedback from the Committee’s last meeting in December.

Philadelphia Lawmakers Take Aim at Uniformity Clause

Philadelphia lawmakers are pushing to repeal the state uniformity clause in order to pass City-level tax reforms — which Mayor Parker advocated for in her proposed five-year budget plan — particularly property and income taxes.

CPOC to Bring on New Leader After Year-Long Search

Philadelphia’s Citizens Police Oversight Commission (CPOC) is poised to hire lawyer and pastor Tonya McClary as its new leader after a year-long search. She brings experience from similar roles in Dallas and New Orleans.

PAD Office in Kensington Plans to Expand as Mayor Parker Proposes “Triage Centers”

As Mayor Parker aims to boost police presence as part of a new public safety strategy in Kensington, the neighborhood’s Police-Assisted Diversion (PAD) office — a voluntary program offering support services to individuals who have committed specific nonviolent offenses, as an alternative to incarceration — is planning to expand, though some lawmakers have questioned their efficacy.

Mayor Parker Appoints 5 New School Board Members

Mayor Parker appointed five new members to Philadelphia's nine-member Board of Education this week. If approved by City Council, they will join three veteran board members in overseeing key education decisions, such as budget allocation, curriculum choices, and charter school authorization.

Northeast Portion of I-95 Closed for Railroad Bridge Repair

I-95 in Northeast Philadelphia will be closed for several days to repair damage from a tractor-trailer collision with a railroad bridge, causing significant traffic disruptions and impacting rail service to and from New Jersey.

PHL Preps for WrestleMania XL

The Philadelphia International Airport is welcoming WWE fans to the city for this weekend’s WrestleMania XL with a replica wrestling ring and championship belts displayed throughout the building.

Made in America Festival Will Not Return in 2024

For the second consecutive year, the Made in America festival — curated by Jay-Z and produced by Roc Nation and Live Nation — has been canceled, with organizers citing a need to reimagine the event.

Election Update

Philadelphia Gears Up for 2024 Primaries, General Election

Philadelphia officials inaugurated the first of 10 new election offices to ensure fair, transparent, and accessible elections across the city, with each district having its own office offering voter registration, mail-in ballot requests, and returns. President Joe Biden's reelection campaign and the Pennsylvania Democratic Party are also opening Philadelphia offices to drive turnout and secure key votes ahead of the 2024 election. With the presidential race intensifying, Philadelphia is emerging as a heavyweight that could determine the outcome in the decisive battleground state of Pennsylvania.