PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphia City Council’s final meeting before its summer recess is this Thursday. Any legislation that doesn’t pass this week will have to wait until the fall. That’s why Mayor Jim Kenney is urging Council to pass a measure needed for his Rebuild program to continue uninterrupted.
Councilmember Cindy Bass is holding up the measure because, she says, she just learned that her district is getting less money through the Rebuild program than several other districts. The Rebuild project’s annual statement has previously passed Council without discussion, but this year, Bass called for a hearing.
“The purpose of the council is never to rubber-stamp any mayor,” Bass said. “We would like answers to why the 8th council district, which has a tremendous amount of need, receives so much less than others that also have a tremendous amount of need.”
Bass acknowledges she approved the projects, both citywide and in her district, but says she didn’t realize spending would vary so much.
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Rebuild Executive Director Kira Strong says money was not assigned by council districts but by need, as measured by U.S. Census data, including poverty, crime rates and health indicators.
“It was always intended to address high-need neighborhoods, high-need sites, not a one-tenth or equal cut per council district but a real focus on the needs of the sites,” Strong said.
“So that’s why we prioritized, in partnership with City Council, 72 sites to focus on.”
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Bass’s district includes Chestnut Hill and Mt. Airy, but also part of North Philadelphia, where she says the need is great.
Mayor Kenney warned in a letter to Bass that the entire program would come to a halt during the critical summer months if she doesn’t release the measure for a vote. Bass says the ball is in the mayor’s court.
“Does he not have concerns? Does he not see the glaring inequities here? Does he think it’s fair?”