PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney promises a smoother road ahead — quite literally. He plans to restore street paving to the city budget, now that federal money can be used to replace tax revenue lost to the pandemic.
Kenney shared his budget priorities Thursday during his annual address to the Chamber of Commerce. This year, of course, the event was online, which allowed for some give-and-take and additional guests.
Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said her department has big plans for securing safety as the city reopens, though she did not provide any details.
Health Commissioner Dr. Tom Farley warned the pandemic would have "a long tail."
"We're not going to eradicate this virus in 2021, and we're probably not going to eradicate it in 2022. So it's going to be a different world, even though we can have a world that is successful," he said.
Masks and souped-up ventilation will be with us for some time.
Kenney said budget issues are also likely to linger.
"We have structural issues we have to deal with next year, the year after and maybe even the year after that," he added.
Still, the mayor looks forward to restoring cuts made in the heat of the pandemic, especially road paving and education.
