PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphia City Council passed a controversial bill last week that would extend pandemic sick leave for another two years and require thousands more businesses to provide it.
In a rare instance of public debate, several City Council members argued against the bill, which mandates an additional week of sick leave for COVID-19 related illness. It applies to any business with 25 or more employees — half the number of previous versions of the bill — which means 3,000 more small businesses have to provide the benefit.
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Councilmember Allan Domb said it could end up hurting the workers it’s designed to help by chasing away jobs.
“Philadelphia is on the brink of recovery — the brink — and this legislation will [be] another reason why employers will choose to leave the city or locate elsewhere,” he argued. “Our residents, in the long run, will suffer from the lack of opportunity.”
The bill passed 12-4.
Among other bills, one proposal would give Philadelphia International Airport its own city department.
Under the city charter, the airport is part of the Commerce Department, but in the 70 years since the charter was written, the airport has grown into one of the largest in the country. The Kenney administration has proposed a charter change to create a Department of Aviation, reporting directly to the mayor, to eliminate some red tape on hiring and procurement.
Also last week, council approved a bill to create a public financial authority — a step toward establishing the first municipal public bank in the country. It would extend credit to small businesses that lack the resources to get loans from traditional banks.
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