PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphia City Council worked until 1 a.m. Thursday to hammer out a $6.4 billion budget for the next fiscal year, approving Mayor Cherelle Parker’s first budget with only a few adjustments.
City Council added more money for street cleaning, a home repair program, rental assistance and tree planting. The budget also includes funding to increase the city workforce through programs such as a city workers’ school at the Community College of Philadelphia, and money to add more police officers to neighborhood bike and foot patrols.
Council President Kenyatta Johnson said the budget is very similar to what the mayor proposed in March.
“A lot of her goals and a lot of council members’ goals are in alignment and, most importantly, will allow us to move the city of Philadelphia forward,” he said.
Overall, the budget grew by $80 million through negotiations with City Council. It includes not only new money but also a new approach, Parker said.
“This budget is a huge step to making good on that promise to make Philadelphia the safest, cleanest, greenest big city in the country,” she said, boasting that it’s being done with no new taxes.
In fact, this budget provides new property tax relief, with an increase in the Homestead Exemption for owner-occupied homes and a new low-income tax freeze, sponsored by Councilmember Jamie Gauthier.
“This property tax freeze is not a handout,” she said. “It’s an investment in home ownership in our city. By making sure our neediest homeowners can afford their tax bills, we invest in their ability to remain in our neighborhoods.”
The Homestead Exemption for owner-occupied homes will go up to $100,000, which Johnson estimates will produce an additional $240 in tax savings for homeowners.
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The capital budget increased by $40 million as council members won additional spending on rec centers and libraries in their districts. It includes the entire $100 million the mayor requested for so-called “wellness centers,” an effort to address the city’s addiction epidemic.
Parker thanked City Council in a statement and promised that “residents will be able to see, touch, and feel the positive impacts of this budget in their neighborhoods.”