Moves on the Board: Week of April 14 - 25, 2025
♟️CITY OF PHILADELPHIA
Parker Administration
Over the past two weeks, Mayor Parker has hosted town hall-style meetings, including a conversation on her priority Housing Opportunities Made Easy (H.O.M.E.) initiative on April 16 in Southwest Philadelphia. As a proud Lincoln University alum and member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. she rallied with her sisters to round out the week, and provided remarks at the 18th Annual Prayer Breakfast on Saturday, April 19.
On Tuesday, April 22, the Mayor joined the Navy Yard, Ensemble | Mosaic Development, to unveil that the Navy Yard is the largest Leadership in Energy are Environmental Design (LEED) neighborhood development project in the country. The following day, she attended the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia’s Economic Mobility Summit in a fireside chat with fellow mayors, including Mayor Paige Cognetti of Scranton and Mayor Tim Kelly of Chattanooga. At the Summit, the Mayor announced a $10 million investment to support the City College for Municipal Employment. This funding matches $10 million from the FY25 Budget related to startup costs associated with the City College for Municipal Employment, raising the total to $20 million for this key Parker program.. The coalition supporting this initiative with funding includes William Penn Foundation, Comcast, Bank of America, Philadelphia Foundation, Pew Charitable Trusts, M&T Bank, FS Foundation, and Scattergood Foundation.
The Mayor had several public appearances on Thursday, April 24, in the Fourth Councilmanic District. She delivered remarks and toured the new Cobbs Creek Gold Course Learning Lab, which is funded by the Cobbs Creek Foundation and Tiger Woods’ TGR Foundation. The Mayor then toured businesses on Manayunk’s Main Street and heard from community members. Later that afternoon, the Mayor joined Bellevue Strategies client Philadelphia Energy Authority to share findings from a criminology study led by the University of Pennsylvania that showed a 15% reduction in crimes overall, including a 21% decrease in gun crimes, on blocks where old streetlights have been replaced with brighter, more efficient LEDs. Mayor Parker concluded her day with Councilmember Curtis Jones, Jr., at a One Philly 2.0 Budget Town Hall in Roxborough.
On the city department front, two key announcements included: the Office of Innovation & Technology's launch of a Free Wi-Fi finder and dashboard on Tuesday, April 22. On Wednesday, April 23, the Streets Department and Bellevue Strategies client Delaware River Waterfront Corporation (DRWC) announced a new phase of the Washington Avenue connector project that began this week. The connector project will link the Queen Village and South Philadelphia neighborhoods with the Delaware River Trail to help ensure safer connectivity for pedestrians and cyclists.
On Thursday, members of the Parker administration, including City Solicitor Renee Garcia, Finance Director Rob Dubow, and business community leaders, hosted a press conference defending the administration’s proposed elimination of the Business, Income, and Receipts Tax (BIRT) exemption. The BIRT exemption allows businesses making less than $100,000 annually to pay any BIRT tax. The exemption has been challenged for violating the state’s uniformity clause. The Parker administration is moving to eliminate the BIRT exemption, as the administration does not feel it can be successful in court due to changes in case law. However, to lessen the impact on small businesses, the Parker administration proposed programmatic funding in the FY26 Budget to support businesses as this policy change is rolled out. Businesses would be exempt from paying taxes this year but would begin paying taxes in FY27 (June 2026).
City Council
City Council held budget hearings the week of April 14th focused on Public Property, Fleet, the Free Library, Parks and Recreation, and SEPTA. Legislative hearings continued this week with a focus on the Mayor’s H.O.M.E. Initiative. Several departments were scheduled to testify on their proposed budget, but those hearings were unexpectedly cancelled. Council has not rescheduled the hearings at this time, but Bellevue is monitoring future scheduling changes.
April 15 Hearings:
Joseph Brasky, Commissioner of Public Property, testified on plans to support city operations by maintaining safe, efficient, and welcoming public facilities, including targeted hiring efforts and beautification of iconic spaces like City Hall’s courtyard. Their FY2026 priorities include centralizing administrative functions, improving energy efficiency and safety at Triplex facilities, and modernizing workspaces. The department also emphasized continued coordination on special events and a commitment to being a good neighbor through ongoing beautification and maintenance of City-owned assets.
The Department of Fleet Services testified on its commitment to maintaining a safe, reliable, and environmentally responsible fleet by prioritizing vehicle safety and reliability across City departments. FY2026 plans include enrolling 30 School District of Philadelphia students in the automotive training program, supporting vehicle availability for city departments, and expanding electric vehicle infrastructure under the Philadelphia Municipal Clean Fleet Plan. They also highlighted the continued replacement of old equipment with more efficient models to meet public service needs.
April 16 Hearings:
On Wednesday, April 16, The Free Library testified on its budget to highlight its essential role as a trusted, inclusive public space that supports literacy, lifelong learning, and civic engagement across Philadelphia. The testimony highlighted strategic priorities, including expanded service hours, community-driven planning, and critical infrastructure upgrades to ensure libraries remain safe, accessible, and responsive to the diverse needs of residents.
Susan Slawson, Commissioner of Parks and Recreation, testified on its budget to highlight its role in creating safe, clean, and green neighborhoods through expanded summer programming, youth sports initiatives, and community-driven events. Parks and Recreation testified on their investments in public safety, natural lands restoration, and sustainability efforts, continuing the department's role as a partner in supporting youth and enhancing the quality of life. Commissioner Slawson also outlined efforts to address illegal dumping through a partnership with the Police Department’s Environmental Crimes Unit.
Scott A. Sauer, Interim General Manager at SEPTA, testified in support of its budget, highlighting the City’s funding as critical to leveraging state funds and avoiding service cuts. Sauer warned that without long-term state funding, SEPTA faces a $213 million deficit that would result in a 45% reduction in service, a 21.5% fare hike, workforce reductions, and the elimination or scaling back of over 100 bus routes and rail lines. Amid record ridership growth and major upcoming global events in 2026, SEPTA stressed the urgent need for sustainable funding to maintain operations and support Philadelphia’s economic and mobility goals.
April 23 Hearings:
Tiffany W. Thurman, Chief of Staff, Angela D. Brooks, Chief Housing and Urban Development Officer Jessie Lawrence, Director, Department of Planning & Development testified in front of the Committee of the Whole in support of the Project H.O.M.E. initiative to highlight the Parker Administration’s strategy to $2 billion investment aimed at creating, preserving, and restoring 30,000 housing units. The testimony highlighted housing as the City’s top priority after public safety, stressing the need for systemic reforms and cross-sector collaboration to deliver real results.
City Council met for a legislative voting session on Thursday, April 24. The council session was delayed due to negotiations on the FY25 Transfer Ordinance legislative package being considered by the Committee on Appropriations. The committee met before the Council session to amend and report the appropriations package out of committee. The amendment proposed by Council contained $20 million in funding for initiatives championed by Council and agreed to by the administration. This legislation had a first reading and is expected to pass with a suspension of the rules next Thursday, May 1.
Next Week’s Moves
If you’d like to keep up with City Budget hearings, check out City Council’s Budget Center for the full schedule and relevant documents. The following departments will testify during budget hearings next week:
School District of Philadelphia
Community College of Philadelphia
The public will be able to provide public testimony specifically for the School District of Philadelphia’s budget next Wednesday, April 30.
The Committee on Licenses and Inspections will meet on Monday, April 28 to discuss bill numbers 250123, 250150, 250151 regarding licenses and permits in business and with junk dealers.
Coming Up:
The Committee on Legislative Oversight will meet on Monday, April 14, for its second hearing on the the city’s preparations for events in 2026 including the FIFA World Cup, Semiquincentennial, and MLB All-Star Game. Bellevue Strategies clients Visit Philadelphia and Philadelphia Soccer 2026 will testify.
♟️COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA
Shapiro Administration
Last week, Governor Shapiro and his family faced an attempted homicide when a Dauphin County resident broke into the Governor’s Mansion and set it on fire in the early morning. The Governor and his family were not harmed in the attack. Many state and national leaders from across the country have condemned the arson attack, calling it an act of antisemitism. Governor Shapiro’s full public response to the attack can be found here. The New York Times published a Guest Essay by the Governor on Wednesday, April 23. You can read the Governor’s essay here.
On April 16, the Governor joined Michele Buck, President and CEO of The Hershey Company, to open a new Reese Chocolate Processing Facility at the headquarters in Dauphin County. This new state-of-the-art facility will be the company’s first fully integrated digital manufacturing plant. Governor Shapiro highlighted his administration’s support of this facility and his efforts in helping to streamline the permitting process in order to strengthen Pennsylvania’s economy.
Lt. Governor Austin Davis highlighted the administration's efforts to improve public safety through recent grants from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime & Delinquency. He specifically highlighted the $900,000 awarded to the Butler County District Attorney’s Office to improve their Gun Investigation Program.
On Wednesday, Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding joined Second Harvest Food Bank Executive Director Sarah Wassel for a roundtable discussion on the importance of local farmers. They highlighted the administration’s proposed investments in the Pennsylvania Agricultural Surplus System (PASS) and the State Food Purchase Program (SFPP). These investments continue to demonstrate the Governor’s commitment to supporting the agricultural industry in the state.
Secretary of Labor & Industry, Nancy Walker, participated in a roundtable discussion with the Boys & Girls Club of Western PA to highlight the administration’s investment of $2.4 million in the Schools-to-Work program. This initiative helps to expand career opportunities for high school seniors across the Commonwealth.
📰 Updates from the Governor’s Newsroom
♟️PENNSYLVANIA GENERAL ASSEMBLY
The House of Representatives met in Harrisburg for a voting session Monday, April 21, through Wednesday, April 23.
Committee News:
House: A number of House committees met this week to consider a range of bills and resolutions. The House also held several informational committee hearings that ranged in topics from energy policy to cyber charter schools.
Caucus Updates: The Pennsylvania Black Maternal Health Caucus held a summit this week. The event, hosted by State Representative La’Tasha Mayes and the Black Maternal Health Caucus, focused on the role fathers play in helping mothers get the care they need. A listening session was held as part of the event to inform the development of the Shapiro Administration’s Maternal Health Strategic Plan, which aims to improve health care access, reduce maternal mortality, and address inequities in health care.
Local Delegation News: The House passed HB643 introduced by state Rep. Sean Dougherty, that would increase aid for affordable housing in Pennsylvania. The bill would allow a future increase in funding for the PA Housing and Rehabilitation Enhancement Fund, enabling more people to have safe, affordable housing. PHARE revenue from the state’s Realty Transfer Tax will reach a statutory cap of $100 million in the 2027-28 fiscal year. Starting in 2028 and going forward, the bill would raise this cap to $110 million to help PHARE keep up with high demand for this source of housing aid.
Next Week’s Moves
The House of Representatives and the Senate return for a voting session on Monday, May 5, to Wednesday, May 7.