Wonder what City Council has been up to since Election Day? It’s surprisingly difficult to find out. The 17 Council members meet every week of their five month session, often to consider important legislation that could affect every resident of the city. Here, your guide to what’s happening at City Council this week, what bills they’re discussing, why they matter and what we can do about them.
The official City Council calendar has additional information. If you'd like to speak at a hearing, see the instructions for how to sign up.
Special Committee on Criminal Justice Reform
Date/Time: May 23, 1:00pm
Location: City Hall, room 400
Agenda: Click here for PDF
Public comment: Yes
At this hearing, Council will be appointing civilian (non-Council) members to the Special Committee on Criminal Justice Reform. This Committee will eventually be conducting public hearings on Philadelphia’s criminal justice system.
Committee of the Whole
Date/Time: May 24, 10:00am
Location: City Hall, room 400
Agenda: Click here for PDF
Public comment: No
The Soda Tax is back on the menu at Council’s budget buffet. This is a continuation of Council’s ongoing budget hearings. Aside from the soda tax, there are a couple of tax reauthorizations and a decrease in the wage tax per the five-year plan.
Committee of the Whole
Date/Time: May 25, 1:00pm
Location: City Hall, room 400
Agenda: Click here for PDF
Public comment: No
Here’s where the Soda Tax showdown really begins. In part 2 of the agenda, Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds-Brown is introducing a competing bill.
Non-Reusable Beverage Container Tax
Bill number: 160508
Bill text: Click here for PDF
Sponsor(s): Reynolds-Brown
This bill, rather than taxing the contents of a beverage, would tax the container itself to fund universal pre-K. So, instead of $0.03 per ounce of soda, it would be $0.15 per container—that’s any can, bottle, or other beverage container. There are the usual exceptions (it doesn’t apply to containers intended for reuse, and doesn’t apply to baby formula), and, like the Soda Tax, it’s assessed on distributors. Councilman Henon claims that the Container Tax would raise $30 million less than the Soda Tax.
Transferring Universal Pre-K from the Mayor's Office to the School District
Bill number: 160509
Bill text: Click here for PDF
Sponsor(s): Reynolds-Brown
Councilwoman Reynolds-Brown also wants to change how our new pre-K system would be administered. Rather than running it through the Mayor’s office, it would be run out of the School District.
Committee on Appropriations
Date/Time: May 26, 9:00am
Location: City Hall, room 400
Agenda: Click here for PDF
Public comment: Yes
This hearing is to approve a $27 million transfer of funds from the Grants Revenue Fund to the Managing Director’s Office. The transfer is for the 2015-16 budget year.
Committee on Appropriations
Date/Time: May 26, 1:00pm
Location: City Hall, room 400
Agenda: Click here for PDF
Public comment: Yes
As with the morning session, this session will be to authorize the transfer of funds from the general Grants Revenue Fund into various City departments. $18 million in funds will be transferred, with $5.7 million going to Streets, $6 million to the Fire Department, $1 million to Public Property, $3.2 million to the Director of Finance, $1 million to Procurement, $1 million to the Law Department, and $38,000 to the District Attorney. These are all Fiscal Year 2016 fund transfers.
Committee on Commerce & Economic Development
Date/Time: May 26, 3:00pm
Location: City Hall, room 400
Agenda: Click here for PDF
Public comment: Yes
This hearing will be packed with new economic incentives and programs. More information to come, but the list includes: adding LGBT-owned businesses to the list of classifications to become a minority-owned business; adding benefits standards to the city’s minimum wage bill; and a requirement for City contractors to pay their subcontractors promptly.
Joint Committees on Streets & Services and Education
Date/Time: May 27, 10:00am
Location: City Hall, room 400
Agenda: Click here for PDF
Public comment: Yes