[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6624291,"mediaKeyId","2766622-d9f88e9fc6c0e3fbc1307c0fb6975212","parentId",2766622,"title","Mayor—administration presents $2.3 billion in new operating investments and multi-year capital program to Council","audioSeconds",7759,"startMs",241000,"endMs",8000000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2766622-d9f88e9fc6c0e3fbc1307c0fb6975212&start=241&end=8000","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2766622-d9f88e9fc6c0e3fbc1307c0fb6975212/thumbnail_241000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6624291/Philadelphia-City/Philadelphia-County/Pennsylvania/Mayoradministration-presents-23-billion-in-new-operating-investments-and-multi-year-capital-program-to-Council","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6624291-20e624175ef505229acc6c8f91c59e16/orig.mp4?Expires=1773125704&Signature=N4SzBsGHheQpRHPURkHw8DQT~9yZlQXZ1Fz6cXhq4xv-kCeKm~aLq8HDofFndMlsQcvYXSsmHS8wzXCoz-F0L688UiREsIA345~zcfaNG8~0xIfaWGGZOSXiy1dqSh7Ws5sooOGVQGp9~hRwnALgfJEnNr2hE~pVX95yg7MyzjL2uESf56rhCqR99FCxx3m9b-8rrgErPYj5xPF8GU9x~xfwc97D9zdRjoKmweEnrkaAkhpTwOfUNBMIaIy6Q9dWx7rgSRxfxMrFLu~pM7R2uzXfx1iNMfLCralB9X87lrtC5Uw9qiPziTAqqHTmlECrso-FERwZfvIYhgFACnvuaA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Philadelphia City Council","date","2025-03-25T21:57:50.497Z","article","The Committee of the Whole of the Philadelphia City Council opened a public hearing on the administration's proposed fiscal 2026 operating budget, the six-year capital program and a five-year fiscal plan. Tiffany Thurman, chief of staff to Mayor Parker, told the panel the five-year plan includes $2,300,000,000 in new operating investments and almost $1,500,000,000 in new capital investments and balances major priorities with the city's fiscal stability.

Why it matters: the package would fund major new city initiatives and long-term tax changes while the city faces the end of one-time federal American Rescue Plan funding and a large pension-bond payment due in fiscal 2029. Administration leaders said the plan aims to preserve at least 6% to 8% in reserves across the five-year horizon.

Thurman summarized the administration's five priorities for the plan: housing, multi-year contracts for city workers, tax reform, the city's wellness ecosystem, and preparations for 2026 special events. On housing, she said the plan includes \"two $400,000,000 borrowings as part of an overall $2,000,000,000 financing strategy for the Housing Opportunities Made Easy or HOME initiative.\" Thurman said the HOME initiative is intended to help build or preserve thousands of housing units across income bands.

The administration also outlined labor and tax proposals. Thurman said the five-year plan includes a $550,000,000 labor reserve to support multiyear contracts with unions, and proposed \"historic changes to the city's business and wage taxes,\" including phased reductions to parts of the business income and receipts tax and steady decreases in the wage tax from FY2026 through FY2030.

Octavia Howell, executive director of the Philadelphia City Planning Commission, presented the recommended capital program and budget. She said the commission's recommended six-year program proposes more than $1,400,000,000 in new city general obligation bond funding and $17,800,000,000 in total improvements when all funding sources (including aviation, water, federal, state, and private funds) are counted. For FY2026 she said the recommended capital budget calls for $337,000,000 in new general obligation bond funding.

Howell described priority investments in \"clean and green\" projects, public safety (including the Riverview Wellness Center and fire academy renovations), core support such as IT upgrades, economic opportunity projects and education and cultural institution investments. She told council the planning commission worked with 22 departments and that the planning commission approved the proposals on March 11, 2025.

Administration witnesses detailed other targeted items. Thurman said the plan adds roughly $40,000,000 in FY2026 to previously approved spending to prepare for 2026 events, bringing the city's total event-preparation investment to about $100,000,000; she said the broader special-events effort totals $500,000,000 for improvements including airport, transit and roadway projects. Angela Brooks, the chief housing and urban development officer, said preventing housing instability and expanding eviction-prevention and rental-assistance programs are north stars of the HOME initiative.

Council members questioned fiscal assumptions, the timing of borrowings, and the operational steps needed to deliver housing projects quickly. Administration officials said they had issued an executive order to identify bottlenecks across city agencies, had directed a new Office of Policy Planning and Delivery to improve implementation, and planned public reporting of recommendations. Finance staff said they expect to pursue additional borrowing this summer for existing programs.

No formal legislative votes were taken during the hearing. Council members scheduled follow-up hearings and written follow-ups; administration officials repeatedly offered more detailed schedules, program-level spend-down plans and department-level staffing projections to be supplied to council in writing.

Looking ahead, the administration said it will provide finer-grained spending timelines and staffing plans as the Council continues budget review. Council and administration members identified additional hearing dates and technical follow-ups on the HOME plan, capital delivery, and tax reform.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Committee of Whole: Budget Hearing 03-25-25 Capital Budget","oneSentenceSummary","The Committee of the Whole of the Philadelphia City Council opened a public hearing on the administration's proposed fiscal 2026 operating budget, the six-year capital program and a five-year fiscal plan.","taxTitle","Philadelphia City, Philadelphia County , Pennsylvania","taxId",80615,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6624286,"City reports 5,791 vacancies; administration highlights hiring bus and CCME to lower vacancy rate",188,1932000,2120000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2766622-d9f88e9fc6c0e3fbc1307c0fb6975212&start=1932&end=2120","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2766622-d9f88e9fc6c0e3fbc1307c0fb6975212/thumbnail_1932000.jpg","/articles/6624286/Philadelphia-City/Philadelphia-County/Pennsylvania/City-reports-5791-vacancies-administration-highlights-hiring-bus-and-CCME-to-lower-vacancy-rate","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6624286-0d25d935d68c91bc2f95c4976d141a39/orig.mp4?Expires=1773125704&Signature=Dr~Zskj~TGeTk94IZR~aECU~shkfQGlM2BrqaDh4iSeJj1EvD2yh92SoN57nDplEIIwm2FnJiAclzGewPcdU7t-1BmxF6ArLlIeT8aZKGQ63TzFRW8dcVH5t7STSDnwMPoMLWRDqsUkidUekZuZPNhNOm4KN58cCGy-RrWZJNOuImyvKOx88e9PAxqivzajFsvTMGgKOPXanDfiU8gCtDxUF9pGUzitU4HITAUuNJPXmdRyiKdsEBaHAqyKJE-A7zsKmd95yqBCBKa3YlYjx1RQ7IDVFFfto8cT6M-Tl2T1KMqJswNocymwh4KBUN8cr8F2PTSyxt1iBrbMITLuc7A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Council members pressed administration witnesses about city vacancy rates and recruitment strategies during the Committee of the Whole's FY2026 budget hearing. Candy Jones, the city's chief human resources officer, said that as of March 2025 there were \"about 5,700 vacancies,\" which she said corresponded to roughly a 17% vacancy rate and represents an improvement from the prior 19% figure.

Jones described increased outreach and a multi-channel recruiting effort. She said application totals rose from about 53,000 in 2023 to over 60,000 in 2024, and that the city attended more than 55 recruiting events in 2024, engaging more than 3,000 candidates. Jones said two recent federal recruitment events engaged more than 250 candidates who were transitioning from federal positions.

Administration witnesses credited the City College for Municipal Employment (CCME), which launched in September 2024, with creating pipelines into municipal employment. Camille Duchasse, the chief administrative officer, said a first CCME cohort included roughly 75 students across IT, health services specialist and administrative support tracks; she said the administrative professional program was completed first and candidates were in the process of interviewing for municipal jobs.

Duchasse and Jones also described nontraditional outreach including a mobile hiring bus, radio and digital ad buys, airport and stadium advertising, and targeted recruitment fairs. Jones said new hire totals rose from about 2,400 to about 3,300 new hires year over year, and that separations remain a concern for retaining staff.

Council members asked for more detailed, department-level data. Rob DeBeau and Jones agreed to provide the council with: (1) the budgeted versus actual vacancy rates for FY2024 and FY2025, (2) a department-by-department time-to-hire visual that breaks the hiring process into stages, and (3) separations and new-hire trend lines. Jones said she would provide a visual that breaks the hiring timeline into four parts and that OHR can identify which agency step is delaying hires.

The mayor's budget documents include a $10,000,000 allocation for workforce development; Camille Duchasse described CCME as the umbrella for city workforce efforts and said the funds would support partnerships with Community College of Philadelphia, school district partnerships and other training and placement efforts. Duchasse said the first CCME cohort generated strong interest and that the program is being aligned to the city's hardest-to-fill positions.

No formal vote or policy decision on hiring strategy was taken at the hearing. Council members and administration staff scheduled follow-up briefings and record submissions to supply the detailed vacancy and hiring metrics requested by council.","Candy Jones, chief human resources officer, told Council the city had about 5,700 vacancies in March 2025, about a 17% vacancy rate, and described expanded recruiting efforts including a mobile hiring bus and targeted federal recruitment events.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6624280,"Administration: HOME initiative will prioritize eviction prevention and at least 3,000 units of supportive housing for people experiencing homelessness",285,3725000,4010000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2766622-d9f88e9fc6c0e3fbc1307c0fb6975212&start=3725&end=4010","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2766622-d9f88e9fc6c0e3fbc1307c0fb6975212/thumbnail_3725000.jpg","/articles/6624280/Philadelphia-City/Philadelphia-County/Pennsylvania/Administration-HOME-initiative-will-prioritize-eviction-prevention-and-at-least-3000-units-of-supportive-housing-for-people-experiencing-homelessness","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6624280-aa52e0fc060eb98834c9543a675867cf/orig.mp4?Expires=1773125704&Signature=OUexkBtlWl0cFpGp8jX8sh~iJs06JKsu2SIQR2R7oXbLw-Cl7jqVQeyc8K2cJ74hdgMQmwquNHsoxnS4ZdeQttGUQcLzIghO7TM2D-95~jRj8nH5bcftD09TtTG5kRRhGC4QqXaZL4t3-lzi2bcAW6ybxmY2EiUcWbNv3t8oTUn8moPBL8DSkPKUyhcHt3CENs6cyjm-I81DtjTZWo7AC3nEJVKAuuEUm3lM-QWSNq20EW0yhGqZDNaGBaJatGj0X5hJNs8gYxH1EYeDX8PY7kplIUNDnRd1Ky7Z30BUxySxXc5y23hik1AIAgzTTXIN8A2aGplfA-HtqI8olLGalg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","During the Committee of the Whole hearing, Councilmember Jamie Gauthier and others asked administration leaders about homelessness and whether the HOME housing initiative would explicitly target people experiencing homelessness.

Cheryl Hill, director of the Office of Homeless Services, said the city can \"end homelessness in Philadelphia and that is our intent,\" and described a review of OHS processes and services to make sure spending goes \"to the right places to make sure it's serving the right people.\" Hill said OHS was engaging the Philadelphia Housing Authority and service providers and planned a community meeting to socialize a proof-of-concept approach.

Administration witnesses described supportive housing and homelessness-prevention programs as core to the HOME initiative. Crystal Yates Gail and Angela Brooks said the HOME plan lists prevention of housing instability and homelessness among its north stars and includes investments in eviction diversion, targeted financial assistance, transitional and permanent supportive housing, tenant-based rental assistance and rapid rehousing. Angela Brooks said the administration would \"invest and expand\" eviction diversion and rental assistance programs and noted her prior experience with supportive housing.

Gauthier pressed about a proposed $5,000,000 decrease in OHS Class 200 (contracts and leases). Sabrina Maynard, the budget director, said the administration was working with OHS and said \"there was some funding they did not need that was recurring\" and that staff would follow up with details. The administration also said that the OHS budget was not-cut in the larger context of HOME and other initiatives and that additional details would be provided to Council.

Council members raised the quality of shelter services, the point-in-time count, Code Blue investments and the need for integrated information-sharing among service providers. Hill and other witnesses said Code Blue investments and supportive housing pathways would be part of the coordinated effort and described efforts to prevent first-time shelter entries.

No formal vote was taken on OHS funding during the hearing. Council members asked for written follow-up on the $5,000,000 Class 200 reduction and for more detail on how HOME units would be allocated and delivered as supportive housing.","Cheryl Hill, director of the Office of Homeless Services, told Council the city can \"end homelessness in Philadelphia\" and administration witnesses said the HOME initiative will prioritize eviction prevention and supportive housing.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Mayor—administration presents $2.3 billion in new operating investments and multi-year capital program to Council

City reports 5,791 vacancies; administration highlights hiring bus and CCME to lower vacancy rate

Administration: HOME initiative will prioritize eviction prevention and at least 3,000 units of supportive housing for people experiencing homelessness