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Councilmember O'Rourke Introduces Charter Ballot Measures on Public Water, Rent Refund; Launches 'Affordable Philly Now' Initiative
Summary
Councilmember Nicholas O'Rourke introduced ordinances to place charter amendments before voters to preserve public ownership of the city's water systems and to create a rent-refund program for eligible low-income renters; he also announced an 'Affordable Philly Now' task force to study cost-of-living issues.
Councilmember Nicholas O'Rourke on Oct. 9 introduced a package of measures to address the city's cost-of-living pressures and to protect public control of water utilities. He introduced an ordinance to submit a Philadelphia Home Rule Charter amendment that would prohibit sale of the city's water supply and sewage systems and a separate ordinance creating a refundable real-estate-tax rent-refund program for certain low-income tenants.
O'Rourke described the franchise proposal as a voter-facing charter question he calls "We Own It," saying the measure would "ban the city from selling off our water…
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