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Council hears CAO on SEPTA Key Advantage funding cut and eligibility limits to city employees
Summary
Council questioned a reduction in FY26 funding for SEPTA Key Advantage, a program providing subsidized transit for city employees, and raised equity concerns about excluding contractors such as the Defender Association from the benefit
Council members asked the CAO and program staff to explain a funding shift and eligibility changes for the SEPTA Key Advantage program, which the administration plans to move administratively from the CAO to the Office of Human Resources for FY26.
Council members noted the program’s line item dropped from roughly $9 million over two years to about $5 million in the FY26 request and sought whether the reduction changes who currently receives the benefit. CAO Camille Duchasse said, “That has not changed. Our commitment to that has not changed,” and confirmed the city intends to continue the employee benefit in FY26 while the administration evaluates funding year to year.
Councilmember Jones and others pressed whether quasi‑governmental contractors and nonprofit groups that provide city services — the public defenders’ office was raised as an example — would still be eligible. Sandy Ramos, project manager for SEPTA Key Advantage, said contractors are not currently included: “At the moment, it is limited specifically to city employees.” Ramos explained extending the benefit to contracted agencies would open a much larger population and carry substantial additional cost.
Multiple council members — including Bass and Jones — urged the administration to review which partner organizations the city considers essential and to explore extending the benefit to critical contracted partners. Councilmember O’Rourke asked whether the funding reduction would cause any currently eligible employees to lose access; the CAO replied the program will continue for all currently eligible employees in FY26.
Why it matters: SEPTA Key Advantage is a widely used city employee benefit that affects employee commuting costs, retention and the cost of delivering public services. Council members raised equity and workforce retention concerns about excluding quasi‑governmental contractors who provide front-line services.
Looking ahead: Council members asked the CAO and OHR to provide a list of agency types currently excluded from the program and to return with analysis of the cost and operational impacts of expanding eligibility to contracted partners.
