Council committee backs expansion of Economic Opportunity Review Committee to add business-community seats

The Philadelphia City Council Committee on Commerce and Economic Development voted Oct. 15 to report bill 250654 to full council with a favorable recommendation. The ordinance would amend Chapter 17‑1600 of the Philadelphia Code to expand the Economic Opportunity Review Committee (EORC) from five to seven members and increase business‑community seats from two to four.

Councilmember Nina Ahmed, the bill sponsor, told the committee the EORC “was created in 2012 under chapter 17‑1600 to review the implementation and enforcement of economic opportunity plans” and said the bill would “ensure a broader mix of community, labor, and small business voices at the table” by aligning membership with today’s labor and business landscape.

Lynn Newsom, deputy director of the Office of Economic Opportunity and chair of the EORC, testified in support: “This bill will expand the economic opportunity review committee from 5 to 7 members and increase business community seats from 2 to 4, further diversifying our committee’s composition.” Newsom said broader representation will strengthen the committee’s oversight of equal‑opportunity plans and make recommendations more reflective of Philadelphia’s business and labor communities.

Kynesal Arthur, president and CEO of the Asian American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Philadelphia, said adding the chamber to the EORC “takes a meaningful step toward ensuring Philadelphia’s diverse business community is equitably represented in shaping economic opportunity.” Maggie Morin, operations coordinator for the Independence Business Alliance, testified that inclusion of the IBA and other chambers will help the city address barriers faced by minority‑owned and LGBTQ‑owned businesses.

The bill is accompanied by a companion resolution that names recommended partner organizations, including the Office of Economic Opportunity, the African American Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Philadelphia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, AFSCME District Council 33 and 47, the Asian American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Philadelphia, and the Independence Business Alliance. Supporters said the named partners will help ensure the committee’s diversity is substantive rather than rhetorical.

The committee vote to report the bill was procedural; the committee chair moved and the motion carried by voice vote. The council will take the ordinance up for first reading at its next session.

Why it matters: the EORC reviews contractors’ compliance with economic opportunity plans and can recommend remedies when contractors fail to comply. Supporters said expanding and diversifying the committee will improve enforcement and make contract oversight more responsive to companies and workers from underrepresented groups.

No formal oppositions to bill 250654 were recorded during the hearing; testimony on this measure was uniformly supportive.