Council presses city on rollout of HOME housing plan, small‑business supports and proposed taxes

Philadelphia’s Committee of the Whole held a public hearing to review a package of fiscal‑year 2027 budget bills and the city’s forward‑looking HOME housing initiative, pressing department leaders for clearer timelines and more granular spending information.

The council hearing, convened by Council President Johnson, covered a set of ordinances that include proposed FY27 operating and capital budgets, a forward capital program and measures that would create or change local excise taxes (including a hotel occupancy tax proposal and a retail delivery tax). City officials from the Department of Commerce and the Department of Planning and Development (DPD) testified and answered extended questions from council members.

Why it matters: Council members repeatedly told department leaders that receiving bond or budget authority is only the first step; to actually deliver housing units, repairs and small‑business assistance the city needs firm operational plans and more transparent reporting so districts can track outcomes and protect residents from displacement.

Karen Fegley, acting commerce director, summarized Commerce’s FY26 accomplishments and FY27 priorities, saying the department remains “the economic catalyst for the city of Philadelphia” and that JumpStart small‑business assistance totaled $38,500,000 in the current cycle. Fegley told council the Mayor’s Business Action Team (MBAT) and Commerce programs have reached thousands of businesses with outreach, one‑on‑one assistance and grants, and that Commerce is updating grant applications and technical assistance to better serve very small and pop‑up entrepreneurs. “We are using some of what we’re calling JumpStart…