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Philadelphia council lays out FY27 spending plan as residents press for fuller school funding
Summary
Council leaders presented the administration’s FY27 budget plan — nearly $7 billion operating and an $8.2 billion capital program — while parents and advocates urged council to use reserves or new revenues to prevent staff cuts and school closures, pressing for $75 million instead of the administration’s $50 million school allotment.
Philadelphia City Council President Kenyatta Johnson and Councilmember Jamie Gauthier co‑hosted a budget town hall at Salt and Light Church where finance staff outlined the administration’s proposed Fiscal Year 2027 spending plan and residents delivered hours of testimony demanding stronger protections for schools and housing.
Council finance director Helen Lloyd walked the room through the headline numbers, describing the operating plan as “nearly $7 billion” and the capital program as about $8.2 billion with roughly $281 million in new borrowing proposed to pay for long‑term projects. Lloyd also summarized proposed revenue measures, including a proposed 2% hotel tax (estimated about $20 million annually) to expand homeless services, a 25‑cent per‑order retail delivery fee (about $15 million) to fund street repairs and a $1 per‑ride fee on certain trips originating in the city proposed to support the School District of Philadelphia (estimated roughly $48 million).
“We are presenting a proposed budget from the administration,” Council President Kenyatta Johnson said at…
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