A message from the Chamber’s President and Chief Executive Officer, Chellie Cameron, to our regional business community as we work together to achieve our Chamber 2028 vision.

Dear Chamber Community,

Last week, Mayor Cherelle Parker gave her inaugural budget address, where she laid out her Fiscal 2025 Budget and Five-Year Plan. Throughout her address, Mayor Parker’s emphasis on new possibilities and opportunities for Philadelphia’s bright future struck and inspired me. You can read the Chamber’s full recap here.

Reflecting on her personal journey, Mayor Parker shared a memory of her very first address to Philadelphia City Council at age 17. This anecdote underscored the significance of early opportunities, a sentiment echoed in our recent conversation following the Chamber’s annual Mayoral Luncheon event.

It’s heartening to see Mayor Parker’s commitment to fostering new avenues for growth and development in our city. Highlights from her agenda include:

  • Promoting Public Safety: Mayor Parker proposed significant investments to prevent crime and promote public safety, which included hiring 400 Philadelphia Police officers, outfitting Parks and Recreation facilities with surveillance equipment and monitoring, and investing $100 million in Kensington Community Development to provide care, treatment, and housing for residents. Public safety remains a top priority for the regional business community. The Chamber supports solutions that allow Philadelphians to live, work, and do business safely.
  • Cleaning and Greening Neighborhoods: Mayor Parker highlighted PHL Taking Care of Business, a program she began as a City Councilmember, that she is now proposing to expand into 140 commercial corridors and many surrounding residential neighborhoods. In total, she has recommended investing approximately $130 million for neighborhood and residential cleaning throughout the city. She recently tapped Carlton Williams, former Streets Commissioner, to lead the city’s new Office of Clean and Green Initiatives.
  • Focusing on Workforce Development: Mayor Parker’s plan involves expanding apprenticeship training initiatives. In her address, she spotlighted the award-winning BioMedical Technician Training Program, launched by the Chamber, The Wistar Institute, West Philadelphia Skills Initiative, PIDC, Philadelphia Works, and employer partners.
  • Investing in Education: Mayor Parker called for a world-class education for every K-12 and higher education student in Philadelphia. Proposals for year-round schooling and the development of new school facilities signal a commitment to nurturing the potential of our youth.
  • Increasing Access to Investments: Mayor Parker proposed the establishment of a new accelerator fund and Innovate Capital Growth Fund, which aims to provide increased access to investments, fostering innovation and economic empowerment.
  • Streamlining Business Processes: Mayor Parker’s plan includes a significant investment in the PHL Open for Business Initiative to enhance the city’s business landscape and reduce red tape.
  • Keeping our Region Connected: Mayor Parker put forward a $117 million investment in SEPTA to keep residents connected to employment, recreation, and tourism throughout the Greater Philadelphia region.

The Chamber stands firmly behind Mayor Parker’s agenda, which prioritizes increasing opportunities for all Philadelphians. We believe in a vision where our city thrives as the safest, cleanest, and greenest in the nation.

We’ll continue to advocate for policies that promote economic equity and inclusive growth. The Chamber calls on the state legislature to support Governor Josh Shapiro’s proposal for a $15 minimum wage and to fulfill the state’s constitutional obligations to provide an equitable basic education system for every student in the Commonwealth. These are important steps to expand opportunity, increase our tax base, and foster inclusive growth throughout the region.

Though Mayor Parker has not proposed tax reductions, the Chamber is committed to engaging with her administration and members of City Council to include continued reductions to the city wage and Business Income and Receipts Tax (BIRT) in the Fiscal 2025 Budget and Five-Year Plan. Not only are continued reductions to the city wage tax and BIRT important to growing and attracting local businesses and their employees, but doing so sends a powerful message regionally, nationally, and globally that Philadelphia is open for business.

Our Chamber community is ready to unite with the Parker Administration as “One Philly” to unlock new opportunities for our city and region. Together, we are poised and ready to collaborate with Mayor Parker and City Council, driving forward opportunities that will shape a brighter future for all Philadelphians.

In Service,

Chellie

Chellie Cameron
President and Chief Executive Officer,
The Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia