Mayor Cherelle Parker unveiled her historic first budget address at the Thursday, March 14, 2024, Council session. Her proposal called for bold investments to realize her vision of making Philadelphia the “safest, cleanest, greenest big city in the nation.” Chamber leadership attended the session alongside members of the civic and business community. 

Throughout her address, Mayor Parker continued her mantra of “One Philly,” a call for unification that started on the campaign trail and carried into her first days in office as an essential reminder that we must all work together to improve Philadelphia. 

Over the next five years, Mayor Parker has proposed $2 billion of investments within five key pillars: 

  • Public safety 
  • Clean and green 
  • Economic opportunity 
  • Education 
  • Housing 

The Chamber supports Mayor Parker and her agenda to make Philadelphia the safest, cleanest, and greenest big city in the nation with economic opportunity for all. We also look forward to continued engagement with the Parker Administration and members of City Council to have increased investment in growing and attracting businesses and good-paying jobs included in the city’s final FY25 budget.

Highlights from Mayor Parker’s first budget address include:

Prioritizing public safety

On her first day in office, Mayor Parker issued an executive order declaring a public safety emergency. In the days since, the Parker Administration has worked with newly appointed Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel to develop a plan to reduce and prevent gun violence. Mayor Parker’s message regarding incidents of violence was clear – enough is enough.

To bolster public safety efforts, Mayor Parker proposed: 

  • Hiring 400 new Philadelphia Police officers; 
  • Dedicating 100 Philadelphia Police officers to community policing; 
  • Investing in enhanced investigative equipment; 
  • Outfitting the 13 Philadelphia Parks and Recreation sites that lack surveillance equipment with cameras and staffing to monitor all new and existing cameras; 
  • Investing $45 million in a new forensics lab; 
  • Issuing $24 million in grants to community organizations to provide new services for victims of violent crime; 
  • Allocating $3 million to the Citizens Police Oversight Commission; 
  • Supporting Philadelphia’s youth with a $3.2 million investment in youth sports and services; and 
  • Focusing on community restoration in Kensington with a $100 million initiative to provide long-term care, treatment, and housing. 

Public safety remains a top priority for the regional business community. Together with our members, the Chamber supports solutions that allow Philadelphians to live, work, and do business safely. 

Cleaning and greening our communities

Addressing issues like illegal short dumping, cleaning up litter and graffiti, fixing potholes, and removing abandoned cars remain top priorities for the Parker Administration. 

Mayor Parker made it clear that she wants to prioritize Philadelphia’s hardest-hit neighborhoods with programs that will create a clean, healthy, and sustainable future for residents by: 

  • Working with Philadelphia Parking Authority to tow more than 10,000 cars in the next year; 
  • Cleaning and sealing over 900 vacant buildings this year; 
  • Investing $18 million to create dedicated cleaning crews in each councilmanic district; 
  • Expanding PHL Taking Care of Business beyond commercial corridors and into residential areas with $8 million of additional investment; 
  • Hiring 100 new sanitation works and acquiring 60 new trash compactors; 
  • Piloting a twice-weekly trash collection program in the neighborhoods that need it most; 
  • Addressing illegal dumping with cameras at hot spots and staff to coordinate with law enforcement; 
  • Purchasing 1,500 new big belly trash cans and staff to empty them regularly; 
  • Doubling the current rate of streets paved per year; and 
  • Allocating resources to recruiting talent for city jobs. 

The Chamber and the business community support Mayor Parker’s efforts to make Philadelphia a clean, green place to live, work, and do business.

Creating economic opportunity for all

Expanding economic opportunity will create pathways out of poverty for many Philadelphians.

Mayor Parker proposed: 

  • Providing $117 million in investments to SEPTA to keep residents connected to employment, recreation, and tourism throughout the region; 
  • Calling on the state legislature to support Governor Josh Shapiro’s proposal for a $15 minimum wage, allowing Pennsylvania to grow the economic pie, increase our tax base, and give Philadelphians the raise they deserve; 
  • Investing $1 million in an accelerator fund to provide access to capital for developers; 
  • Creating a $1 million Innovate Capital Growth Fund to provide diverse entrepreneurs with access to equity investments; 
  • Supporting workforce development and apprenticeship programs, including the award-winning BioMedical Technician Training program, which the Chamber partnered with The Wistar Institute, West Philadelphia Skills Initiative, PIDC, Philadelphia Works, and employer partners to launch; 
  • Eliminating red tape through a $14 million investment in the PHL Open for Business Initiative; and 
  • Continuing collaboration with the Business Roundtable, which includes the Chamber.

The Chamber supports the Mayor’s economic opportunity plans and is actively advocating for a $15 minimum wage.

Funding educational opportunities

The Parker Administration is working to ensure all Philadelphia students have access to a world-class education.

To improve Philadelphia’s K-12 and higher education systems, Mayor Parker’s budget proposal included: 

  • Implementing year-round schooling; 
  • Modernizing schools and building new facilities; and 
  • Creating the nation’s first training center for municipal employees at the Community College of Philadelphia. 

The Chamber supports Mayor Parker’s education agenda and calls upon state lawmakers to fulfill the state’s constitutional obligations to provide an equitable basic education system for every student in the Commonwealth.

Increasing access to housing

Mayor Parker has prioritized access to housing as an essential part of wealth-building and expanding economic opportunity in Philadelphia.

To increase access to housing, Mayor Parker proposed: 

  • Moving land bank inventory to homes and community space gardens; 
  • Creating 30,000 units of housing for Philadelphia residents; and 
  • Allowing residents to apply for multiple programs with the “One Front Door” approach, utilizing one application to access multiple city-funded home programs. 

Join the Chamber’s local advocacy efforts

The Chamber will continue to work with the Parker Administration and members of City Council to realize our shared priorities for the City of Philadelphia.

The Chamber cannot impress upon city leadership enough that sustained investment in good-paying jobs and inclusive business growth is key to creating a robust economy that leaves no one behind. We and our partners in the Inclusive Growth Coalition (IGC) will continue to advocate for an improved citywide job and business climate.

Visit our Local Advocacy page to learn more, or contact Ashley Miscevich, Manager, Local Government Advocacy and Engagement, at amiscevich@chamberphl.com to join in our efforts.