The Committee of Seventy is bringing you everything you need to know about Philadelphia City Council in 2012: A guide to the written rules and unwritten traditions, weekly updates on key meetings and hearings, and a monthly recap on Council's business.
We’re doing this because City Council really matters. Council members make decisions that touch the everyday lives of every person who resides, works and visits here – from big picture issues involving the security of your pension and the taxes you pay to the small details that relate to the quality of life in your neighborhood and even on your street.
With the city struggling to emerge from the recession, these decisions will make all the difference between whether Philadelphia thrives or stands still.
We will refresh this page regularly with the latest news and Seventy's most recent work. We welcome your comments and input. You can reach us by e-mailing info@seventy.org.
How City Council Works
For an explanation of what City Council does, please see our
How Council Works page.
1. What is City Council?2. Who is on City Council?3. How is City Council structured?4. What does City Council do?5. What are full City Council meetings like?
City Council FY2013 Budget Hearings
Full FY2013 Budget Hearing ScheduleMayor's Budget Address | Thursday, March 8, 10:00 a.m.
Mayor's Office | Monday, April 2, 10:00 a.m.
Managing Director's Office | Tuesday, April 3, 10:00 a.m.
Finance Department | Wednesday, April 4, 10:00 a.m.
Revenue Department | Monday, April 9, 10:00 a.m.
Police Department, Fire Department, Prisons | Wednesday, April 11, 10:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m., 2:30 p.m.
Philadelphia School District | Tuesday, May 8, 10:00 a.m.
What's City Council up to this week?
Week of May 7 - May 11Week of April 30 - May 4Week of April 23 - April 27Week of April 16 - April 20Week of April 9 - April 13Week of April 2 - April 6Week of March 26 - March 30Week of March 19 - March 23Week of March 12 - March 16Week of March 5 - March 9Week of February 27 - March 2Week of February 20 - February 24Week of February 13 - February 17Week of February 6 - February 10Week of January 30 - February 3
Seventy's Recent Publications on City Council 2011 - 2012
Cities everywhere are asking tax-exempt non-profits to make voluntary
payments to bring in more revenue through programs known as PILOTs
(payments-in-lieu-of-taxes). This HOW PHILLY WORKS takes a close look at
the pros and cons of expanding Philadelphia's small PILOT program.
The
silence is over in negotiations between the city of Philadelphia and
two municipal unions that have operated without contracts since 2009.
City Council put pressure on Mayor Nutter today to stop demanding
concessions from workers and settle the contracts, fast. Read Seventy’s
HOW PHILLY WORKS for the story behind this unfolding saga.
Mayor
Nutter will deliver his Annual Budget Address to City Council on
Thursday, March 8 and there is a major issue at stake - your property
taxes. This HOW PHILLY WORKS explains why you may end up paying more
even if the city's tax rate stays the same.
Ever
see a campaign finance report? If not, you’re in luck. A fresh batch
just poured in yesterday from the city’s elected officials. And it makes
for a great read – if you know what you’re reading. This HOW PHILLY
WORKS explains what these reports can tell you - and what they don’t -
about who has the ear of your elected leaders in government.
If you want City Council to hear what you have to say, let this HOW
PHILLY WORKS help you understand their internal code: The Rulebook.
Part II gets into a new wrinkle announced at Council's first meeting of
the 2012 - 2015 term, the three-minute limit on public comments will be
strictly enforced. Be sure to check back for more on how you can
interact with Council in 2012.
Now
the readers are asking us...What is Councilmanic Prerogative? Where
does it come from? What does the future hold? Read this HOW PHILLY
WORKS for a more in-depth look at this important city issue.
Philadelphia just got a new zoning code, but there’s an unwritten
development rule that hasn’t been changed. It’s called Councilmanic
Prerogative, and it makes its presence felt all across the city. Read
this How Philly Works to learn what it is and what it does.
At
its final meeting of 2011, Philadelphia City Council passed the city’s
first new zoning code in nearly fifty years. Like many tasks in this
town, overhauling the code was not easy, requiring four years of
planning and $2 million in spending. Did we mention the work is not
quite done yet? This "IN THE KNOW" from the Committee of Seventy
explains what changes are in store.
The Philadelphia polls closed at 8:00 p.m. last night, but a fiercely contested City Council election is still undecided. We’re talking about the race for the next President of Philadelphia City Council, who will be chosen by the 17 people who were elected on November 8th after they are sworn into office in January 2011. Read Seventy's latest "IN THE KNOW" to learn who wants the job and why it matters.
Tuesday, November 8 is general election day in Philadelphia, and who wins really matters. There are a lot of candidates running – too many to list here, in fact – but this “IN THE KNOW” is about you – the voter. And the things you need to know in order to have the best possible voting experience on November 8.
It’s City Council’s job to draw the boundaries of its 10 districts.
Council members have only six months after the census population figures
are released to come up with a redistricting plan – or they stop
getting paid. (This really happened in 1991 and 2001.) On June 23 City
Council will vote on a resolution to get the redistricting ball rolling.
This IN THE KNOW explains the traditionally behind-closed-doors and
complex redistricting process in simple terms.
DROP caused five City Council members to retire this year and ruined Councilman At-Large Frank Rizzo’s bid for a fifth term. When the official votes are counted, DROP could also end Marge Tartaglione’s 25 years as a City Commissioner. Can we finally stop talking about Drop? Not quite, here is why: Some elected officials are still eligible for DROP, DROP could decide the next Council President, and DROP could stick around for non-elected city workers. Read this IN THE KNOW to see what this means.
Tomorrow (May 17) is Election Day in Philadelphia, and
who wins really matters.
Despite all the TV attention and hoopla around presidential and
congressional races, the people who hold local offices make more
decisions that affect your everyday life, from the taxes you pay to the
city services you get to the laws you live by. It’s up to you to learn
as much as you can about the candidates before you head to the polls.
Our IN THE KNOW is here to help.
The Committee of Seventy’s newest report -- "Unfinished Business: How City Council Has Dealt With Ethics Issues and What Still Needs to be Done" – challenges the 2011 candidates for Philadelphia City Council to declare their positions on 24 specific ethics reforms. The report also has a scorecard on Council’s progress on ethics reforms over the last few years. Read to learn more about what the people who want to represent you in Council are doing and thinking about ethics reforms.
Though budget discussions often seem to be about narrow spending and
taxing decisions – especially in an election year - they can be about a
larger issue: What should government be doing to build a better future.
In anticipation of Mayor Nutter’s 2011 budget address to the city, the
Committee of Seventy released “The Budget Address We Need to Hear.” It’s
our vision of ideas - and a new attitude – to move Philadelphia
forward.
With candidates coming out in large numbers in the run-up to the key primary election, on May 17, the Committee of Seventy looks at why these elections make a difference and what it takes to win a Council seat. And by "what it takes," we do in part mean money - sometimes lots of it.
Note: The original version of "IN THE KNOW: Why Council Elections Matter" published by the Committee of Seventy on January 18 contained incorrect numbers on the 2007 campaign spending by Council members Frank DiCicco (First District) and Bill Green (at-large). These numbers have been corrected. Seventy regrets the mistake.