City Councilmembers Rue Landau and Jamie Gauthier at the Finance Committee meeting. Credit: Philadelphia City Council website
“Everyone’s waiting for their coffee to kick in,” said a Philadelphia City Council staffer as the crowd waited for the stated meeting to begin.
The past 48 hours have been a whirlwind for City Council, which has been racing against the clock to stay on track for passing the fiscal year 2026 budget by June 12, the final session before their summer recess.
Tied up in committees until 1 a.m. on Thursday, City Council worked a procedural loophole so they could get the budget approved at the stated meeting that same day. Instead of adjourning the meeting at its conclusion, Council President Kenyatta Johnson called a recess to allow committees to complete their hearings, with plans to pass the budget later that afternoon.
Much transpired throughout Thursday’s City Council marathon–here is everything to know about what unfolded.
The city budget and H.O.M.E. initiative passed
Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s $6.8 billion budget was approved, including the request for $800 million in borrowing authority to fund her Housing Opportunities Made Easy (H.O.M.E.) undertaking.
The H.O.M.E. initiative aims to produce, preserve, and stabilize 30,000 housing units. Affordable housing has been one of Mayor Parker’s primary goals, as nearly half of Philadelphia's renters are cost-burdened, meaning they spend 30% or more of their income on housing. Despite some last-minute objections to the housing project’s $800 million price tag, the budget ultimately went through after negotiations.
In addition to the flashy housing initiative, the budget includes investments in public safety, clean and green efforts, and 2026 preparations. Notably, the budget also contains cuts to the city wage tax and the business income and receipts tax, which were made to make Philadelphia more economically competitive.
“At a time of real uncertainty in our country, this budget makes substantial, bold investments in the programs we need most to make Philadelphia the safest, cleanest and greenest big city in America, with access to opportunity for all,” Mayor Parker said in a statement posted on social media.
Though the budget is not without its critics. After the budget was passed, Councilmember Kendra Brooks, Minority Leader of the Working Families Party, took the microphone to disparage the legislation. She said the budget prioritizes corporate tax cuts, following the “Trump playbook.”
“This budget falls short of what the people of Philadelphia deserve,” said Councilmember Brooks.
The drama surrounding Councilmember Rue Landau’s housing bill
With so much hinging on the budget’s passage, many sitting in City Hall expected Council members to speed through their routine work of addressing the consent agenda.
Yet, when Council President Johnson called roll on Councilmember Landau’s bill, which would allow tenants to pay their second-month security deposits in installments, Majority Leader Katherine Gilmore Richardson abstained from voting.
“Typically, I never do this,” Gilmore Richardson said. “But I need to put this on the record now.”
While Landau’s bill aimed to help renters manage their costs, Gilmore Richardson believed that this legislation would harm the roughly 73% of landlords who own only one or two units in the city. She wanted to request an amendment to exempt such small-business property owners.
Landau shot back, “My bill does not do anything egregious or outrageous.” She clarified that the bill just provides a little more time for tenants to pay the second month of their security deposit, giving them breathing room while they manage other expenses.
The back and forth sparked whispers amongst Council members and their staff, who grew confused on what seemed to be a slam-dunk bill. Councilmember Anthony Phillips, who initially voted yes on the bill, tried to abstain as well. But after being told that wasn’t possible, he voted nay because he had “questions too.”
For a tense few minutes, the chambers buzzed in quiet discussion. Then, Landau spoke again in favor of the bill, but announced that “with respect for my Majority Leader,” she will hold the bill until September, after the Council’s summer recess.
Yet, after all the hoopla, once the Council reconvened in the late afternoon to pass the budget, Landau offered an amendment to her bill. The revised bill would exempt landlords who own two or fewer units, which was what Gilmore Richardson had requested. The amendment was adopted, placing the bill on the final passage calendar for Council’s next session.
The many corners of Philadelphia at City Council
In between Landau’s bill drama and the budget voting, multiple advocacy groups showed up to public comment in order to support resolutions on their final passage.
The greatest number of special interest attendees were early childcare advocates, who came to support a resolution introduced by Gilmore Richardson calling for the creation of a Special Committee on Early Childhood Development. Seeking to strengthen Philadelphia’s early childhood care and education systems, the committee would hope to improve outcomes for children.
Sharon Neilson came to the microphone, sporting a pink pixie cut and matching fluffy earrings. An ECE Community Engagement Program Manager at the Reinvestment Fund, she spoke in support of the resolution.
“When we treat children as a mere service to watch, we miss the opportunity to invest in the future workforce, reduce educational disparities, and support children,” Neilson said. “Philadelphia doesn’t work if childcare doesn’t work.”
From high school students endorsing greater collaboration between the Office of Youth Engagement and Philadelphia Parks & Rec, to leaders supporting a resolution recognizing June as Immigrant and Caribbean Heritage Month, a diverse array of Philadelphians showed up to City Council. These representatives provided a reminder of who tiring budget negotiations are in service of.
With the most contentious legislative work now behind them, next week’s final stated meeting is expected to proceed smoothly, finalizing everything passed on Thursday. Like the finals season to a busy semester, City Council has only a few more days of the grind ahead of them before their well-deserved summer break.
