CITY HALL

City Council Expected to Pass Budget and Tax Changes This Afternoon

Today is City Council’s last voting session before summer recess begins. The legislative body is expected to pass a budget that will invest additional money into public safety and quality-of-life programs. City Council will also vote to lower the net profits portion of the Business Income and Receipts Tax (BIRT) and the Wage Tax. For more information, read the Public Strategies team’s policy alert.

Flower Show Goes Back to Convention Center Next Year

The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society announced that its Flower Show will return in March to the Convention Center. During the pandemic, PHS hosted the show in June in FDR Park in South Philadelphia.

Eighty Percent of Philadelphia’s Public Pools Will Open This Year

The Department of Parks and Recreation will open 50 of the city’s 63 outdoor pools this summer. A lifeguard shortage is preventing more pools from opening, and some pools are opening after July 4.

Survey of Rental Market Reveals Challenges for Renters

Community Legal Services and the Housing Initiative at Penn collected survey results from more than 6,000 renters. The survey reveals that many tenants are behind on rent, and responders believe that eviction records make it harder for them to access new housingt.