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From YouTube: Mayor Kenney FY2024 Budget Address 3-2-2023
Description
From the Stated Meeting of Philadelphia City Council held March 2, 2023:
Mayor James F. Kenney's FY2024 Budget Address.
B
A
B
A
A
The
Philadelphia
home
World
Charter
states
that
the
mayor
shall
submit
the
council
no
later
than
90
days
before
the
end
of
the
fiscal
year,
his
operating
budget
message
and
proposed
operating
budget
ordinance
for
the
ensuing
fiscal
year.
At
the
same
time,
the
mayor
shall
submit
the
council,
the
recommended
Capital
program
and
the
capital
budgets,
as
received
from
the
City
Planning
Commission,
to
the
extent
approved
by
the
mayor,
I
now
appoint
the
following
committee
to
escort
the
mayor
into
the
council
chambers,
councilman
Jones
councilman
squiller,
councilwoman
bass
and
councilwoman
Gilmore
Richardson.
D
D
Thanks
for
all
your
hard
work,
you
really
do
do
us
proud.
So
thank
you,
I
appreciate
it
and
really
happy
about
our
new
speaker.
Isn't
that
wonderful
so
good
morning,
everybody-
and
let
me
Begin
by
thanking
council
president
Daryl
Clark
and
members
of
city
council
for
the
invitation
to
speak
here
today,
I'm
happy
to
be
back
in
this
chamber
as
we
kick
off
the
annual
process
of
creating
our
City's
budget.
The
last
time
I
gave
this
speech
in
person
was
March
5th
2020.
D
only
17
days
later,
covid-19
shut
down
our
city
and
changed
our
lives
dramatically.
Look
around
me
this
morning
and
thinking
about
the
uncertainty
and
the
seismic
sudden
changes
we
have
navigated
together
since
2020
I
am
overwhelmed
with
admiration
for
our
city,
its
residents
and
public
servants,
and
my
fellow
city
leaders.
We
have
lived
and
led
through
history.
D
I
also
want
to
take
this
moment
to
recognize
and
thank
council
president
Clark,
who
has
served
and
served
in
this
role
for
the
entirety
of
our
Administration
and
has
been
a
valued
colleague
from
much
longer
than
that.
Daryl
and
I
spend
a
lot
of
time
after
I
was
elected
envisioning.
What
we
could
accomplish
during
our
time
in
office,
so
I
want
to
give
morale
of
applause.
D
Things
like
Community
Schools
and
better
funding
for
public
education,
affordable
housing
and
new
jobs,
I'm
so
proud
of
what
we've
achieved
and
thank
you
very
much,
Mr
President.
Together
with
all
our
city
council,
we
will
build
on
our
success
and
and
finish
it
with
energy
momentum
and
a
strong
foundation
for
our
City's
next
chapter.
D
As
we
begin
the
budget
process
I
want
to
acknowledge
the
months
of
work
already
completed
before
today.
Our
vision
for
the
final
budget
of
this
Administration
is
to
make
investments
that
provide
quality
services
and
infrastructure
for
residents,
maintain
the
city's
fiscal
Health,
reduce
racial
disparities
and
Achieve
Equitable
outcomes.
D
This
budget
cycle
we
held
15
Community,
focused
groups
with
residents,
six
sessions
with
local
organizations
across
many
sectors
and
five
employee
focused
groups.
This
process
revealed
that
we
all
agree
on
what's
important
to
our
shared
future:
education,
Public,
Safety,
racial
equity
and
alleviation
of
poverty,
housing
and
quality,
and
quality
and
accessible
services
and
infrastructure.
These
priorities
reflect
our
concern
for
each
other.
They
are
our
City's
values
and
I
couldn't
be
more
honored
to
be
the
city's
mayor.
D
I
am
confident
that
together
we
can
pass
a
budget
we
can
all
be
proud
of,
as
we
entered
2023
I
reaffirmed
our
commitment
to
the
priorities
that
have
guided
me
since
the
beginning
of
our
first
term.
These
priorities
include
quality
education
for
all,
a
safer
and
more
just
Philadelphia,
thriving
neighborhoods
and
inclusive
growth
and
Economic
Opportunity.
D
Seven
years
ago,
I
told
city
council
that
together
we
could
expand
quality,
Pre-K,
create
Community,
Schools,
invest
in
our
public
spaces
and
help
small
business.
We
took
on
corporate
interest
to
pass
the
beverage
tax
and
a
result.
Today,
there
are
more
than
thirteen
thousand
children
who
have
attended
free
quality,
Pre-K
funded
by
the
city.
D
D
Our
partnership
has
helped
the
school
district,
establish
new
fiscal
stability,
they've
achieved
an
investment
grade,
Bond
rating
and
their
projected
fund
balance
at
the
end
of
this
fiscal
year
is
an
oppressive
591
million
different
from
the
old
days
when
I
first
was
in
Council
this
year.
We
will
follow
through
on
our
commitments
to
fund
public
schools
and
invest
1.4
billion
dollars
in
the
school
district
over
the
life
of
The
Five-Year
Plan.
D
Here
are
just
a
few
stories.
Tabitha
Bywater
holds
full-time
Works
full-time
in
the
Jefferson
Health
radiology
department,
while
raising
twins.
She
is
a
Caddo
scholar
studying
health
care,
so
she
can
advance
in
her
field.
Tabitha
says
quote:
this
scholarship
has
given
me
the
opportunity
to
finally
be
able
to
reach
the
goals
they
have
not
only
set
for
myself,
but
for
my
growing
family.
Thank
you
for
granting
me
this
wonderful
opportunity
and
thank
you
for
being
just
as
invested
in
my
future.
As
I
am
Norma.
D
Nicholas
is
a
40
year
old,
Caddo
scholar
and
an
immigrant
to
the
U.S.
She
says
the
scholarship
has
given
her
the
opportunity
to
show
her
children
that
anything
is
possible.
She
earned
her
GED
last
year
and
is
studying
health
care
and
hope
becoming
a
nurse.
She
says,
quote:
I'm
going
to
take
advantage
of
this
chance
to
be
a
good
role
model
for
my
family
to
work
hard
and
to
fulfill
my
potential.
D
Another
scholar,
Christina
San
is
her
parents
oldest
child,
and
she
says
it
felt,
like
quote
a
million
bucks
when
she
told
them
she
would
go
to.
She
could
go
to
college
for
free.
The
scholarship
turned
her
dream
of
getting
a
debt-free
educate
college
education
into
a
tangible
reality
Christina's
here
today,
Christina.
Thank
you
for
sharing
your
story.
We
are
all
incredibly
proud
of
you
and
your
classmates.
Could
you
please
stand.
D
Hearing
these
stories
makes
me
feel
like
a
million
bucks.
The
Caddo
scholarship
makes
dreams
possible
not
just
for
individual
students
but
for
their
families
as
well.
To
meet
the
increasing
demand
for
this
anti-poverty
initiative
and
prepare
more
philadelphians
for
the
academic
and
professionals
he
says
they
dream
of
the
proposed
budget
will
dedicate
11.6
million
dollars
to
Canada
Scholarships
in
FY
24..
D
We
also
invest
a
total
of
more
than
270
million
dollars
in
our
City's
community
college,
through
FY
28,
to
ensure
this
vital
institution
remains
accessible
and
affordable,
while
offering
the
quality
educational
opportunities
that
Philadelphia's
need
for
post-secondary
success
and
for
our
youngest
Learners.
This
year's
budget
will
create
950
new
PHL
Pre-K
seats
in
fy24,
bringing
the
program's
size
to
5250
seats,
total
that's
over
5
000
children,
it's
more
than
the
number
of
freshman
students
at
Temple
attending
city-funded
Pre-K
each
year,
I'm
extremely
proud
of
what
this
program
has
accomplished.
D
Most
importantly,
it's
giving
children
the
quality
Early
Education
that
they
surely
deserve,
which
prepares
them
for
early
literacy
and
academic
success.
When
we
make
investments
in
education,
especially
in
in
the
youngest
Learners,
we're
investing
in
a
process
that
takes
longer
than
an
election
cycle
to
prove
its
full
potential.
But
the
wait
is
worth
it.
We
recently
heard
from
one
of
the
our
first
PHL
Pre-K
families,
Diana's
son
Mason,
attended
Pre-K
at
Prodigy,
Learning
Center,
which
is
one
of
the
first
Pre-K
centers.
We
partnered
with
when
PHL
Pre-K
started
in
2017..
D
The
PHL
pre-k
program
allowed
Diana
to
send
her
youngest
son
to
pre-k
Center.
She
trusted
without
worrying
about
the
financial
burden
of
his
of
his
tuition,
because
Mason
was
enrolled
in
a
safe
and
enriching
environment.
During
the
day,
Diana
was
able
to
earn
her
bachelor's
degree
in
2017
and
our
MBA
in
2018..
She
also
earned
a
master
of
education
in
2020
and
now
works
with
the
defender
Association
of
Philadelphia.
D
Today,
Mason's
in
the
fourth
grade
and
earning
outstanding
grades,
which
is
Mom
credits
to
his
excellent
Pre-K
experience,
Deanna
also
thanks
the
PHL
pre-k
program
for
supporting
Mason
to
grow
emotionally
and
facilitating
a
strong
partnership
between
her
and
her
son's
teachers.
This
is
the
incredible
story
of
just
one
Pre-K
family.
D
With
the
expansion
proposed
in
this
budget,
more
than
eighteen
thousand
children
will
have
attended
PHL
pre-k
by
the
end
of
our
term.
This
is
an
extraordinary
accomplish
for
our
city.
Establishing
expanding
this
program
is
the
highlight
of
my
career
and
I
look
forward
to
its
continued
success
in
the
years
to
come.
D
While
we
continue
to
invest
in
places
of
learning,
it
is
just
as
important
that
we
invest
in
the
places
where
our
residents
live.
Rebuilds
is
a
historic
investment
in
public
spaces,
transforming
rec,
centers
libraries
and
playgrounds
that
have
languaged
for
far
too
long.
With
the
program
now
in
high
gear,
we
are
committing
47.5
million
dollars,
a
combined
new
borrowing
and
Operational
Support
for
rebuild
in
FY
24
FY
24..
This
will
help
us
reach
our
goal
of
80
percent
of
low-income
households
living
within
a
mile
of
a
recently
renovated
public
Space.
D
By
the
end
of
the
calendar
year,
we
have
over
20
Brown
breakings
at
least
15
ribbon
cuttings
planned
in
2023,
and
let
me
be
clear
because
I
think
there
is
some
confusion
in
the
Press
we
have
doubled
down
on
our
commitment
to
rebuild
even
in
the
face
of
a
sector-wide
cost
increases
we're
all.
We
are
dedicating
all
the
dollars
needed
to
bring
72
sites
to
a
world-class
standards
that
we
and
the
city
council
have
promised
our
communities
and
we
remain
dedicated
to
working
with
community
members
to
ensure
that
their
vision
is
reflected
in
every
project.
D
D
Just
last
weekend
we
hit
an
important
Milestone
as
10
neighborhood
branches
reopened
for
Saturday
service,
with
new
funds
from
the
budget
we
passed
together
last
year.
I
am
so
proud
that
our
Parks
and
Rec
team
has
been
able
to
open
66
recreation
centers
on
the
weekends,
with
all
rec
centers
being
open
on
the
weekends.
By
the
end
of
2023.
D
and
in
this
budget
we
have
added
another
1.7
million
dollars
in
parks
and
rec
inclusion
plan,
which
ensures
that
facilities
are
more
accessible
and
welcoming
to
everyone,
including
individuals
with
disabilities.
We
will
also
sustain
our
investments
in
arts
and
culture
which,
over
seven
years,
has
funded
700
free,
family-friendly
cultural
events
in
Philadelphia,
neighborhoods,
prioritizing
low-income,
zip
codes.
We
are
proud
of
the
number
of
public
art
projects
in
neighborhoods
and
the
increased
diversity
and
the
stories
being
told
through
public
art.
D
We
also
look
forward
to
working
with
Council
to
support
the
African-American
museum
in
Philadelphia
as
they
prepare
to
move
to
18th
Vibe
where
they
belong.
I
am
very
excited
for
their
incredible
collection
and
programs
to
join
our
other
iconic
institutions
along
the
parkway.
This
is
important.
It's
really
important.
D
I'm
pleased
that
our
continued
focus
on
reliable
city
services
is
working.
Our
on-time
trash
pickup
is
at
the
highest
consistent
rate
in
almost
a
decade
and
in
2022
the
new
street
sweeping
program
cleaned
more
than
sixteen
thousand
miles
of
Street,
a
just
a
distance
equivalent
to
traveling
two-thirds
Around
The
Way
of
the
globe.
D
The
program
also
removed
almost
800
tons
of
debris
in
high
need
neighborhoods
across
the
city.
In
this
budget
we
are
making
new
investments
in
sanitation
services,
including
a
2.5
million
investment
to
expand
street
sweeping
and
four
million
dollars
for
the
creation
of
another
crew
to
address
the
challenges
presented
by
illegal
dumping
and
neighborhoods
across
the
city.
D
And
I
want
to
introduce
some
of
the
newest
members
of
the
streets
department
who
are
here
with
us
today.
Our
first
cohort
of
Public
Safety
Enforcement
Officers
started
with
the
city
on
Monday.
They
are
the
first
civilian
city
employees
to
provide
official
support
for
pedestrians,
cyclists
and
drivers.
You
will
see
them
working
during
Peak
traffic
times
to
address
congestion,
promote
safety
and
help
our
residents
and
visitors
travel
the
city
more
easily.
D
It
takes
dedicated
skilled
people
to
deliver
the
services
I
mentioned
and
reach
the
goals
that
we
have
set
through
the
budget
process
and
just
like
many
other
employees,
employers.
One
of
the
greatest
challenges
we
face
after
the
pandemic
is
hiring
and
retaining
workers
to
make
sure
we
are
doing
all
we
can
to
help
departments
hire
the
work
as
they
need.
The
FY
24
budget
will
provide
an
additional
1.9
million
dollars
to
the
office
of
Human
Services
to
support
improvements
to
the
way
we
recruit
and
hire.
D
I
want
to
thank
city
council
for
the
support
with
this
urgent
issue
facing
the
city,
which
includes
creating
a
special
committee
on
retention
and
recruitment
of
Municipal
workers.
As
this
group
convenes
and
as
we
work
together
to
pass
a
budget,
we
will
make
sure
we
are
prioritizing
the
needs
of
city
workers
current
and
Future.
Our
first
goal
with
this
work
will
be
to
ensure
that
the
lowest
paid
city
workers
are
paid
enough
to
sustain
their
families
needs.
We've
also
made
commitments
in
this
budget
to
fund
our
labor
agreements.
D
Public
service
does
not
need
to
be
a
sacrifice.
All
workers
should
be
able
to
live
here
comfortably
with
Benefits
that
support
them
and
their
families,
while
poverty
in
Philadelphia
is
at
a
15-year
low.
We
know
that
economic
hardship
and
the
overall
cost
of
living
are
Urgent
challenges
for
far
too
many
residents
anyway.
D
D
We
want
to
support
not
penalize
people
who
are
taking
the
right
steps
to
keep
their
life
lives
on
track.
The
Five-Year
Plan
will
also
expand
on
our
collect
commitment
to
affordable
housing,
housing
stability
and
housing
opportunities
for
people
experiencing
homelessness.
We
are
investing
20
million
29
million
dollars
over
five
years
into
eviction
prevention,
including
expanding
the
right
of
council
program,
which
guarantees
free
legal
assistance
with
eviction
proceedings
for
low-income
residents
in
the
zip
codes
most
affected
by
evictions.
D
We
all
agree
that
any
homelessness
is
too
much
homelessness.
I'm
glad
to
report
that
our
housing
first
approach
in
Philadelphia
is
making
significant
strides.
The
city's
homeless
prevention
and
rehousing
efforts
have
reduced
homelessness
by
22
percent
in
the
last
five
years,
and
family
homelessness
has
been
reduced
by
an
incredible
42
percent
our
office.
Our
efforts
won't
end
there.
We
are
investing
6.7
million
dollars
over
five
years
to
create
a
hundred
new
Supportive
Housing
units
for
people
who
are
chronically
homeless.
D
We
are,
we
are,
and
we
are
committed
to
sustaining
the
Kensington
focused
encampment,
Resolution
Team,
which
makes
daily
contact
with
people
experiencing
homelessness,
offers
connections,
treatment,
housing
and
services
and
response
to
Neighborhood
concerns.
Thanks
to
funding
for
the
national
opioid
opioid
settlement,
we
are
investing
in
Community,
Driven
planning
and
Solutions
in
Kensington.
We're
also
using
using
the
funds
to
address
the
overdose
crisis
with
expanded
Outreach
and
engagement
and
reduce
barriers
to
treatment
through
mobile
supports.
D
Ensuring
thriving
neighbors
across
the
city
also
requires
us
to
plan
ahead
and
invest
now
to
prepare
for
a
warmer
and
wetter
climate.
To
that
end,
the
FY
24
budget
includes
20
million
dollars
of
new
borrowing
and
operating
support
for
the
planned
transformation
of
FDR
Park,
which
is
the
first
Park
plan
of
Philadelphia's
history
to
incorporate
climate
change
projections.
D
D
We
know
that
climate
change
presents
an
elevated
threat
to
communities
of
color
in
Philadelphia,
and
this
is
in
part
due
to
the
centuries
of
systemic
racism
that
have
shaped
our
City's
neighborhoods
and
infrastructure.
To
confront
this.
Last
year,
we
established
the
Philadelphia
environmental
justice
advisory
commission
to
engage
residents
in
the
process
of
fixing
historic
injustices
and
building
resiliency
for
the
future.
The
Five-Year
Plan
will
provide
one
million
dollars
over
five
years
to
fund
the
commission
and
provide
direct
funding
to
communities
working
to
address
this
goal.
D
To
date,
the
city
has
won
more
than
136
million
dollars
in
five
major
competitive
bil
grants,
in
addition
to
the
450
million
dollars
expected
in
surface
Transportation
formula
funds.
While
we
make
plans
for
our
City's
future,
we
are
ever
mindful
of
the
Urgent
crises
facing
us
today.
The
challenges
of
the
pandemic
have
precipitated
an
alarming
Rising
gun.
Violence,
Across
the
Nation
and
here
in
Philadelphia
as
well.
D
I
know
that
ending
this
crisis
is
an
urgent
and
personal
priority
for
every
elected
official
in
this
room,
and
there
is
no
higher
priority
for
our
Administration
Public
Safety
is
a
pre
a
precondition
for
every
single
one
of
our
goals.
Last
year,
we
announced
a
record
investment
in
gun
violence
with
your
help,
and
this
year's
233
million
dollar
budget
will
keep
up
the
momentum
as
we
roll
out
this
year's
Public
Safety
and
criminal
justice
investment.
D
D
We
are
also
committing
9.2
million
dollars
over
five
years
to
operation
pinpoint
which
deploys
additional
police
resources
to
the
places
where
violent
crimes
occur.
The
most
operation
pinpoint
carried
out
a
significant
redeployment
in
four
areas
across
the
city
at
the
end
of
2022..
We
know
we
know
hiring
is
crucial
to
Our
Success
here
and
The.
Five-Year
Plan
invests
a
million
dollars
and
recruitment
for
the
police
department,
with
a
focus
on
diversity,
equity
and
inclusion
in
FY
24.
D
We
will
work
to
further
reduce
shootings
by
continuing
to
partner
with
the
Civic
coalition
to
save
lives
and
I
am
pleased
to
announce
the
latest
development
in
this
partnership,
which
is,
which
is
that
we
will
soon
welcome
Estelle
Richmond.
As
the
managing
director
senior
advisor
for
gun,
violence,
intervention.
D
One
of
the
key
proposals
in
this
effort
is
the
group
violent
intervention
or
gvi.
Earlier
this
week
we
shared
a
promising
evaluation
of
this
nationally
recognized
model
which
lowered
the
average
rate
of
rate
of
weekly
shootings
by
up
to
50
percent
among
participating
groups.
Here
in
Philadelphia,
we
are
making
new
investments
in
the
program
with
this
budget
by
allocating
an
additional
1.4
million
dollars
in
stipends
to
encourage
participation,
and
we
are
investing
in
a
youth
leader
program
run
by
the
Philadelphia
Commission
on
human
relations,
which
will
bring
conflict
resolution
resolution
training
to
high
school
students.
D
We
will
continue
to
partner
with
the
school
district
to
prioritize
student
safety,
so
children
feel
safe
and
welcome
in
places
of
learning
show
up
every
day
and
access
all
the
services
and
economic
academic
opportunities
that
their
schools
offer.
Our
collected
attention
to
this
crisis
is
making
a
difference.
I
am
grateful
for
the
support
of
city
council,
our
police
officers
and
partners
in
public
safety
and
the
many
departments
and
agencies
working
around
the
clock
to
prevent
violent
crime
through
proven
interventions
and
Community
investment.
D
It
is
unacceptable
for
lawmakers
in
Harrisburg
to
keep
us
from
saving
the
lives
our
own
residents,
the
common
denominator
in
every
fatal
shooting
is
a
weapon
and
we
need
to
be
able
to
adopt
gun
policies
that
are
saving
lives
in
other
states
and
other
cities,
with
every
challenge
that
we
Face
together.
I
remain
confident.
This
city
will
prevail.
Looking
back
on
our
recovery
from
the
pandemic,
I
am
more
optimistic
than
ever
about
Philadelphia's
growth
and
the
opportunities
we
can
create
for
our
residents
and
future
Generations.
D
Three
years
ago,
our
city
came
to
a
standstill
and
this
government
pivoted
to
address
an
unprecedented
crisis
affected,
affecting
every
single
person
in
Philadelphia.
We
knew
our
City's
resilience
would
see
us
through,
but
we
didn't
know
when
today
children
are
back
in
school.
Center
cities
come
back
as
National
News.
Airport
travel
is
up
more
than
25
percent
compared
to
last
year,
and
new
businesses
are
opening
arriving
and
expanding
here
with
the
same
pluck
and
Innovation
that
our
city
has
known
since
its
founding.
D
Last
year
we
announced
a
chub
one
of
the
world's
largest
insurance
companies
will
build
and
open
a
new
Philadelphia
office
in
2026,
creating
the
company's
largest
office
in
North
America,
as
well
as
1250
new
jobs.
Philadelphia
will
have
yet
another
chance
to
shine
on
the
world
stage
as
the
2026
World
Cup
host
City.
D
These
opportunities
are
a
testament
to
the
work
that
we
have
done
to
support
business
startups
and
Commercial
Carters,
while
fostering
equity
and
inclusion.
Philadelphia
is
a
world-class
City
and
everyone
is
welcome
to
live
work
and
play
here.
This
budget
will
sustain
our
commitments
to
inclusive
growth
by
further
lowering
business
and
wage
taxes,
which
are
already
the
lowest
they've,
been
in
decades.
We're
also
continuing
to
support
the
quality
jobs,
Initiative
Program,
which
will
provide
grants
to
businesses
that
create
new
quality
jobs
accessible
to
all
Philadelphia
Foods
I
think
we
can
all
agree.
D
An
accessible,
safe
and
reliable
transit
system
is
essential
to
growth
and
equity
in
any
major
city.
Our
budget
includes
two
major
Investments
that
will
reduce
the
burden
of
Transit
costs
on
Philadelphia
families
and
promote
SEPTA
ridership.
By
bringing
more
Riders
into
the
system,
we
can
build
an
even
stronger,
faster
and
safer
system
for
everyone
and
reduce
emissions
in
our
region.
Over
the
next
two
years,
we
will
commit
62
million
dollars
to
Pilot
a
zero
Fair
Transit
program
that
will
serve
at
least
25
000
Philadelphia
residents,
who
are
near
or
below
the
poverty
line.
D
This
means
much
more
than
a
free
trip
in
a
recent
Community
needs
assessment.
39
percent
of
residents
in
poverty
cited
transportation
is
their
biggest
obstacle
to
finding
and
sustaining
employment.
The
zero
Fair
Transit
program
will
make
it
easier
for
low-income
residents
to
get
the
work
and
access
all
of
our
opportunities
that
our
city
has
to
offer.
In
addition,
the
city
will
invest
nine
million
dollars
per
year
to
join
other
large
Employers
in
the
region
participating
in
the
SEPTA
key
Advantage
Program
working
with
our
labor
Partners.
We
will
provide
free
transit
to
all
city
employees.
D
This
two-year
project
is
two-year
pilot,
is
an
opportunity
to
boost
the
city's,
hiring
and
retention
efforts
and
aligns
with
our
goals
of
sustainability,
traffic
safety
and
Equity
as
well.
Septa
system
is
rebuilding
ridership
back
to
pre-pandemic
levels.
We
are
optimistic
that
these
investments
will
help
the
agency
sustain
and
improve
the
critical
services
that
so
many
philadelphians
rely
on,
while
Philadelphia's
economy
is
on
a
good
path.
We
know
that
Global
factors
are
driving
fluctuations
beyond
our
immediate
control.
D
The
Five-Year
Plan
takes
into
account
the
impact
of
inflation,
not
just
on
households,
but
also
on
operating
departments,
and
we
will
remain
committed
to
the
city's
Financial
Health
as
a
whole.
I
am
very
proud
that
the
city
now
holds
its
highest
Bond
rating
in
40
years.
Thanks
to
our
success
in
strengthening
the
pension
fund
and
rebuilding
our
Reserve.
D
This
really
matters
because
we
want
to
be
prepared
for
every
Challenge
and
opportunity,
whether
it's
an
economic
downturn
or
a
moment
where
we
can
set
step
up
to
what's
right
in
a
crisis.
On
that
note,
I
want
to
recognize
all
the
partners
and
departments
that
welcome
buses
of
Asylum
Seekers.
Over
the
course
of
several
weeks
we
work
with
non-profit
Partners
to
stand
up
a
welcoming
Center
to
receive
838
Tire
Travelers,
including
children.
Looking
for
a
better
life
and
a
safe
home
last
month,
welcoming
America
made
it
official.
We
are
a
certified
welcoming
City.
D
D
I
know
that
our
welcoming
values,
when
we
further
our
City's
success
and
we'll
always
Step
Up
When
leadership
as
a
city
when
our
leadership
as
a
city
is
needed.
I
will
end
with
this
first
day
of
preach.
Our
pre-k
program
was
a
very
cold
day
in
January
of
2017.
I.
Remember
it
was
call
books,
I,
remember
the
tiny
coats,
the
students
all
wore
on
their
way
to
school.
That
was
more
than
six
years
ago,
a
three-year-old
student
who
started
the
program
that
day
is
nine
years
old.
D
D
To
a
point
where
the
services
and
infrastructure
we
provide
reflect
our
City's
highest
ambitions.
I
have
always
approached
this
role
with
the
years
Beyond.
This
Administration
in
mind,
with
faith
in
the
power
of
Education
faith
and
incredible
potential
of
our
residents
and
faith
in
the
Innovative
resilient.
Caring
and
optimistic
character
of
our
city
and
I
am
dedicated
each
day
of
the
remainder
of
our
term
to
a
brighter,
safer,
more
sustainable
future
for
the
city,
just
as
I
have
just
as
I
had
each
day
since
2016.
D
It
is
an
incredible
honor
to
serve
this
city
and
to
be
part
of
its
progress.
It
is
also
an
honor
to
work
alongside
city
council
as
dedicated
to
Services
as
each
of
you.
So
thank
you.
We
need
to
get
the
work
and
I
want.
I
want
to
just
say
to
all
of
you.
I
learned
a
lot
in
this
chamber.
I
was
taught
a
lot.
I
grew
up
a
lot
I
matured.
D
A
lot
I
had
people
like
gussie,
Clark
and
Marion
Tasco
and
JD
Blackwell,
who
brought
me
along
this
kid
from
South,
Philly
and
and
taught
me
how
to
represent
the
entire
city
and
I
just
want
to
thank
all
of
you
for
your
dedication
and
your
hard
work,
and
this
is
my
last
budget
address.
I,
wish
you
all
well
and
God
bless
you.