Mayor Parker Unveils Her Five-Year Plan

By: Julius Philp

Mayor Cherelle Parker recently unveiled her new five-year plan for the city of Philadelphia, kicking off a series of debates in City Council.

The second public testimony occurred one week later on March 26th, where members of the Parker administration testified to Council on the minutiae of the plan.

Mayor Parker’s “One Philly” plan has outlined five pillars for her administration to tackle over this next half-decade: Public Safety, Clean and Green, Economic Opportunity, Housing and Education. This means a lot more money will be invested into police, into neighborhood cleanup programs and towards workforce development and employment programs, the last of which is key for City Council’s Majority Leader Katherine Gilmore-Richardson. 

Notably, Parker’s “One Philly” plan includes no tax increases. Despite nearly $6.3 billion in spending, the Parker administration has tried to make it clear that this will come with no tax hikes for any Philadelphians. 

Critics of the plan have pointed out that, despite the administration’s promises, the city will have to deal with the end of pandemic-relief federal funding, as well as an estimated $300 million loss in tax revenue. Many have also critiqued the $677 million investment in policing despite District Attorney Larry Krasner’s progressive approach to policing and justice. Coupled with a looming investigation and restructuring of the Office of Homeless Services, the “One Philly” plan will perhaps face a couple hurdles. 

However, Parker’s plan remains popular and is likely to pass through Council without major changes. Further testimony on the 26th from Managing Director Adam Thiel and Parker’s Chief of Staff Tiffany Thurman bolstered many aspects of the plan. While we may see more debate in the amount of funding allocated to public education, policing and the environment, Philadelphians can expect “One Philly” to be in effect shortly.