Philadelphia City Council approved the fiscal year 2021 operating budget on Thursday. They were tasked with filling a massive $749 million deficit brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.
While the budget reduces $33 million in police department funding, it pours $45 million into affordable housing, arts funding and social services that address poverty.
The $4.8 billion spending plan includes layoffs for 450 employees, tax hikes, and cuts to several city departments.
Of the 17 councilmembers, only three voted against it: Kendra Brooks of the Working Families Party and Republicans David Oh and Brian J. O’Neill.
Brooks said that the police funding reduction was not enough. “I cannot accept a budget that allowed the Philadelphia Police Department to make up 15% of the total operating budget when they have failed to historically make our communities safer,” she said.
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In Brooks’ opinion, the bad practices shown by the police in recent events do not justify such a high budget. “Displays of excessive force against protesters, hostility toward journalists, and rallies behind violent vigilante groups has further called into question whether the PPD’s budget is justified.”
The budget includes a nearly 8% reduction in overall spending compared with the plan Kenney proposed before the pandemic, but the $4.8 billion allocated for fiscal year 2021 in spending is equal to the amount allocated two years ago.
Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney said Thursday that he would sign the budget “as soon as possible,” and thanked Council for reaching an agreement during what he called “the most difficult budget process I have ever experienced.”
Noticias Newswire
