Mayor Parker’s “State of the City” Address
Today, Mayor Cherelle Parker delivered a State of the City address – the first of its kind for a Philadelphia mayor during their first year in office. Philadelphia mayors have traditionally offered these remarks as part of their second budget address in March. Mayor Parker’s decision to deliver a speech at the end of her first year in office reflects the mayor’s desire to deliver a government citizens can “see, touch, and feel.” The Mayor reflected on successful administration initiatives, including a 37% reduction in gun violence, the 2024 Citywide Cleaning Program, and Extended Day, Extended Year schooling. The Mayor highlighted the following programs in greater detail:
CLEAN & GREEN
The 2024 Citywide Cleaning Program cleaned over 40,000 city blocks this summer and is continuing the program by cleaning the city again this winter.
The Office of Clean & Green began a twice-weekly trash collection pilot this month. Trash is being collected twice a week in the most densely populated part of the city (between Callowhill Street to Pattison Ave and the Schuylkill & Delaware Rivers.)
SAFE
The homicide rate in Philadelphia decreased by 37% in 2024.
The Philadelphia Police Department hired 369 new officers, and 50 incoming cadets have already been recruited.
ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY
Led by Commerce Director Alba Martinez, PHL Open for Business is focused on streamlining the ease of doing business in the city. The administration has identified the pain points for businesses and is developing executive and legislative solutions to ease burdens that currently exist for business owners.
Yesterday in a 12-5 vote, City Council passed the legislative package permitting the Sixers to proceed with 76Place development on Market East. The Community Benefits Agreement negotiated by the Parker administration was raised from $50 million to $60 million through Council negotiations. Mayor Parker has embraced the 76Place development to revitalize commercial activity on East Market Street.
Eliminating four-year degree requirements for most city jobs
EDUCATION
In June, the administration launched Extended Day, Extended Year, one of the mayor’s signature initiatives. This pilot program provides 25 schools across the city with enrichment opportunities before school beginning at 7:30 AM and after school ending at 6 PM. This is a voluntary program targeted to families with children in the K-8 age range.
One of the Mayor’s signature programs, City College for Municipal Employment (CCME), launched classes on October 1. This program provides career training and wrap-around services for residents interested in public service.
ACCOUNTABILITY
This week, the administration launched PhillyStat360, an online tool to provide transparency and real-time updates about city services.
Mayor Cherelle Parker introduced the Contract Conformity Initiative in November, emphasizing accountability as a cornerstone of city contracting processes. The initiative aims to resolve overdue contracts, ensure timely payments, and promote transparency in the city's partnerships with service providers. While progress is already underway, this effort is expected to continue throughout 2025 to achieve lasting improvements. The city confirmed 550 contracts in a little over one month and administered $221 million in overdue receivables to local non-profits.
Mayor Parker provided a preview of the following pillars in 2025:
PUBLIC HEALTH
The Riverview Wellness Facility will open in early 2025 to provide treatment for the unhoused and people struggling with addiction. The Mayor’s first cabinet meeting of the year will be held at Riverview in 2025. Capital improvements will continue after Riverview’s opening and the city will be issuing an RFP for construction services.
HOUSING
Mayor Parker has a goal to build or restore 30,000 units of housing to meet demands in the city’s housing crisis. The Parker administration will unveil their housing plan in 2025 when it is ready for public consumption.
WHAT’S NEXT?
The Mayor will likely introduce her formal FY26 Budget in an address to the Philadelphia City Council the second or third week of March 2025. Department budget hearings will occur from March through May 2025, with negotiations culminating in a final City budget vote anticipated in the third week of June. In addition to negotiating the city budget, four municipal contracts expire in June 2025 and will be negotiated simultaneously with the city budget.