City Council approves FY 2024 Budget

Focus on Worker Recruitment & Retention, Quality of Life, Public Safety & Continued Wage & Business Tax Reduction

PHILADELPHIA, June 22, 2023 - With a focus on recruiting and retaining city workers, improving quality of life in neighborhoods, public safety and violence prevention, and a commitment to ongoing wage and business tax reductions to spur equitable growth, City Council gave final approval to a $6.2 Billion city budget for Fiscal 2024, which starts on July 1. The budget bill now heads to Mayor Kenney, who is expected to sign it into law.

Here are highlights of the budget approved by Council. For more highlights, see the FY2024 Budget Summary document produced by Council's technical staff.

WORKFORCE RETENTION & ATTRACTION

Hiring Bonuses. $10 Million in hiring bonuses to fill vacancies in public safety and other hard-to-fill city positions - a problem that has grown since the pandemic. Council heard testimony in budget hearings of widespread vacancies in the Police Department, Prisons, and other departments.

Police Recruitment & Cadet Training. Adding $3 Million for recruitment of Police Officers and $1.5 Million in existing funds for the Police Cadet program. The budget added $14.7 million over five years to further develop a forensics laboratory to help solve crimes.

Parental Leave. $2.1 Million to increase parental leave for city workers from 4 weeks to 6 weeks, an issue associated with recruiting and retaining workers.