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  • Philly is one of the first cities in the country to formally support boycotting Starbucks | Council roundup

    Philly is one of the first cities in the country to formally support boycotting Starbucks | Council roundup

    Just in time for pumpkin spice latte season, Philadelphia City Council members are giving up Starbucks — and they want you to do the same.

    Council voted unanimously on Thursday to make Philadelphia one of the first cities in the country to explicitly endorse a nationwide boycott of Starbucks amid a unionization drive, and to pledge not to use city funds at the coffee chain until it reaches a contract agreement with its workers.

    Also during Council’s session on Thursday: Councilmember Jamie Gauthier introduced controversial legislation to approve a contract with a trash incinerator that she doesn’t support. We’ll explain.

    What was this week’s highlight?

    Council puts Starbucks on ice: The expression of solidarity with Starbucks workers is a ceremonial resolution that does not carry the weight of law and does not require approval from Mayor Cherelle L. Parker.

    Still, Council’s vote was a formal endorsement of the boycott orchestrated by Starbucks Workers United and targeting the world’s largest coffee chain, which is already reducing its footprint in the city. Starbucks closed six Philadelphia locations last year, and two additional branches — one at 2201 South St. in Southwest Center City and the other at 1018 N. Second St. in Northern Liberties — closed on Sunday.

    The only other city to formally support the unionization effort is St. Louis, where last week the city’s board of aldermen approved a resolution to “express solidarity with Starbucks Workers United as they call for a boycott of Starbucks.”

    Starbucks is closing three stores in Philly and South Jersey
    People staying dry at the Starbucks Coffee at Dilworth Park near City Hall in Philadelphia, Pa., on Thursday, July 9, 2026.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer

    Over the last five years, baristas have unionized at hundreds of individual Starbucks locations, but the company has not agreed to a nationwide contract that the union has sought. The union in August called for a nationwide boycott to last until an agreement is reached.

    Councilmember Nicolas O’Rourke, a member of the progressive Working Families Party who represents the city at-large, authored the legislation and said its passage is “another affirmation of Philadelphia being a union town.”

    “I am always interested in making sure that businesses in the city of Philadelphia and people are thriving,” O’Rourke said. “But my first priority is always to make sure that workers and workers’ conditions are right and that they are respected.”

    Council is controlled by a supermajority of Democrats, and the body is largely supportive of organized labor.

    Council President Kenyatta Johnson said he backs the Starbucks boycott, even though he is generally not a big coffee drinker.

    “Unfortunately, they do have a vegan breakfast sandwich,” said Johnson, who follows a plant-based diet. “But I won’t be having those any time soon.”

    A spokesperson for Starbucks said in a statement Thursday that the company is “committed to engaging in productive bargaining.”

    What else happened today?

    Introducing legislation she doesn’t support: Thursday’s meeting featured another twist in the long-running debate over a Chester trash incinerator and how Philadelphia gets rids of its garbage. Gauthier, a progressive Democrat who has advocated for the city to stop burning its trash, introduced legislation that would allow the city to continue doing so.

    Philly City Council returns with dueling plans for the city’s trash

    Here’s why: The Parker administration is looking to renew its long-held contract with Reworld, the Chester waste-to-energy facility where the city ships about one-third of its trash to be burned. (The rest of the trash is sent to landfills.)

    In order to renew the multiyear contract, Council must approve authorizing legislation. Gauthier, who previously floated a bill to ban the city from incinerating trash but did not garner enough support to pass it, is asking her fellow lawmakers to vote against the contract renewal.

    Chester Mayor Stefan Roots (at lectern) is joined by Philadelphia City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier (right) at a rally outside City Hall early Thursday morning Sept. 17, 2026.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    Although it may seem like a reversal of her position, Gauthier introducing the legislation herself — even when she does not support it — will allow her to have some say when a committee holds a hearing on the legislation. She hopes to amend it to strike Reworld from the deal so that the city processes all trash and recycling through landfills.

    “It gives me and my coalition an opportunity to be at the table on something that we fought really hard on for more than a year now,” she said in an interview. “We’ve been working really hard to make sure that we’re protecting the health of folks in Chester and in Philadelphia, and protecting our environment.”

    Johnson will decide which committee will hear the bill. He said Thursday that he is still reviewing the legislation.

    Mamdani-fication: Create a Philly Medicaid Supplement Program. Expand access to programs that provide transit subsidies to low-income Philadelphians. Use city money to buy properties with expiring federal affordable housing subsidies.

    These were some of the recommendations included in the Affordable Philly Now report, which was recently released by the Cost of Living Task Force.

    O’Rourke, who convened the task force, held a committee hearing Wednesday examining the report’s findings, and he was not shy about noting that it was partly inspired by another progressive a few miles up I-95.

    “You cannot deny the profound impact that … Mayor Zohran Mamdani has had,” O’Rourke said, praising the New Yorker for “mixing moonshot municipal goals with sewer socialism” and working to build a “protective hedge” of social safety net programs.

    Pa. Democrats have mostly positive view of socialism as progressive candidates secure wins
    Nicolas O’Rourke, Philadelphia City Council member, during the mayor’s budget address on March 12.Alejandro A. Alvarez / Staff Photographer

    Wednesday’s hearing was a meeting of the Committee on Global Opportunities and the Creative/Innovative Economy, which O’Rourke chairs. As a freshman and a member of a minority party, O’Rourke does not have a high-profile committee leadership post like some of the more senior Democratic lawmakers on Council. His committee was previously led by former GOP Councilmember David Oh and does not naturally align with O’Rourke’s progressive politics.

    O’Rourke said at the committee hearing Wednesday — the first time he chaired a Council hearing — that he was shifting the panel’s work.

    “The prior version of this committee revolved around corporate investment fitting into global value chains and making Philadelphia an international destination,” O’Rourke said. “In my reflection on the meaning of the committee, I have spent more time focusing on a part of the committee’s mandate that actually seems more in its merit — that is, to consider all matters related to making Philadelphia a world-class city. … And in some seasons, world-class cities show themselves by being bold in providing a protective hedge for its people.”

    Quote of the week

    Former Mayor John F. Street (right) is acknowledged by supporters of his son, State Sen. Sharif Street (left), in West Philadelphia Monday, May 18, 2026.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    That was former Mayor John F. Street, the erstwhile City Council president, who returned to his old workplace Thursday to speak during public comment. He was testifying in support of a resolution to honor Philadelphia Police Lt. Greg Brown, who was, among other assignments, a member of Street’s security detail and is now retiring.

    Street said Brown was one of the few people he never got to humiliate, because Brown “always got it right.”

    “I never had a chance to put him on any list,” Street said.

  • Philly DEI panel endorses Parker’s contracting overhaul as Black business owners warn of consequences

    Philly DEI panel endorses Parker’s contracting overhaul as Black business owners warn of consequences

    Nearly a year after Mayor Cherelle L. Parker announced that Philadelphia would move away from using its long-held diversity goals in awarding public contracts, a City Council committee on Monday formally recommended that the city codify the change.

    However, several corporate leaders who advised the special committee’s work testified during a hearing that the shift away from race- and gender-conscious contracting would set the city back.

    Craig T. Williams, founder of the construction firm Pride Enterprises, said the city’s move to provide contracting advantages to businesses certified as “small and local” — instead of to businesses owned by women, minorities, and people who are disabled — will make it harder for Black-owned firms like his to grow.

    “While the new terminology is intended to retain support for diverse businesses, it also removes the intentional mechanisms that once created predictable access for them,” Williams said. “The shift in terminology will likely result in an increase in opportunities for non-diverse firms, widening the disparity gap.”

    And Michael Brown, CEO of The 360 Group, a consulting firm, said “minority businesses across Philadelphia are witnessing a catastrophic erosion of margins, pushing foundational enterprises to the brinks of collapse.”

    He cited data showing that the state government awards only a small portion of its contracts to Black- and Hispanic-owned businesses.

    “Philadelphia is slowly sleepwalking down the same exact destructive path,” he said.

    Internal documents shed light on Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s decision to end Philadelphia’s racial diversity goals in contracting

    Council’s Special Committee on City and Private Sector Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Policies, which is led by business community leaders, was convened in 2024 by Council President Kenyatta Johnson. The group was charged with drafting recommendations to strengthen the city’s DEI policies and address barriers faced by women, people of color, and people with disabilities who own businesses.

    In the midst of the committee’s work, Parker’s administration last year quietly eliminated the city’s goal of awarding 35% of its government contracts to those businesses.

    The city also stopped assigning participation “ranges” to publicly funded projects, meaning contractors are no longer given benchmarks for the amount of dollars that should go to subcontractors and suppliers owned by people of color, women, and people who are disabled.

    Mayor Cherelle L. Parker speaks at Vare-Washington Elementary School in Philadelphia, on July 14.Jessica Griffin / Staff Photographer

    The change came amid a broader dismantling of affirmative action-style programs at the federal level led by President Donald Trump’s administration. Parker said a new national legal precedent made the city’s practices vulnerable to court challenges, so the administration will now aim to give preference to businesses that are certified as small and local.

    Mayor Cherelle Parker defends ending racial diversity goals for Philly contracts: ‘Fighting the fight the way I know best’

    On Monday, Council’s committee agreed. Its report recommends the city move to a more legally defensible, race-neutral framework like the one Parker’s administration is already building. The committee also recommended that the city adopt more aggressive preferences to give those businesses clear advantages when they’re bidding for city dollars.

    Still, members of the committee said Monday that they have concerns about implementation.

    Michelle Flamer, a former longtime attorney for the city, said she is worried that the city will stop collecting demographic data on businesses that bid for contracts.

    “We’re in a time period in this country of great distress, of really unbridled racist behavior, but this will not last forever, and we have to continue to collect this data so we will be prepared for a new day,” she said. “But if we don’t have it, we won’t be able to hold anyone accountable.”

    And Harold T. Epps, the city’s former commerce director who co-chaired the committee, said he’s concerned that providing advantages to small businesses — which are defined as those which bring in less than $47 million over a three-year period — effectively puts a cap on how a business can grow.

    “It seems the city has fallen into the same old trap of predetermining how large a business that has any elements of diversity can be,” he said.

    Nadir Jones, the director of the city’s Office of Business Impact and Economic Advancement, said the Parker administration is exploring implementing a “middle market” program for companies that “graduate” out of the small-business classification.

    But, Jones said, “we’re not there yet.”

  • Mayor Parker wants Council to back a tax break for redeveloping derelict buildings. Council says it’s waiting on her.

    Mayor Parker wants Council to back a tax break for redeveloping derelict buildings. Council says it’s waiting on her.

    Last November, Mayor Cherelle L. Parker announced with great fanfare that Philadelphia could create a property tax break to spur the conversion of derelict buildings, such as empty Center City office towers and vacant school facilities, into apartments.

    She had worked with legislators in Harrisburg to change state law to allow Philadelphia to pursue the legislation, which would create a 20-year property tax abatement for conversions of “deteriorated” properties.

    But 10 months later, no such legislation has been introduced in City Council, and Parker on Wednesday called on city lawmakers to consider her 20-year abatement idea for distressed properties.

    20-year tax abatement to help turn schools and offices into homes may soon be legal in Philly

    “We have an affordability crisis here in the city of Philadelphia,” Parker told reporters Wednesday. “What if we marry that challenge with these persistently vacant buildings that have gone underutilized, and we put them to their best and their highest use to incentivize affordable housing?”

    Parker’s administration, however, has not yet transmitted a draft of the bill to Council, which is typically the first step for lawmakers to consider legislation championed by the mayor.

    “Tell them, ‘Send the bill over,’” Council President Kenyatta Johnson told reporters Thursday. “We haven’t seen any piece of legislation regarding 20-year tax abatement at this particular point in time.”

    Asked about the delay, Tiffany W. Thurman, Parker’s chief of staff, said Thursday that city agencies “are collaborating to ensure the proposed legislation is legally sound and can withstand constitutional scrutiny.” She added that Parker “remains firmly committed to presenting City Council with a bill that incentivizes the development of affordable and workforce housing on vacant, publicly owned land.”

    Mayor Parker and City Council now have one year to figure out a way to bring in $216 million after reversing Philly school cuts, officials say

    On Thursday, several members of Council questioned the lack of specifics from the mayor’s office, and others were less than enthused about the idea of approving a new tax break when the Philadelphia School District is facing a funding crisis.

    “I continue to appreciate an effort to make sure that we have access to affordable housing in the city of Philadelphia,” Councilmember Nicolas O’Rourke said. “At the same time, I am very much so laser-focused and desirous of the city getting the revenue that it needs.”

    A controversial policy

    Property tax abatements have long been controversial in Philadelphia, with opponents contending that they starve the city and school district of needed revenue while favoring real estate developers.

    Philadelphia’s 10-year abatement program, which was established in the 1990s, previously exempted owners from paying real estate tax on all new construction or improvements on any type of property for 10 years.

    That program was long hailed as key to the city’s turnaround in the early 2000s. But concerns about its impact on neighborhood inequality and school funding grew over time, and Council in 2019 roughly halved the value of the tax break for new construction.

    Parker argues that the idea behind her legislation is different: She wants to see a far more narrowly targeted bill that would only help developers who seek to redevelop large, derelict buildings.

    “We’re talking about … persistently vacant school buildings that have been vacant from three up to 30 years,” Parker said Wednesday.

    The mayor also noted that the development environment has worsened dramatically since Council cut the 10-year tax abatement’s power, with soaring interest rates and construction material inflation as factors that weigh heavily on complex and large-scale projects.

    Still, many Council members are skeptical of tackling a potentially controversial measure that is seen to favor developers ahead of next year’s municipal elections, when all 17 city lawmakers will be on the ballot.

    “I’d like to get more information on exactly what the plan is because the tax abatements are, as you know, hugely unpopular,” said Councilmember Cindy Bass, who represents parts of North and Northwest Philadelphia.

    Bass said that while the abatement has spurred needed growth, she would need to see any expansion of it balanced with the needs of lower-income Philadelphians who are struggling with rising costs and property taxes.

    President Kenyatta Johnson checks his watch and gavels City Council into session on Sept. 17, as the body returns for start of its fall session.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    And Johnson on Thursday reiterated his comments from earlier this year that he would like to see the newly authorized 20-year abatement include a provision that requires an affordable housing component of the projects it enables.

    “Any type of legislation like that should really focus on making sure that we’re providing a level of affordability, also senior housing,” he said. “Obviously, the devil’s always in the details.”

    But it is not clear that state law would allow Philadelphia to mandate affordability in an abatement bill, and Parker cautioned against doing anything that would exceed the city’s authority.

    “We have to make sure that whatever we are proffering, that it is directly connected to what has been enabled,” Parker said. “It has to pass legal muster for no one to question the constitutionality of what it is that we’re doing.”

    Persistently vacant schools

    A 20-year abatement would apply to empty office buildings in Center City and long-vacant industrial buildings. But Parker and administration officials have focused their pitch on revitalizing empty public schools.

    “We need to pass it because it’s going to be extremely beneficial for challenging properties,” John Mondlak, chief of staff of the Philadelphia Department of Planning and Development, said Wednesday. “You think about schools in 10 years, 20 years — they are very difficult to reposition.”

    That pitch, however, runs up against another policy issue festering between Parker and Council.

    Councilmember Isaiah Thomas said some of the hesitation to take up the abatement legislation is due to Council’s dissatisfaction with the Philadelphia School District’s facilities plan, which the school board adopted last spring and calls for the closure of 17 school buildings and the renovation of 169 others.

    Thomas and other Council members vigorously protested the plan and are still pressing for the board to reconsider it.

    “That’s our priority,” Thomas said Thursday. “I don’t want to have a conversation about schools that are vacant until we have a conversation about schools that are occupied.”

  • Philly City Council returns with dueling plans for the city’s trash | Council roundup

    Philly City Council returns with dueling plans for the city’s trash | Council roundup

    Philadelphia City Council members are considering dueling proposals over how the city eliminates its garbage, with one lawmaker leading an effort to immediately block the city from shipping its garbage to a trash incinerator and another taking a longer-term approach.

    Councilmember Mark Squilla on Thursday introduced legislation authorizing Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s administration to, within three years, develop a plan to dramatically reduce the city’s reliance on both trash incineration and landfills over the next 20 years.

    Squilla’s proposal, which he drafted with input from Parker’s administration, is something of an alternative for lawmakers to consider as Councilmember Jamie Gauthier has for months pushed for a more aggressive approach to stop the city from incinerating trash this year.

    Both lawmakers hosted news conferences this week alongside their allies to rally support for their cause, part of a long list of events Council members hosted as the legislative body returned Thursday for its first meeting of the fall session.

    After a messy budget fight, Philly City Council turns to its unfinished business: Trash, taxes, and a new arena
    Councilmembers Mark Squilla and Katherine Gilmore Richardson (back to camera) greet each other as City Council convenes for its fall session Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    The first meeting after the summer break typically has a jovial, first-day-of-school feel. But the mood briefly shifted Thursday when City Hall was evacuated and Council abruptly adjourned after a suspicious package was found on the floor where Council was meeting.

    Philly City Hall was evacuated for a bomb squad investigation, but no explosive device was found

    Police cleared the package, and Council resumed its business Thursday afternoon.

    Here’s what else happened this week:

    What was this week’s highlight?

    Incinerator issue heats up: Gauthier has for months sought to pass legislation that would ban the city from continuing its long-term practice of sending about a third of its garbage to a trash incinerator in Chester, about 15 miles south of the city. She argues that incineration is bad for the environment and harms Chester residents’ health.

    Parker’s administration opposed the legislation, called the Stop Trashing Our Air Act, and Gauthier in the spring failed to gain enough support for it in Council.

    Now, Gauthier is trying to block the Parker administration from renewing its contract with Reworld, the incineration facility. The administration needs Council approval to enter into a new four-year contract with the firm.

    Gauthier has several members on her side, including three fellow progressive lawmakers, as well as Councilmember Isaiah Thomas, who is the Democratic majority whip.

    City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier speaks at a rally outside City Hall early Thursday morning Sept. 17, 2026 where protesters called on Council to reject Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s waste disposal contracts. A coalition of elected officials, health and climate experts, and advocates from Philadelphia and Chester gathered to oppose the city’s sending its trash to an incinerator in Chester.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    Squilla’s proposal in some ways offers members an off-ramp. His bill calls for a “circular waste” system that includes new techniques for waste disposal, such as composting and “anaerobic digestion,” a process that breaks down organic waste.

    Managing Director Carlton Williams said Wednesday during a news conference with Squilla that the city is looking to build out an anaerobic digestion system within four years.

    Squilla said that while the administration is already working toward a more modern waste disposal system, passing a law would “codify what we had as plans and resolutions before.”

    Gauthier said that she supports Squilla’s goal of moving toward a more sustainable system, but that his legislation “is a plan to create a longer-range plan.”

    “It in no way changes the decision in front of Council,” she said. “We can move away from this practice right now.”

    What else happened this week?

    Severing the law department: The city law department serves as legal counsel for both the mayor’s administration and Council, a dynamic that can sometimes cause friction when the city’s elected officials disagree.

    Council on Thursday approved a resolution by Thomas to hold a hearing “to consider the separation of the [law] department’s functions between the administration and City Council.”

    The department is led by City Solicitor Monique Galloway, whom Parker appointed to the role in July.

    Thomas has clashed with Parker’s administration, and he said he became interested in looking at the department’s structure due to concerns that Council was not receiving independent legal advice on some issues.

    Lois Williams (left), dressed as a “sick person,” and Shari Hersh (right) in costume as a “smokestack,” join a rally outside City Hall early Thursday to call on City Council to reject Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s waste disposal contracts.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    He pointed to the Philadelphia School District’s controversial facilities plan, which involves the closure of 17 school buildings and was adopted by the school board in April over the objections of many Council members.

    And he said recent legal proceedings around the city’s business income and receipts tax were “part of the motivation” to hold a hearing on the law department.

    In 2025, after a Massachusetts company sued the city seeking to overturn a popular tax break program that primarily helped small businesses, the law department said it had determined the lawsuit was likely to succeed. The Parker administration eventually settled the case and persuaded Council to eliminate the tax break. Some Council members at the time complained that the city did not defend the tax break more vigorously.

    Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s administration defends move to eliminate tax break that helps small businesses

    The department already silos off some of the work it does on behalf of Council from the rest of the administration, such as when it drafts bills proposed by lawmakers. Council also may hire outside legal counsel, but must pay for those services out of its own budget.

    A law department spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

    Storage wars: Councilmember Mike Driscoll introduced legislation on Thursday that would ban new self-storage facilities from his district in lower Northeast Philadelphia.

    The storage industry boomed during the COVID-19 pandemic, as consumer spending shifted from services to goods, many families struggled to afford larger homes, and low interest rates juiced development.

    Northeast Philadelphia saw a particularly large boom in self-storage buildings because of its rich supply of properties zoned for industrial development. Driscoll said that advocates in the Tacony neighborhood felt their community had become oversaturated.

    “They want more affordable housing and [self-storage units] are taking valuable sites for that,” Driscoll said.

    ExtraSpace self-storage at Washington Avenue and S. 23rd Street, Philadelphia, Monday, November 4, 2024.Alejandro A. Alvarez / Staff Photographer

    Self-storage facilities are gold mines for developers. They suffer little wear and tear, they have few utility costs, and labor costs are low after construction.

    According to online industry search portal StorageCafe, Philadelphia has 89 self-storage sites containing more than seven million square feet of space. About a third of that has been built since 2019.

    Other municipalities have moved to limit the spread of self-storage facilities in recent years. New York City banned them from industrial areas to preserve jobs, and Denver blocked them from properties close to light rail lines. Providence, R.I., in 2023 banned new facilities from the city altogether.

    Driscoll said that he may further limit his legislation to the Tacony neighborhood.

    “I don’t want to hurt another part of my district that maybe wants these things,” he said.

    Embracing affordability: Multiple members of City Council said this week that tackling affordability is their primary objective this fall, including Councilmember Nicolas O’Rourke, whose office published a lengthy report outlining dozens of proposals aimed at reducing costs.

    Some may be more realistic short-term goals than others.

    The report, which was drafted by a Cost of Living Task Force made up of community advocates and industry leaders, recommended the city explore everything from opening municipal grocery stores to creating a local Medicaid supplement program.

    Councilmember Nicholas O’Rourke with students and activists during a press conference about SEPTA in April.Jessica Griffin / Staff Photographer

    It also recommends restructuring existing housing programs to more aggressively target the poorest residents, and establishing a Transit Access Fund that would fund free or reduced-fare transit passes for low-income households.

    O’Rourke, a member of the progressive Working Families Party, plans to hold a committee hearing on the task force report this fall.

    Council President Kenyatta Johnson will also introduce an affordability measure this fall. He plans to bring forward legislation that would establish a permanent Food and Nutrition Security Coordination Office, he said in a statement.

    Quote of the week

    Jeffery Young, Jr. (left) with twelve year-old Jack Erfer of Wynnewood and councilmembers and Nina Ahmad (right) in supporting the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University before City Council resumes for its fall session Thursday.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    No bones about it: That was Councilmember Jeffery Young Jr., who called for hearings on the planned closure of the Academy of Natural Sciences.

  • Mayor Parker has ordered a task force to study data centers in Philly and report back by June

    Mayor Parker has ordered a task force to study data centers in Philly and report back by June

    Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker on Wednesday ordered a task force largely composed of members of her administration to explore whether the city should place new regulations on the construction of data centers — and to present her with its findings in about nine months.

    The mayor, a Democrat who has not staked a position on whether Philadelphia should host the controversial “hyperscale” data centers that power artificial intelligence, signed an executive order establishing the task force on Wednesday.

    In a video message posted to social media, the mayor said the issue is of “grave importance.” She said she has heard from residents who are concerned that a large data center in the city could hike utility bills and drive pollution.

    “This does not mean that a hyperscale data center is being built now; however, if a firm was to apply to the City of Philadelphia to build one of these hyperscale data centers, we want to make sure that we are fully prepared to know what the impact on Philadelphians would be,” Parker said. “We want the appropriate guardrails in place so that we do everything possible to protect our city.”

    Philadelphia faces calls for a data center moratorium amid spreading AI fear and talk of a slowdown

    The task force will be made up of members of Parker’s administration, as well as a representative from City Council President Kenyatta Johnson’s office. The group is charged with gathering information from neighborhood groups, unions that represent construction workers, environmental advocates, public health experts, and others.

    According to the executive order, the task force must present a final report to the mayor by June 30.

    The mayor’s move came just two days after dozens of activists held a rally outside City Hall calling on Parker and members of Council to pass a multiyear moratorium on the construction of data centers in Philadelphia. They vowed to make data centers an electoral issue ahead of the May primary election, when the mayor and every Council member will be on the ballot.

    The group, called No Data Centers in Philly, said in a statement Wednesday that Parker giving the task force until June to make its recommendations is too little, too late, and that “a task force does nothing to protect us now and takes time that we don’t have.”

    “Across the country, data centers have relied on dirty deals to get built, with NDAs, backroom negotiations, and massive tax handouts,” the statement read. “We can’t let that happen here. The communities who will see their health, homes, and wallets hurt by a data center need to be at the table.”

    President Kenyatta Johnson (right) is greeted by data center protesters in the hall while he heads toward City Council chambers Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026, as the body returns for start of its fall session.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    Parker’s order also comes as talks of regulating artificial intelligence have gripped Washington after a handful of tech executives called for a global slowdown on the advancing technology. There has been bipartisan backlash across the country to the data centers that power AI; however, President Donald Trump has said the industry does not need new regulations.

    Last month, Gov. Josh Shapiro signed an executive order that effectively placed limits on data center construction in the state and required that the projects receive local backing before obtaining a state permit. It would also ban state agencies from using nondisclosure agreements.

    In Philadelphia, no member of City Council has said publicly that they would introduce legislation to place a moratorium on data center construction. Lawmakers are not currently considering any specific proposal to construct a data center.

    Planning commission considers how — and if — data centers should be built in Philly

    This summer, the city’s planning commission issued a report indicating that there are just two plots of land in Philadelphia that could accommodate a hyperscale data center: the former South Philly refinery site known as the Bellwether District and 2600 Grant Ave., a city-owned plot adjacent to Northeast Philadelphia Airport.

    However, building a data center in either of those locations would face hurdles.

    District Council members wield enormous power over land-use decisions in their districts, and the Council members who represent the two potential locations said they oppose a hyperscale data center in their jurisdictions.

    City Councilmember Mike Driscoll, a Democrat who represents the district where the Grant Avenue site is located, said in an interview Thursday that he “is a no, until we really figure this whole thing out.” He said he is concerned that a data center could drive higher utility bills for his constituents.

    “I think we have to participate to be competitive in the global economy,” he said. “But it’s ripe for some problems, and I think we have to sort that out at the federal level.”

    And Council President Kenyatta Johnson, who represents the area where the Bellwether district is located, said Thursday: “We don’t support any type of hyperscale data centers.” He cited concerns about environmental impacts and noise.

    “I haven’t gotten to the point that it should be a moratorium,” Johnson said. “But we are looking at regulations.”

    Bellwether district leaders have said no data center is currently in the works there.

    Mia Fioravanti, senior vice president of corporate affairs for the HRP Group/The Bellwether District, said earlier this week at the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia PAGE Real Estate and Construction Summit that there are no “data center users in our current project pipeline.”

  • Philly City Hall was evacuated for a bomb squad investigation, but no explosive device was found

    Philly City Hall was evacuated for a bomb squad investigation, but no explosive device was found

    Philadelphia City Hall was evacuated and City Council was abruptly adjourned on Thursday after sheriff’s deputies alerted officials to a suspicious package in Council, Council President Kenyatta Johnson said.

    Johnson told The Inquirer about 11:45 a.m. that sheriff’s deputies were investigating a package found on the floor where Council members were holding their first meeting of the fall session. A bomb squad was called, and dogs signaled an alert on the package, he said.

    Police said the package was examined and determined not to contain a device, and the scene was cleared. No injuries were reported.

    All 17 Council members, their staffers, journalists, and members of the public were evacuated from the building. Managing Director Carlton Williams said that Mayor Cherelle L. Parker was safe and that she was not in the building when the package was discovered.

    People who evacuated were permitted to reenter City Hall shortly before 1 p.m. Council reconvened shortly after, according to Vincent Thompson, a spokesperson for Johnson.

    Deputy Police Commissioner Frank Vanore told reporters at the scene that no one was charged in connection with the incident.

    Vanore said two police dogs alerted officers to something suspicious in the bag, but he said it is possible nothing nefarious occurred. The bag, he said, could have had residue from a firearm or fireworks that had been in it within the last several days.

    As chambers were being evacuated, officers detained and removed a government employee. The employee spoke to a reporter while in handcuffs.

    He said he believed it was his package that was at the center of the ordeal.

    “I think it’s my bag that I left on the chair,” he said.

    He said it was not a bomb.

    Outside City Hall, members of Council and government employees milled about, many calmly speculating on the origin of the threat or lack thereof.

    Councilmember Jim Harrity, a Democrat known as one of the chamber’s more colorful members, said plainly: “Hopefully it turns out to be not a bomb, but something else.”

  • Philly DA Larry Krasner faces legal and political uncertainty after a judge said he may have committed crimes

    Philly DA Larry Krasner faces legal and political uncertainty after a judge said he may have committed crimes

    A federal judge’s statement this week that Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner may have committed crimes while running his office came as part of a lengthy battle in a complex post-conviction case.

    But the fallout is likely just beginning.

    The stunning remarks by U.S. District Judge Paul S. Diamond — that Krasner may be guilty of conspiracy or obstruction of justice, and that federal prosecutors should investigate — triggered uncertainty over the future of one of the city’s top elected officials, who is a nationally recognized leader of the progressive prosecutor movement.

    It amounts to the latest unprecedented episode of Krasner’s tumultuous tenure as the city’s district attorney — a stretch in which he has also been impeached by the state House, excoriated by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, and seen two of his highest-ranking deputies face disbarment and suspension in federal court.

    Legal experts said Diamond’s decision to refer actions by Krasner and one of his supervisors to the U.S. Attorney’s Office would almost certainly lead to an inquiry of some kind. But the fate of any possible probe into Krasner not only was difficult to predict, they said, but could take months or longer to determine.

    Political repercussions could arise as well.

    While Krasner’s Republican enemies reiterated their long-held disdain for the reform-oriented prosecutor, no elected Democrats immediately came to his defense. And some Democrats in the city have quietly begun discussing potential contingency plans if Krasner is forced from office before the end of his third term in 2030.

    Krasner, for his part, has denied wrongdoing, and said in a statement that he planned to appeal Diamond’s ruling, in which the judge also disqualified Krasner and a lawyer in his office, Matthew Stiegler, from participating in the underlying case — a matter in which a man is seeking to have his murder conviction overturned.

    Here is a recap of what led to Diamond’s scathing filing, and what might be next for Krasner.

    What happened in the underlying case?

    The case at issue began in 2015, when Dennis Johnson — found guilty in 2009 of second-degree murder — filed a petition in federal court seeking to have his conviction overturned.

    For years, the district attorney’s office opposed Johnson’s bid for relief. But in 2022, then-Assistant District Attorney Jaclyn Mason filed a brief reversing course and agreeing that his trial counsel had been ineffective.

    This spring, while preparing for a hearing before Diamond about the case, Mason said, she reached out to new supervisors in the law division: Katherine Ernst, Steven Wildberger, David Napiorski, and Peter Andrews. And Ernst said when she reviewed Mason’s brief, she discovered it contained “significant errors,” and the supervisors decided they needed to try to withdraw it.

    Mason thought they were setting her up to take the blame, so she quit. And in her resignation letter, she said that Stiegler — her onetime boss — had forced her to file a faulty brief and that she would not lie or mislead the court to protect him.

    After that, the supervisors testified, Stiegler proposed an unusual path forward, effectively suggesting they find a way to cast Mason as a “rogue” prosecutor prone to making mistakes.

    Stiegler also shared his proposal with Krasner, the supervisors said, and the district attorney told them he thought it was a “really good idea.”

    But the supervisors rejected it, they said. Wildberger told Diamond he found the notion “tremendously inappropriate.”

    From internal disagreements to potential crimes

    Krasner ultimately did agree to let the supervisors try to withdraw Mason’s brief. But he and the supervisors then got into heated arguments about whether to refer the case to state prosecutors — something the supervisors thought was appropriate because of the internal drama consuming their office.

    As the referral debate raged on, the supervisors said, Krasner told them the case needed to stay in-house so someone could “protect the office” and “control the proceedings.” He also threatened “consequences” if any of them told Diamond about their discussions — which they took to mean being fired.

    Diamond, in his memorandum, said threatening people’s jobs when they are trying to tell the truth to a judge could amount to obstruction of justice, as could attempting to conceal the truth about Stiegler’s role in the drafting of Mason’s brief.

    He also said Krasner’s attempts to work with Stiegler to create a false narrative about Mason could amount to conspiracy.

    And while the judge said he found the supervisors and Mason to have testified credibly, he said Stiegler may have committed perjury, calling his testimony “often contradictory, evasive, or outright dishonest.”

    Will Krasner actually face charges?

    For those reasons, Diamond said, he sent the case to the U.S. Attorney’s Office to investigate if Krasner or Stiegler should be charged.

    Diamond, as a judge, does not have the power to prosecute the case himself. And how or if prosecutors decide to proceed remains an open question — and one that might remain unclear for some time.

    Legal experts said it is rare, though not unprecedented, for judges to refer potential wrongdoing to prosecutors. And any time that happens, they said, prosecutors take it seriously — reviewing any materials the judge disclosed, deliberating paths forward, and potentially empaneling a grand jury to begin calling witnesses.

    Still, full criminal investigations often take months or years to conduct. And such probes — conducted in secret — can go in unexpected directions. Sometimes that might mean a broader discovery of wrongdoing than was initially expected. Other times, investigations can close without charges.

    Also unclear is whether the local U.S. Attorney’s Office would oversee any potential investigation into Krasner — or if staffers from elsewhere in the Justice Department might be called on to handle it, since Philadelphia-based federal prosecutors often work on cases with lawyers in Krasner’s office.

    A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office declined to comment on Diamond’s memorandum.

    Krasner has made no secret of his antipathy for President Donald Trump, and Trump, in his second term, has been unabashed about asking the Justice Department to prosecute political foes. It was not clear how or if that might influence prosecutors’ course of action in this case.

    Whatever might happen, experts said, one thing was generally clear: A referral from a federal judge targeting an elected district attorney was practically unheard of.

    “I really cannot think of an equivalent situation,” said Lauren Ouziel, a Temple University Beasley Law School professor and former federal prosecutor.

    Michael Levy, who worked as a federal prosecutor in Philadelphia for nearly 40 years before retiring in 2019, said: “For a judge to do this, it’s really unusual.”

    Could Krasner face other consequences?

    Even if Krasner and Stiegler are not criminally charged, they could still face additional consequences.

    If the case is referred to the federal court’s disciplinary committee, for example, a panel of judges could seek to determine whether any of the prosecutors involved behaved in a way that would warrant a suspension or disbarment from practicing in federal court.

    That would likely be detrimental to Stiegler, who has spent much of his career working on federal cases. But it would be even more problematic for Krasner — and could raise questions about whether he could continue to serve as the city’s district attorney.

    Still, similar to any criminal investigation, the disciplinary process — which is largely confidential — would also likely be lengthy. When some of Krasner’s deputies were disbarred or suspended in federal court in 2025, those outcomes came about three years after a federal judge said he was sending the case out for a disciplinary review.

    Diamond did not specify if he was referring the matter to the region’s chief federal judge, the first step in a potential disciplinary inquiry. Legal experts said prosecutors — if they investigate — would likely prefer to have their probe take precedent over any potential disciplinary proceeding.

    Will there be political fallout?

    Outside of the legal realm, Krasner, a Democrat, has faced political attempts to oust him before.

    In 2022, the Republican-led Pennsylvania House voted to impeach Krasner, saying he had not adequately enforced state laws and, by extension, had contributed to the city’s gun violence crisis.

    Krasner denied the allegations, and appellate courts — including the Pennsylvania Supreme Court — later agreed with various arguments he made describing the process as improper.

    State Rep. Martina White, a Republican from Northeast Philadelphia who led the impeachment drive against Krasner, on Wednesday called for him to resign, saying in a statement that “Philadelphia needs a reliable DA, not a defendant-in-waiting.”

    Few top Democrats defended Krasner.

    Mayor Cherelle L. Parker declined to comment this week, as did City Council President Kenyatta Johnson, who supported Krasner’s bid for reelection last year.

    Some activists on the progressive left said they still support Krasner and see Diamond’s referral as politically motivated. Diamond was appointed by former President George W. Bush, a Republican, in 2004.

    “This is unfortunately a continuation of the right’s assault on DA Krasner and the policies that he’s implemented,” said Robert Saleem Holbrook, executive director of the progressive political group Straight Ahead. “This is a judge using an internal conflict in the office to further the objective of removing Krasner from office.”

    Krasner has proved politically resilient over the years, winning three terms despite the impeachment drive and opposition from elected officials in his own party, said Sergio Cea, political director of the progressive group Reclaim Philadelphia.

    Krasner, he said, is “like Teflon.”

    “He is somebody that has consistently, without the Democratic establishment support, won primary after primary,” he said. “And that is because he is wildly popular with Philly voters who are tired of status quo district attorneys who are more focused on filling jails than achieving justice.”

    A ‘devastating’ environment

    Krasner, meanwhile, is not in the office this week, according to people familiar with his whereabouts. First he was on a recruiting trip in Washington, they said, then he was headed on a pre-planned personal trip to Ireland.

    Inside the office Wednesday, staffers said they were sharing feelings of dismay and fatigue from years of upheaval and political headlines under Krasner’s leadership. Several prosecutors, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to speak candidly about a sensitive matter, said they have endured the impeachment saga, mass firings, and the departure of veteran staffers.

    And although some said Diamond’s ruling was not entirely surprising — the judge had signaled at a previous hearing that he might refer the matter to federal prosecutors — they also anticipated that any investigation could stretch on for months or even years.

    One longtime prosecutor called the allegations “devastating” and said the reputation of the office “has been reduced to rubble.”

  • After a messy budget fight, Philly City Council turns to its unfinished business: Trash, taxes, and a new arena

    After a messy budget fight, Philly City Council turns to its unfinished business: Trash, taxes, and a new arena

    One evening last week, City Council President Kenyatta Johnson stood on South Broad Street and greeted his fellow lawmakers as they arrived at Steak 48.

    Johnson had invited them to the swanky Center City steakhouse to “reconnect, share conversation, and enjoy each other’s company outside of City Hall,” according to an invitation for the Sept. 9 “members only” event obtained by The Inquirer.

    Council resumes for its fall session Thursday — and after the way things ended in the spring, the city’s legislators may have needed the opportunity to break bread together.

    When lawmakers last met in June, they approved a $7.1 billion city budget that left all sides feeling dejected. Council turned away a series of tax proposals from Mayor Cherelle L. Parker, including a $1-per-ride levy on rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft, and ended up passing a budget that omitted a number of members’ own priorities and left unanswered how the city will help the Philadelphia School District navigate its funding crisis in the long run.

    The downfall of Mayor Parker’s tax on Uber was her biggest legislative defeat to date. Here’s what went wrong.

    In addition to representing a new low in Parker’s relationship with the legislative body of which she was once a member, some Council members also questioned their own negotiating team’s handling of the ordeal.

    Councilmember Mike Driscoll noted last week that while he was not “pointing fingers,” Council could have added more money in the budget for line items requested by lawmakers, such as funding for community groups.

    “I’m disappointed and pissed off at the way it played out,” Driscoll, who represents parts of Northeast Philadelphia, said in an interview. “Our priorities weren’t analyzed in a more thoughtful [way]. … We do the amendments. [Parker] doesn’t. We could have put money in.”

    Councilmember Michael Driscoll in Philadelphia on April 23, 2026.Jessica Griffin / Staff Photographer

    In addition to dealing with the aftermath of the budget, Council this fall is expected to revisit a tense debate over how the city disposes of its trash and a proposal by Driscoll to provide business tax relief to sole proprietors. It may also begin to consider legislation related to the proposed 76ers and Flyers arena in the South Philadelphia sports complex.

    An Inquirer reporter saw at least 11 of Council’s 17 members at the Steak 48 event, meaning a majority, or quorum, of Council was present. The Pennsylvania Open Meetings Act, or Sunshine Act, requires legislative bodies to notify the public if a quorum is present for a meeting at which official business is discussed.

    But Johnson said at the beginning of the dinner that would not be happening.

    “Tonight we do no official business,” Johnson said in an interview. “Just social. Welcome back to City Council. Eat and drink and be merry. No policy on the table. No legislation on the table. Just having a good time.”

    Johnson’s invite directed members to RSVP to a Council staffer’s city email address. Johnson said his campaign picked up the tab.

    Parker and all 17 Council members will be on the ballot in next year’s municipal elections.

    “Everyone facing reelection next spring knows they have to be able to point to real accomplishments on the important issues voters care about,” City Hall lobbyist John C. Hawkins said. “And this fall is their last opportunity for them to address the most pressing issues that were not fully resolved in the spring budget process.”

    Budget fight hangover

    When Council and the mayor in the spring failed to reach a deal over new tax revenue to plug a $48 million hole in the school district’s budget, Johnson said Council had helped identify one-time savings in the city budget to fill the gap for a year while vowing to explore new recurring revenue streams for the district.

    Johnson has not yet scheduled a hearing on schools funding, and Council’s dissatisfaction with the district appears to have been mounting.

    Mayor Parker and City Council now have one year to figure out a way to bring in $216 million after reversing Philly school cuts, officials say
    Mayor Cherelle L. Parker, Council President Kenyatta Johnson, and Superintendent Tony B. Watlington Sr. arrive for an announcement at the School District of Philadelphia Headquarters on Wednesday, June 10, 2026 in Philadelphia. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    He said in a statement this week that Council will honor its commitment, but also alluded to finding that money in the district’s own budget, despite school officials saying they are navigating a $300 million structural deficit.

    Johnson said Council is awaiting the results of a performance audit of the school district that is being conducted by City Controller Christy Brady. He said that report “will help Council identify any available funds to support recurring funding.”

    New arena, who dis?

    In the fall of 2024, Council was consumed by the debate over the 76ers’ proposal to build an arena in Center City.

    Lawmakers spent much of the session debating the economic benefit of the project, while opponents cried out that it would displace businesses and residents in nearby Chinatown.

    Despite Council approving it, that project was scuttled by the Sixers, who instead teamed up with Comcast, which owns the Flyers, to plot a different project: a joint venture that would bring a new arena to the South Philly sports complex. Earlier this month, they released the first renderings of what the Spectrum-inspired arena could look like.

    There will likely be spirited discussions about it all in Council — at some point. But don’t expect a redux this fall of the all-out brawl that was 2024.

    Protesters link arms as sheriff’s deputies attempt to remove them from Philadelphia City Council chambers as the council is scheduled to vote on final approval for the Sixers’ proposed Center City arena on Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024.Sean Collins Walsh / Staff

    The stadium district falls in Johnson’s 2nd District, meaning it will be on him to introduce legislation that would green-light the project. And he has not been in a hurry to accommodate the Sixers’ timeline, which would be to approve the project as soon as possible so the venue can open by 2030.

    Johnson said in a statement that “no zoning legislation is scheduled for introduction,” and that he is working to find consensus with the Parker administration and other Council members before introducing any legislation.

    “I am focused on ensuring that any future legislation concerning the new arena addresses the interests and concerns of the community around the Stadium District and in Philadelphia,” he said.

    When that legislation is brought forth, it is unlikely to be anywhere near as controversial as the 76ers’ Center City proposal, which drew opposition due to its proximity to Chinatown, so long as the teams uphold their promise to not seek public subsidies.

    The Asian Pacific Islander Political Alliance, which led opposition to the Center City arena, released a statement earlier this month that signaled openness to the South Philly project.

    “The people of South Philly should have a meaningful voice in whether and how this project moves forward,” said Will Gross, an API PA member who is rumored to be considering a run for Council. “And if it does, it should mean good union jobs, a strong community benefits agreement, and real benefits for the people who live and work in the neighborhood.”

    Trash issue continues to burn

    Councilmember Jamie Gauthier has spent the better part of the last year trying to whip up support for a bill that would ban the city from shipping off its trash to be burned at an incinerator in Chester, a longtime practice she and others say is poisoning residents of the city to Philadelphia’s south.

    The Parker administration opposed the measure, saying it would limit the government’s ability to carry out its normal competitive bidding process and select the best-value contractor. Gauthier failed to get a majority of Council on her side, and she never called up the Stop Trashing Our Air Act for a vote.

    This fall, she will try a new tactic.

    Gauthier and her allies are attempting to kill the Parker administration’s effort to approve a new contract with Reworld, which operates the Chester waste-to-energy facility where the city sends about a third of its garbage. (The remainder is hauled off to landfills.)

    Philly sends a third of its trash to a Chester incinerator. Council members took a ‘Toxic Tour’ to get a closer look.
    Chester resident Zulene Mayfield, left, Philadelphia Councilmember Jamie Gauthier, right, and Chester Mayor Stefan Roots meet to discuss Gauthier’s “Stop Trashing Our Air Act,” which would ban the city from incinerating waste, during a visit with lawmakers and staff in Chester, Pa., on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer

    In July, the Parker administration announced that it intends to enter into a new four-year contract for waste processing and disposal with Reworld, as well as two landfill operators, Republic Services and Waste Management. The terms of those contracts have not yet been made public.

    Council must approve multiyear contracts, and Gauthier, who represents parts of West and Southwest Philadelphia, said she is planning a full-court press to get her colleagues to “block Mayor Parker’s dirty deal with trash incinerators.”

    The question is whether she can get eight other members on her side to reach a majority of Council. She is likely to find support from three fellow progressives, and she is expected to be joined by Councilmember Isaiah Thomas, the Democratic majority whip, at a Thursday news conference calling on the city to end its contract.

    Councilmember Mark Squilla takes his seat in chambers Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024, before a scheduled committee vote on Sixers arena related legislation was postponed,Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    Meanwhile, Councilmember Mark Squilla said he has been working with the administration on a plan to build out a “circular waste” system that would replace incineration and landfilling over time with composting and waste “digestion.”

    “The incinerator bill …. doesn’t solve a problem we have: to reduce our waste,” Squilla, whose district includes parts of Center City, South Philadelphia, and the river wards, said in an interview. “If we can reduce our waste by going to composting and digestion and other forms, we then eliminate all of our trash. Therefore end up with the result of what the goal should be, [which] is to get as close as possible to zero waste.”

    Squilla’s proposal, which would involve “a long-term contract to attract providers to be able to build out a possible digester to decrease the amount of food waste,” could make it easier for Council members sympathetic to Gauthier’s goals but skeptical of her incinerator bill to approve the administration’s contract with Reworld while committing to a long-term solution.

    The business tax, revisited

    Separate from the school district revenue, some Council members are hoping to advance measures that would provide tax relief to businesses.

    Council two years ago approved a 13-year schedule of rate cuts that would dramatically reduce the business income and receipts tax. But at the same time, Parker moved to eliminate a tax break that primarily helped small businesses after its legality under the Pennsylvania Constitution was challenged in court.

    The elimination of the tax break — which excluded from taxation companies’ first $100,000 in revenue — has forced thousands of small firms and sole proprietors that make less than that threshold to begin paying a tax from which they had been effectively exempted.

    Driscoll worked with tax experts to find a workaround that could pass legal muster — exempting certain types of businesses, such as sole proprietors, from the tax entirely — and he is planning to call up for a vote his bill this fall.

    Thomas, meanwhile, said he will introduce a resolution Thursday to hold hearings this fall on the feasibility of reducing the net income portion of the business tax “much sooner” and more “aggressively,” meaning an acceleration of the tax cuts already scheduled.

    The measures are likely to spark opposition from more progressive members of Council and could be tricky to navigate for Parker, who wants to make Philly more business-friendly but may not want to forgo additional revenue.

    Members eye priorities as election looms

    With next year’s election looming — and all 17 members indicating they intend to seek new four-year terms — the fall session is also likely to see movement on a myriad of issues championed by individual legislators.

    Majority Leader Katherine Gilmore Richardson said she will propose bills to “protect communities from harmful nuisance businesses and improve processes around code violations,” continuing her efforts to crack down on businesses that neighbors say attract crime.

    Councilmember Rue Landau, who represents the city at-large, said she is “tackling the impact of emerging technologies, making Philadelphia more affordable for working people, and ensuring equity remains at the center of how we serve our LGBTQ+ communities.”

    Landau said she also plans to introduce a resolution calling on the state to ban automated license plate readers like Flock cameras.

    Three Philly City Council districts emerge as key battlegrounds in the 2027 election
    The Philadelphia Council members inside the caucus inside City Hall in Philadelphia, Pa on Thursday, June 11, 2026.Aidan T. Gallo / Staff Photographer

    And Councilmember Kendra Brooks will propose new protections for temporary workers and tenants facing eviction, according to her spokesperson, Kathleen Melville.

    Brooks, a progressive who represents the city at-large, will also fight for additional funding for reproductive healthcare providers, a priority of hers that was left out of the budget following Council’s impasse with Parker, Melville said.

    “That was her biggest focus going into the budget,” Melville said. “She had the same experience as every other Council member in that none of her budget priorities made it into the budget.”

    Several members have also said that they want to bolster the city’s property tax relief offerings after the administration this summer released its citywide assessments that will mean higher taxes for thousands of homeowners.

    Thousands of Philly homeowners are facing property tax increases of 50% or more after this year’s reassessment

    The most likely move would be for Council to amend the city’s tax code to increase the popular homestead exemption, which currently exempts the first $100,000 from a home’s taxable value if the owner lives in the dwelling as their primary residence.

    Johnson said Council “will review all tax-relief options” this fall.

  • Philadelphia faces calls for a data center moratorium amid spreading AI fear and talk of a slowdown

    Philadelphia faces calls for a data center moratorium amid spreading AI fear and talk of a slowdown

    The battle over data centers and the artificial intelligence they power has officially reached Philadelphia City Hall.

    A coalition of activist groups and environmental advocates gathered at City Hall Monday to call on local lawmakers to pass a moratorium on data center construction in the city, the opening salvo for the group’s public pressure campaign to oppose the projects that it says could hike energy rates and drive pollution.

    “There’s way too much at stake to let data centers expand without guardrails,” said Sonya Sanders, board president of Philly Thrive, an advocacy group for racial, economic, and environmental justice.

    The coordinated push could put Mayor Cherelle L. Parker and members of City Council in a politically tricky spot as they gear up to run for reelection in the spring. Data centers have proven deeply controversial and have drawn bipartisan backlash, but some unions that see job-creating potential support their construction.

    There is no specific data center proposal currently under consideration by City Council, and no member has said that they will introduce a moratorium bill. A spokesperson for Council President Kenyatta Johnson said that Council members and Parker’s administration are in “discussions on the future of data centers in the city.”.

    Any data center legislation would have to run through Parker, a centrist Democrat who has not staked a position on the issue. She is allied with the unions that represent construction workers and has generally been pro-development. However, she positioned herself as an opponent of Big Tech earlier this year when she advocated for new taxes on companies like Uber and Airbnb.

    Parker said in a statement Monday that she would sign an executive order this week to “formalize” a task force she convened over the summer to explore potential standards for data center development, and she vowed that the city would put “rigorous guardrails in place.” She did not specify a timeline.

    Grays Ferry resident Sonya Sanders speaks during a rally at Philadelphia City Hall on Monday, calling on City Council to pass a citywide data center moratorium and kicking off the No Data Centers in Philly campaign.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer

    The data center activists’ event in Philadelphia came as fear of AI’s rapid development and increasingly humanlike capabilities has spread substantially and as leaders of the nation’s largest AI developers over the weekend signaled support for a global slowdown.

    On Saturday, Anthropic chief executive Dario Amodei wrote that the technology is advancing more rapidly than leading companies can implement safeguards. Several of his top rivals, including Sam Altman of OpenAI and Elon Musk of SpaceX, endorsed his call for a slower pace of growth.

    Top AI leaders unite to warn the technology is advancing too fast

    Meanwhile, talks of regulation have gripped Washington, with lawmakers from both major parties drafting plans to rein in tech companies and add layers of oversight to AI development. Any proposal faces an uncertain future, as President Donald Trump has said the country should remove barriers to AI development and accelerate advancement in order to outpace China.

    On Monday morning, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform: “The only control or ‘guardrails’ that AI needs is a STRONG AND SMART (High IQ!) PRESIDENT, and the U.S.A. has that, in spades!”

    Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker start to make her budget presentation to City Council in Council Chambers on March 12. In the background is Council President Kenyatta Johnson.Alejandro A. Alvarez / Staff Photographer

    Inaction in Washington has left an opening for states and cities to regulate the construction of data centers, which produce the massive amount of computing power needed for artificial intelligence. They have become increasingly unpopular — a July poll found that 3 in 4 Pennsylvanians don’t want a data center in their backyard.

    Municipalities in Pennsylvania, including Philadelphia, now have more power than ever to slow or halt the development of data centers. Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat who is considered a potential presidential contender and who had previously courted data center projects, last month signed an executive order requiring local approval for any project to receive a state permit.

    In a major shift, Gov. Josh Shapiro restricts data center development in Pennsylvania

    Philadelphia is already home to eight data centers that were constructed before the issue was widely controversial. The existing data centers are far smaller than the newer “hyperscale” projects that are meant to power AI and have faced opposition in communities across the country.

    In July, the city’s planning commission said there are only two locations in the city that could support an industrial-size data center: the former South Philly refinery site known as the Bellwether District and 2600 Grant Ave., a city-owned plot adjacent to the Northeast Philadelphia airport.

    Planning commission officials emphasized that they were not asked to consider a specific proposal to build a data center at either of those sites.

    People hold signs opposing data centers during a rally at Philadelphia City Hall on Monday, calling on City Council to pass a citywide data center moratorium and kicking off the No Data Centers in Philly campaign.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer

    City Council has thus far not taken action on data centers, aside from passing a resolution authored by Councilmember Rue Landau earlier this year to hold hearings on the issue. A hearing has not yet been scheduled.

    Council, which is led by a supermajority of Democrats, will convene Thursday for the first meeting of the fall session. Members are unlikely to green-light a controversial data center project ahead of the primary election in May, when every Council seat will be on the ballot.

    But activists said Monday that city lawmakers must take proactive steps to ban data centers temporarily while they draft a regulatory framework and a system for considering public input on proposed projects.

    Shawmar Pitts, the managing co-director of Philly Thrive — which is rooted in the communities that surround the former South Philly oil refinery — said Council members are “on notice.”

    “Don’t put a moratorium in place, and your seat will be taken,” he warned.

    America needs responsible leadership on AI development. It has Trump, instead. | Editorial

    Senia Lopez, a Northeast Philly resident and an organizer with the advocacy group 215 People’s Alliance, said people in neighborhoods surrounding any future hyperscale data center would be saddled with higher utility costs and “increased threats to our health.”

    “City Council must chose whose interests it represents,” Lopez said. “It can side with Big Tech companies seeking to extract from our communities, or it can stand with the working people who have built and sustained them.”

  • Philly developers are planning a $1.5M campaign to protect City Council from progressive challengers

    Philly developers are planning a $1.5M campaign to protect City Council from progressive challengers

    Philadelphia real estate developers see the writing on the wall.

    As progressives have toppled centrist Democrats in nationally watched races, some local development interests are wary that the same trend could reshape Philadelphia City Council this spring, when every member is up for reelection. They see a growing progressive faction as a threat to business.

    Enter the incumbent protection plan.

    Nearly a dozen local developers are already pouring hundreds of thousands of dollars into Philly For Growth, a group that in the past two Council election cycles spent millions on advertising campaigns to back business-friendly Democrats, according to a source familiar with the planning.

    Philly For Growth is an independent expenditure group, also known as a super PAC. It can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money to influence an election, but there are rules barring super PACs from most forms of coordination with the candidates they support.

    In 2023, the group was the biggest special interest group involved in that year’s Council races, and it provided a substantial boost to its chosen candidates by outspending individual campaigns.

    The race to unseat Philly Councilmember Jeffery Young Jr. is taking shape

    Ahead of the May primary election, Philly For Growth plans to spend $1.5 million to support pro-business Democrats, most of whom are sitting Council members, according to the source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the plans. The group will not fund negative advertising about Council’s four incumbent progressives, the source added.

    Councilmember Kendra Brooks, of the progressive Working Families Party, speaks during a rally outside of the School District of Philadelphia headquarters in May. At left is Councilmember Rue Landau and at right is Councilmember Jamie Gauthier. All three are members of Council’s progressive faction.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    The idea is to keep progressives from growing their power on Council instead of spending money to knock off the leftists who are already there. There are currently four reliably progressive votes out of the total 17 on Council, but some members may be more likely to vote with that faction as Democratic voters nationally revolt against incumbents.

    That’s a different strategy than in 2023, when Philly For Growth backed a slate of five candidates — two incumbents and three challengers. Both incumbents won, but all three challengers lost.

    Philly For Growth has previously been affiliated with the Building Industry Association of Philadelphia, an advocacy group for development interests. Mo Rushdy, the BIA’s former president who leads the organization’s political activity, declined to comment.

    The source said that Philly For Growth will fund advertising to support Council members Mark Squilla, whose 1st District includes parts of South Philly, Center City, and Fishtown; Cindy Bass, whose 8th District is based in North and Northwest Philadelphia; and Quetcy Lozada, whose 7th District includes much of North Philadelphia and Kensington.

    Three Philly City Council districts emerge as key battlegrounds in the 2027 election

    All three are seen as more centrist members and have said they intend to run for reelection. No challenger has officially launched a campaign against any of them, but candidates who are aligned with the city’s left-leaning political organizations are expected to emerge as the primary — still eight months away — draws nearer.

    The super PAC is making one exception when it comes to supporting incumbent district Council members, the source said. In the 5th District, currently represented by Councilmember Jeffrey Young Jr., the group will support a to-be-decided challenger.

    Councilmember Jeffery Young Jr. speaks to other members of Council during a 2025 session.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    At least five people have said they are interested in running for the North Philly-based 5th District seat, and Young has drawn opposition from development interests for pushing proposals that would slow or halt some projects in his district.

    Young said in a statement that building “sensible, affordable housing” is one of his top priorities and that he has supported city programs like Turn the Key, which provides mortgage support to first-time homebuyers.

    “People are free to back those who share their values. These are my values,” Young said. “I am leaving it to the residents of the 5th to determine whose values best reflect them.”

    The super PAC will also fund advertising backing four incumbent members who represent the city at-large: Isaiah Thomas, Katherine Gilmore Richardson, Jim Harrity, and Nina Ahmad. That group doesn’t include progressive at-large Councilmember Rue Landau, but Philly For Growth doesn’t plan to oppose her, the source said.

    Council President Kenyatta Johnson laughs inside the caucus inside City Hall on June 11.Aidan T. Gallo / Staff Photographer

    A spokesperson for Landau’s campaign arm said in a statement that the Council member “stands by her accomplishments for working people, small businesses and vulnerable communities in Philadelphia and looks forward to voters having the opportunity to make up their own minds next year.”

    It’s unclear just how competitive the at-large race will be, and candidates have until the spring to decide — nomination paperwork is typically due in March. Seven of Council’s members represent the entire city at-large, and two of those seats are effectively reserved for members of minority parties under the city’s Home Rule Charter.

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    That has traditionally meant that five seats are held by Democrats, given the party’s massive voter registration advantage in the city. In recent years, Republicans and the progressive Working Families Party have battled for the remaining two seats during the fall general election, and the WFP currently holds both.

    Mayor Cherelle L. Parker, who is also up for reelection, and Council President Kenyatta Johnson, who insiders do not expect will see a serious challenger, will likely be on Philly For Growth’s slate, too, the source said.