| Budget Hearing Date | Testifying Departments (sampling only; not an exhaustive list), Cost per Person, and Video |
|---|---|
| Tuesday, March 25 | Testifying Departments: Mayor’s Office (incl. Deputy Mayors) | Prepared Testimony Department of Labor | Prepared Testimony Cost per Person (Governance): $26 (+$0.06 since FY25) Total Funding: $40M; 0.6% of total Change since FY25: +0.2% The budgets for City Council and the Mayor’s Office. Budget Hearing Video: 03-25-25 |
| Wednesday, March 26 | Testifying Departments: Department of Finance | Prepared Testimony Board of Pensions | Prepared Testimony Cost per Person (Pension Payments): $531 (+$2 since FY25) Total Funding: $836M; 12.4% of total Change since FY25: +0.4% The City’s legally required pension-related payments, which are difficult to change from year to year. These include the annual payment to the Municipal Pension Fund, which funds pension benefits for active and retired City employees, as well as payments towards paying down debt from past pension-related bond borrowings. Cost per Person (Benefits for City Employees): $585 (+$45 since FY25) Total Funding: $921M; 13.7% of total Change since FY25: +8.2% Fringe benefits for the current City workforce, including health, medical, and disability insurance, among others. These benefits are collectively bargained and difficult to adjust from year to year. Employee benefit costs are the single largest category of spending in the budget, despite roughly 20% of the City’s full-time positions being unfilled. Budget Hearing Video: 03-26-25 |
| Tuesday, April 1 | Testifying Departments: Human Services | Prepared Testimony Mayor’s Office of Education | Prepared Testimony Cost per Person (Human Services): $99 (+$4 since FY25) Total Funding: $156M; 2.3% of total Change since FY25: +4.6% The budget for the Department of Human Services (DHS), which is the county child welfare and juvenile justice agency. DHS often leverages its budget to receive outside funding from matching external state and federal grants. Cost per Person (Early Education Programs): $52 (+$5 since FY25) Total Funding: $82M; 1.2% of total Change since FY25: +11.2% Early education programs, including PHL Pre-K, that are focused on improving educational opportunities for the city’s youth. These programs are supported through Beverage Tax revenue. Budget Hearing Videos: 04-01-25 Morning 04-01-25 Afternoon |
| Wednesday, April 2 | Testifying Departments: Sanitation | Prepared Testimony Office of Clean and Green Group | Prepared Testimony Cost per Person (Sanitation): $114 (+$8 since FY25) Total Funding: $180M; 2.7% of total Change since FY25: +7.0% The budget for the Sanitation Department, whose primary responsibilities include trash and recycling collection and the City’s clean and green efforts. Budget Hearing Video: 04-02-25 |
| Tuesday, April 8 | Testifying Departments: Police | Prepared Testimony Office of Public Safety | Prepared Testimony Cost per Person (Police): $556 (-$3 since FY25) Total Funding: $875M; 13.0% of total Change since FY25: -0.6% Funding for the Police Department and the Citizens Police Oversight Commission.The Police Department has the largest budget of any City department, totaling $872M in the proposed budget. Cost per Person (Public Safety Programs): $42 (+$34 since FY25) Total Funding: $67M; 1.0% of total Change since FY25: +398.2% The budget for the Office of Public Safety, which oversees programs related to criminal justice reform, reentry services, violence prevention, victim services, and overdose response. The FY26 budget establishes the Office of Public Safety as an independent department, transferring its funding from existing programs in the Managing Director’s Office. Budget Hearing Videos: 04-08-25 Morning 04-08-25 Afternoon |
| Wednesday, April 9 | Testifying Departments: MDO | Prepared Testimony Prisons | Prepared Testimony Cost per Person (Prisons): $196 (+$5 since FY25) Total Funding: $309M; 4.6% of total Change since FY25: +2.8% The budget for the Prisons Department, which operates four prison facilities in Philadelphia. Budget Hearing Videos: 04-09-25 Morning 04-09-25 Afternoon |
| Tuesday, April 15 | Testifying Departments: Planning & Development | Prepared Testimony Commerce Cost per Person (Economic Development): $104 (+$34 since FY25) Total Funding: $164M; 2.4% of total Change since FY25: +48.3% Spending related to economic development, including the budgets for the Commerce and Planning and Development departments, the annual contribution to the Housing Trust Fund, and the annual payment for the Convention Center, which is mandated under an agreement with the Commonwealth. Budget Hearing Videos: 04-15-25 Morning 04-15-25 Afternoon |
| Wednesday, April 16 | Testifying Departments: Free Library | Prepared Testimony Parks and Recreation | Prepared Testimony SEPTA | Prepared Testimony Cost per Person (Libraries): $47 (+$2 since FY25) Total Funding: $75M; 1.1% of total Change since FY25: +4.1% The budget for the Free Library of Philadelphia. Cost per Person (Parks & Recreation): $53 (+$1 since FY25) Total Funding: $84M; 1.2% of total Change since FY25: +2.5% The budget for the Parks and Recreation Department, which manages the city’s parks, trails, and recreation facilities. Cost per Person (SEPTA Subsidy): $86 (+$1 since FY25) Total Funding: $135M; 2.0% of total Change since FY25: +1.3% Philadelphia’s annual contribution to SEPTA, which is mandated by state law. Budget Hearing Videos: 04-16-25 Morning 04-16-25 Afternoon |
| Wednesday, April 23 | Testifying Departments: H.O.M.E. Initiative | Prepared Testimony Budget Hearing Videos: 04-23-25 Morning 04-23-25 Afternoon |
| Tuesday, April 29 | Testifying Departments: School District | Prepared Testimony Community College of Philadelphia | Prepared Testimony Cost per Person (School District Contribution): $180 ($0 since FY25) Total Funding: $284M; 4.2% of total Change since FY25: No Change The City’s annual payment to the School District of Philadelphia. This contribution is separate from the School District’s own budget. Cost per Person (Community College & Other Scholarships): $34 (-$1 since FY25) Total Funding: $54M; 0.8% of total Change since FY25: -3.6% The City’s annual contribution to the Community College of Philadelphia, as well as other smaller education scholarships. Budget Hearing Videos: 04-29-25 Morning 04-29-25 Afternoon |
| Wednesday, April 30 | Testifying Departments: School District | Prepared Testimony Cost per Person (School District Contribution): $180 ($0 since FY25) Total Funding: $284M; 4.2% of total Change since FY25: No Change The City’s annual payment to the School District of Philadelphia. This contribution is separate from the School District’s own budget. Budget Hearing Videos: 04-30-25 Morning 04-30-25 Afternoon |
| Friday, May 2 | Testifying Departments: Office of Homeless Services | Prepared Testimony Fire Department | Prepared Testimony Licenses & Inspections | Prepared Testimony Cost per Person (Homeless Services): $53 (-$3 since FY25) Total Funding: $84M; 1.2% of total Change since FY25: -5.1% The budget for the Office of Homeless Services, which works with city, state, and federal partners to provide emergency housing and aid to people who are experiencing homelessness. Cost per Person (Fire Department): $274 (-$0.24 since FY25) Total Funding: $432M; 6.4% of total Change since FY25: -0.1% Funding for the Fire Department, the second largest department in the City’s budget. Cost per Person (Regulatory): $32 (+$2 since FY25) Total Funding: $51M; 0.8% of total Change since FY25: +6.1% The budgets for department who are responsible for enforcing City regulations, including Licenses and Inspections, the Board of Ethics, and the Office of the Inspector General. Budget Hearing Video: 05-2-25 Morning 05-02-25 Afternoon |
| Monday, May 5 | Testifying Departments: Department of Public Health | Prepared Testimony Department of Behavioral Health & Intellectual Disabilities | Prepared Testimony Cost per Person (Health): $123 (+$8 since FY25) Total Funding: $193M; 2.9% of total Change since FY25: +6.7% The budgets for the Department of Public Health and the Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual Disability Services. Budget Hearing Video: 05-05-25 Morning 05-05-25 Afternoon |
| Tuesday, May 6 | Testifying Departments: Law | Prepared Testimony District Attorney | Prepared Testimony Defender Association | Prepared Testimony Sheriff | Prepared Testimony Cost per Person (Court System): $191 (+$5 since FY25) Total Funding: $300M; 4.5% of total Change since FY25: +2.9% Spending related to the court system and criminal justice agencies. Budget Hearing Video: 05-06-25 Morning 05-06-25 Afternoon |
| Wednesday, May 7 | Testifying Departments: H.O.M.E. Initiative | Prepared Testimony Mural Arts | Prepared Testimony Callbacks | Prepared Testimony Cost per Person (Arts & Culture): $7 (-$4 since FY25) Total Funding: $11M; 0.2% of total Change since FY25: -34.4% The budgets for the Mural Arts program and the Office of Arts and Culture, as well as the annual contribution to the Art Museum. Budget Hearing Video: 05-07-25 Morning 05-07-25 Afternoon |
| Tuesday, May 13 | Public Testimony |
| Wednesday, May 14 | Public Testimony |
