Budget Calendar 2027

Testifying Departments:

• Five-Year Plan | Testimony

• Capital Program | Testimony

• Mayor's Office | Testimony

• Labor | Testimony

Cost per Person (Non-Financial Administration):

$149 (-$34 since FY26)

Total Funding: $235M; 3.4% of total

Change since FY26: -18.6% 

The budgets for internal non-financial administrative offices, including the Managing Director's Office, the Law Department, and the Records Department. This category also includes reserve funds for potential cost increases from future labor contracts.

The overall decrease for this category in FY27 is due to a reduction in the labor reserve, which was larger last year due to expiring contracts with several unions.

Cost per Person (Governance):

$26 (+$0.13 since FY26)

Total Funding: $40M; 0.6% of total

Change since FY26: +0.5%

The budgets for City Council and the Mayor's Office.

Budget Hearing Videos: 

03/24/26 Morning

03/24/26 Afternoon

Testifying Departments:

• Department of Finance | Prepared Testimony

• Department of Revenue | Prepared Testimony

• City Treasurer | Prepared Testimony

• Board of Pensions | Prepared Testimony

Cost per Person (Benefits for City Employees):

$630 (+$45 since FY26)

Total Funding: $991M; 14.2% of total 

Change since FY25: +7.6% 

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.

Over the last three budgets, benefit costs have consistently accounted for about 14% of the total General Fund budget. 

Cost per Person (Pension Payments):

$532 (+$0.82 since FY26)

Total Funding: $838M; 12.0% of total

Change since FY25: +0.2%

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 (Financial Adminstration):

$78 (-$22 since FY26)

Total Funding: $123M; 1.8% of total

Change since FY25: -22.3%

The budgets for departments who are responsible for the City's finances, including the Finance Department, Revenue Department, Procurement Department, City Controller's Office, Office of Property Assessment, and the City Treasurer's Office.

Last year's budget included a one-time line-item of $42M to prepare for 2026 special events, which is not included in this year's budget and accounts for the overall decrease for this category.

Budget Hearing Videos: 

03/25/26 Morning

03/25/26 Afternoon 

Testifying Departments:

• Chief Administrative Office | Prepared Testimony

• Office of Human Resources | Prepared Testimony
• Office of Innovation & Technology | Prepared Testimony

Cost per Person (Internal Services):

$241 (+$5 since FY26)

Total Funding: $379M; 5.4% of total 

Change since FY25: +2.3% 

Funding for departments that support internal City operations. This includes human resources, IT services, management of City facilities, and purchases and maintenance of City vehicles.

Budget Hearing Videos: 

03/31/26 Morning

03/31/26 Afternoon

Testifying Departments:

• Department of Human Services | Prepared Testimony

• Mayor’s Office of Education | Prepared Testimony

• Parks and Recreation | Prepared Testimony

• Free Library of Philadelphia | Prepared Testimony

   

Cost per Person (Human Services):

$102 (+$2 since FY26)

Total Funding: $160M; 2.3% of total

Change since FY26: +2.4%

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 (Parks & Recreation):

$57 (+$1 since FY26)

Total Funding: $89M; 1.3% of total

Change since FY26: +2.3%

The budget for the Parks and Recreation Department, which manages the city's parks, trails, and recreation facilities.

Cost per Person (Libraries):

$50 (+$2 since FY26)

Total Funding: $78M; 1.1% of total

Change since FY26: +4.8%

The budget for the Free Library of Philadelphia.

Budget Hearing Videos: 

4/01/26 Morning

4/01/26 Afternoon

Testifying Departments:

• Sanitation | Prepared Testimony

• Office of Clean and Green

• Streets Department | Prepared Testimony

Cost per Person (Sanitation):

$121 (+$6 since FY26)

Total Funding: $190M; 2.7% of total

Change since FY26: +5.6%

The budget for the Sanitation Department, whose primary responsibilities include trash and recycling collection and the City's clean and green efforts.

Budget Hearing Videos: 

4/07/26 Morning

4/07/26 Afternoon

Testifying Departments:

• Water Department | Prepared Testimony

• Aviation | Prepared Testimony

• Licenses & Inspections | Prepared Testimony

Cost per Person (Regulatory):

$35 (+$3 since FY26)

Total Funding: $55M; 0.8% of total 

Change since FY26: +8.9%

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 Videos:

4/08/26 Morning

4/08/26 Afternoon

Testifying Departments:

• Police Department | Prepared Testimony

• Office of Public Safety | Prepared Testimony
• Prisons | Prepared Testimony

Cost per Person (Police):

$596 (+$39 since FY26)

Total Funding: $938M; 13.5% of total

Change since FY26: +7.0%

Funding for the Police Department and the Citizens Police Oversight Commission.

The Police Department has the largest budget of any City department, totaling $934M in the proposed budget.

Cost per Person (Prisons):

$202 (+$5 since FY26)

Total Funding: $318M; 4.6% of total

Change since FY26: +2.4%

The budget for the Prisons Department, which operates four prison facilities in Philadelphia.

Budget Hearing Videos:

04-14-26 Morning

04-14-26 Afternoon

Testifying Departments:

• SEPTA | Prepared Testimony

• Mural Arts | Prepared Testimony

• Philadelphia Energy Authority | Prepared Testimony

Cost per Person (SEPTA Subsidy):

$86 (+$0 since FY26)

Total Funding: $135M; 1.9% of total

Change since FY26: No change

Philadelphia's annual contribution to SEPTA, which is mandated by state law.

Cost per Person (Arts & Culture):

$8 (-$3 since FY26)

Total Funding: $12M; 0.2% of total

Change since FY26: -27.6%

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 Videos:

04-15-26 Morning

04-15-26 Afternoon

Testifying Departments:

• Managing Director’s Office (MDO) This includes the Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Systems (OTIS) | Prepared Testimony

• Office of Homeless Services | Prepared Testimony

Cost per Person (Non-Financial Administration):

$149 (-$34 since FY26)

Total Funding: $235M; 3.4% of total

Change since FY26: -18.6%

The budgets for internal non-financial administrative offices, including the Managing Director's Office, the Law Department, and the Records Department. This category also includes reserve funds for potential cost increases from future labor contracts. 

The overall decrease for this category in FY27 is due to a reduction in the labor reserve, which was larger last year due to expiring contracts with several unions.

Cost per Person (Homeless Services):

$54 (+$0.73 since FY26)

Total Funding: $85M; 1.2% of total

Change since FY26: +1.4%

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.

Budget Hearing Videos:

04-20-26 Morning

04-20-26 Afternoon

Testifying Departments:

• Tax Bills | Prepared Testimony

Budget Hearing Videos: 

04-21-26 Morning

04-21-26 Afternoon

Testifying Departments:

• School District of Philadelphia | Prepared Testimony

Cost per Person (School District Contribution):

$180 ($0 since FY26)

Total Funding: $284M; 4.1% 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 (Early Education Programs):

$54 (+$1 since FY26)

Total Funding: $84M; 1.2% of total

Change since FY26: +2.4%

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: 

04-22-26 Morning

04-22-26 Afternoon

Testifying Departments:

• Law Department | Prepared Testimony

• Defender Association | Prepared Testimony

• First Judicial District | Prepared Testimony

• Sheriff's Office | Prepared Testimony

   

Cost per Person (Court System):

$197 (+$4 since FY26)

Total Funding: $310M; 4.4% of total

Change since FY26: +2.1%

Spending related to the court system and criminal justice agencies.

This includes the budgets for the First Judicial District (courts), the Defender Association, the District Attorney's Office, the Sheriff's Office, and the Register of Wills.

Budget Hearing Videos: 

04-28-26 Morning 

04-28-26 Afternoon 

Testifying Departments:

• Planning & Development | Prepared Testimony

• Commerce | Prepared Testimony
• Office of Property Assessments | Prepared Testimony

Cost per Person (Economic Development):

$121 (-$5 since FY26)

Total Funding: $190M; 2.7% of total

Change since FY26: -3.7%

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:

4/29/26 Morning

4/29/26 Afternoon

Testifying Departments:

• Department of Public Health | Prepared Testimony

• Department of Behavioral Health & Intellectual disAbility Services | Prepared Testimony
• District Attorney | Prepared Testimony

Cost per Person (Health):

$121 (-$2 since FY26)

Total Funding: $191M; 2.7% of total

Change since FY26: -1.5%

The budgets for the Department of Public Health and the Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual Disability Services.

These departments often leverage their budgets to receive outside funding from matching external state and federal grants.

Budget Hearing Videos:

5/04/26 Morning

5/04/26 Afternoon

Testifying Departments:

• Philadelphia Fire Department | Prepared Testimony

• Community College of Philadelphia | Prepared Testimony

• Department Callbacks

Cost per Person (Fire Department):

$293 (+$11 since FY26)

Total Funding: $461M; 6.6% of total

Change since FY26: +3.7%

Funding for the Fire Department, the second largest department in the City's budget.

Cost per Person (Community College & Other Scholarships):

$36 (+$1 since FY26)

Total Funding: $56M; 0.8% of total

Change since FY26: +3.4%

The City's annual contribution to the Community College of Philadelphia, as well as other smaller education scholarships.

Budget Hearing Videos:

05/05/26 Morning

05/05/26 Afternoon

Public Testimony

Videos:

05/06/26 Morning

05/06/26 Afternoon

• Art Museum | Prepared Testimony

• Auditing

• Board of Ethics

• Board of Revision of Taxes | Prepared Testimony

• Citizens Police Oversight Commission | Prepared Testimony

• City Commissioners

• City Controller | Prepared Testimony

• City Council

• City Representative | Prepared Testimony

• Civil Service Commission

• Human Relations Commission

• L&I - Board of Building Standards | Prepared Testimony

• L&I - Board of L. & I. Review | Prepared Testimony

• Citizens Police Oversight Commission

• Mayor's Office of Community Empowerment & Opportunity | Prepared Testimony

• Office of Arts & Culture (Creative Philadelphia)

• Office of Sustainability | Prepared Testimony

• Office of the Inspector General | Prepared Testimony

• Office of Public Engagement and Neighborhood Affairs (OPENA) | Prepared Testimony

• Prison Oversight Commission

• Procurement | Prepared Testimony

• Records | Prepared Testimony

• Register of Wills | Prepared Testimony

• Water Rate Board | Prepared Testimony