June 5, 2025
Last night, City Council voted on an amended version of the FY2026 budget that reflects negotiations between the Mayor’s office and Council. In response, the Alliance for a Just Philadelphia, a coalition of over three dozen organizations and community groups across Philadelphia, issued the following statement:
The Alliance for a Just Philadelphia is deeply disappointed by the Fiscal Year 2026 budget that fails to meet the urgent needs of working-class Philadelphians.
Philadelphia faces catastrophic threats from the federal level: the gutting of Medicaid, the terrorizing of our immigrant communities, and defunding our schools. Council had the opportunity — and the responsibility — to prepare Philadelphia for these threats.
Instead, City Council chose to bury their heads in the sand. They passed a status quo budget that mirrors what is happening at the federal level: tax cuts for the rich, handouts for big business, and legislation that continues to divest from public services.
The budget failed to make investments in public services that would keep our communities safe; there were no increases in funding for Mobile Crisis Units, Licensing & Inspection, the Free Library, or the Community College of Philadelphia. The Department of Labor received a cut for the second year in a row, resulting in cuts to the Office of Worker Protections. This budget will lead to less trained crisis responders for people experiencing a mental health crisis, less proactive rental inspections for residents with negligent landlords, and less funding for our public spaces that serve our youth. Low-wage workers won’t receive vital labor protections at their job and will continue to face exploitative employers.
Council repeatedly disregards the concerns of Black and brown, working-class Philadelphians. Last night we watched as they ultimately passed a disastrous budget that sidelined those concerns for political convenience and corporate greed.
With looming federal cuts, we demand Council stand up for all of us. We will not let them close health centers, fail to support our schools, or shutter libraries and parks — especially when we watch them give tax dollars to megacorporations.
The Alliance for a Just Philadelphia will not be deterred. We will continue to build grassroots power, hold elected officials accountable, and organize for a future where every neighborhood is resourced, every family is supported, and justice is more than a talking point—it’s a reality.
