City of Philadelphia - File #: 040076

• File #: 040076
• Version: 0
• Type: Resolution
• Status: ADOPTED
• File created: 1/29/2004
• In control: Committee of the Whole
• Title: Authorizing the Council Committee of the Whole to hold hearings on the findings and recommendations of the Tax Reform Commission's final report, released on November 15, 2003; and, further authorizing the Committee to seek advice and recommendations on tax policy and tax reform from citizens, financial experts, economists, academia, business executives, and state legislative and executive branch officials.
• Sponsors: Councilmember Tasco, Councilmember Nutter, Councilmember Goode, Councilmember DiCicco, Councilmember Reynolds Brown, Councilmember Rizzo, Council President Verna, Councilmember Miller, Councilmember Ramos, Councilmember Clarke, Councilmember Kenney, Councilmember Krajewski

Date	Ver.	Action By	Action	Result	Tally
2/25/2004	0	Committee of the Whole	HEARING HELD
2/25/2004	0	Committee of the Whole	RECESSED
2/24/2004	0	Committee of the Whole	HEARING NOTICES SENT
2/24/2004	0	Committee of the Whole	RECESSED
1/29/2004	0	CITY COUNCIL	ADOPTED & REFERRED
1/29/2004	0	CITY COUNCIL	READ
1/29/2004	0	CITY COUNCIL	Introduced	Pass

Title
Authorizing the Council Committee of the Whole to hold hearings on the findings and recommendations of the Tax Reform Commission's final report, released on November 15, 2003; and, further authorizing the Committee to seek advice and recommendations on tax policy and tax reform from citizens, financial experts, economists, academia, business executives, and state legislative and executive branch officials.
Body
WHEREAS, City Council is the body authorized by the City Charter to levy taxes and to legislatively determine the rates of such taxes; and

WHEREAS, City Council must be prepared to analyze, evaluate, and make decisions on future tax policy and its impact on the overall general fund budget, the five-year fiscal plan, the delivery of City services, and the business climate of our City; and

WHEREAS, Despite moving from fiscal crisis to regular budgetary surpluses and after small-scale tax reductions, Philadelphia's population loss continued throughout the 1990s and Philadelphia has continuously lagged behind the nation, the Greater Philadelphia Region, and competitor cities in terms of economic growth; and

WHEREAS, The current tax structure presents a competitive disadvantage as the pull exerted by all that the City has to offer is offset by the push of exorbitant taxes that provide a reason for residents and businesses not to locate within the City; and

WHEREAS, There was submitted for the approval or disapproval of the qualified electors of the City of Philadelphia at the election held November 5, 2002, an amendment to the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter relating to the creation, appointment, powers, and duties of a Philadelphia Tax Reform Commission, as ordained by The Council of the City of Philadelphia; and

WHEREAS, In November 2002, 170,000 voters in Philadelphia, with a margin of four-to-one, supported the creation of the first independent Ta...