City of Philadelphia - File #: 010700

• File #: 010700
• Version: 0
• Type: Resolution
• Status: ADOPTED
• File created: 11/29/2001
• In control: Committee of the Whole
• Final action: 12/31/2003
• Title: Authorizing the Council Committee of the Whole to hold hearings on the findings and recommendations of the City Controller's November 2001 Tax Structure Analysis Report; 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 Blackwell, Councilmember Ortiz, Councilmember Goode, Councilmember Rizzo, Councilmember Mariano, Councilmember DiCicco, Councilmember Reynolds Brown, Councilmember Kenney, Councilmember Krajewski, Councilmember Clarke, Councilmember Tasco, Councilmember Nutter, Councilmember Miller, Council President Verna, Councilmember Longstreth, Councilmember O'Neill
• Indexes: TAXES

Date	Ver.	Action By	Action	Result	Tally
2/12/2002	0	Committee of the Whole	HEARING NOTICES SENT
2/12/2002	0	Committee of the Whole	HEARING HELD
2/12/2002	0	Committee of the Whole	RECESSED
1/30/2002	0	Committee of the Whole	HEARING NOTICES SENT
1/30/2002	0	Committee of the Whole	HEARING HELD
1/30/2002	0	Committee of the Whole	RECESSED
11/29/2001	0	CITY COUNCIL	ADOPTED & REFERRED
11/29/2001	0	CITY COUNCIL	Introduced	Pass

Title
Authorizing the Council Committee of the Whole to hold hearings on the findings and recommendations of the City Controller's November 2001 Tax Structure Analysis Report; 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 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 1990's 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 overburdensome taxes which provide a reason for residents and businesses not to locate within the City; and

WHEREAS, Despite national economic growth, it was not until the City reduced taxes that it experienced job growth; and

WHEREAS, The fact that total Wage Tax collections actually increased by 19 percent between Fiscal Year 1995 and Fiscal Year 2001 while the Wage Tax was reduced a cumulative 8.0 percent provides evidence that tax cuts can improve economic conditions without compromising budgetary priorities; and

WHEREAS, The Controller's Office's Tax Structure Analysis Report shows that the City's overall tax burden, and many individual taxes, are high, that the tax structure is overly complex and confusing,...