by KYW’s Mike Dunn
The Street administration now says Philadelphia’s budget surplus is bigger than expected, and City Council members are already arguing how to spend some of it.
The administration closed out its fiscal year with a nearly $255 million surplus -- about $53 million higher than originally projected.
In the wake of that, City Councilwoman Marion Tasco -- a frequent foe of the mayor -- introduced bills that would earmark $10 million each for the fire, police, and recreation departments:
“What we see is a one-time appropriation of funds so that we can repair those stations and rec centers that need to be repaired. This is a way to infuse some money, on a pay-as-you-go basis, without locking in funding for ongoing years.”
But Councilman Darrell Clarke, a Street ally, has a different idea:
“I don’t know how we can get around not putting some revenue on the table to address the school district problem. I think that should be the first thing that we should look at. At the end of the day, we cannot have a school district that has a $75 million deficit.”
The state agency overseeing the city’s finances, like Tasco, recommends investing in the city's infrastructure. It also recommends using the surplus to build a rainy day fund, and to reduce the city’s unfunded pension liability.
Officials credit rising collections of business, wage, and real estate taxes for the surplus.
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