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City Cast Philly

Siani Colón

On May 19, Philadelphia voters will choose from a list of candidates vying to become their next governor, lieutenant governor, congressperson, state senator, and state representative. This vote dictates who will advance to November’s general election. Philadelphians will also consider two ballot measures that could change the 

Despite Pennsylvania being a closed primary state, ballot questions will be visible to all voters, even to those unaffiliated with a party. Here's a breakdown of the questions Philly will consider.

Shall the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter be amended to provide for the creation of the Philadelphia Retirement Savings Board to oversee a defined contribution retirement program for the benefit of eligible private-sector workers, and to authorize City Council to determine the composition, powers and duties of the board?

 receive retirement income, according to the AARP.

 to establish a retirement savings program known as PhillySaves. This program allows anyone working in the private or nonprofit sector for a Philadelphia-based employer (who does not provide a retirement plan) to be automatically enrolled in the city’s initiative.

The program is modeled after state-run auto-IRA programs, which allow employees to invest via payroll deductions. Although Pennsylvania does not have an auto-IRA program, 

. Philadelphia would not be the first municipality to attempt such a program. New York City and Seattle both passed similar initiatives, but later folded them into their respective state programs.

For PhillySaves, eligible employees would contribute 3% to 6% of their wages to the IRA, and have the option to change their contributions or opt out entirely.

A board of nine appointees would oversee the program. The mayor and City Council President each select four members, while the City Controller chooses one.

If voters vote “yes,” this will approve the creation of the Philadelphia Retirement Savings Board as an independent entity within city government.

Shall the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter be amended to provide for the creation of the Office of the Youth Ombudsperson to improve the safety and quality of services for youth placed in juvenile justice, child welfare, and behavioral health residential care facilities, and to authorize City Council to determine additional powers and duties of the Youth Ombudsperson as needed to carry out this mission?

An ombudsperson is a government official designated as a neutral party who advocates on behalf of residents experiencing issues with government-provided services.

 by then-mayor Jim Kenney, but it is not a permanent office. Its formation is one of several recommendations made by the 

 that teens of color were disproportionately being put in residential placement, and their rights to safety and education were not being protected.

Since its creation, its duties include responding to complaints regarding the care of youth in placement, evaluating the quality of care, and providing know-your-rights trainings.

If the majority of voters vote “yes”, this will amend the charter to make it a permanent office for the city.

The city charter requires any city official to resign from their post before campaigning for public office. The only exemption is if they’re running for their current office.

, when six members of City Council, including now-Mayor Cherelle Parker, resigned to run.

officials, and not state and federal officials. For example, 

 was running for the 3rd Congressional District seat until she dropped out at the end of March. She did not have to resign from her post in the State House and is running for reelection in that role this May.

Attempts to amend this rule have failed twice in the voting booth. Councilmember Isaiah Thomas 

 to the legislation: City officials would not resign to run for a state or federal position, but would still be required to resign to campaign for mayor.

Despite support in City Council, Thomas moved to 

 at the end of March, as he's no longer confident in voters’ support of the measure.

Eligible voters can vote in person on May 19 or 

Voters will decide on changes to the city’s charter.

These Are the Ballot Questions Appearing in Philly’s 2026 Primary Election

What's being decided in Philadelphia City Hall and why it matters. We monitor local elections, political news, and Philadelphia City Council. 

Philly Election and City Hall News

Local Civics

It’s that time of year again: budget season. In February, Gov. Josh Shapiro made his 

 for the 2026-2027 fiscal year, while Mayor Cherelle Parker proposed a 

 for Philadelphia earlier this month. This kicks off a series of closed-door talks and public hearings leading up to the summer, when both budgets must be passed.

While those tax dollars are usually committed to some fixed costs — like pension funds — there’s still a significant amount of money waiting to be allocated. The question is, to what and how much? Here’s how you can follow and get involved in the budgeting process for the city and state.

You will want to know how the government hopes to spend funds before you form your opinions. Documents for Parker’s budget are 

. The House Appropriations Committee has an 

 that breaks things down all in one place. Fair warning, these documents can be 

If you prefer to listen to the whole thing, you can watch Parker’s entire 

. She appears around the 1:52:00 mark. Shapiro’s budget address can be 

Getting these budgets passed is a matter of negotiations between the governor and lawmakers at the state level, and the mayor and City Council at the municipal level. And as we saw last year with Pennsylvania’s state budget, 

interests by reaching out to them. Write them an email or a letter, or call and leave a voicemail. Not sure what to say? 

 on writing to your elected official. Be straightforward, but share how you’d be personally impacted if certain initiatives or departments receive less funding.

You can find a list of City Councilmembers and their 

City Council gives three opportunities for community members to voice their thoughts on the record about the budget proposal. The upcoming hearings are:

If you are interested in providing public comment you must register to speak by 3 p.m. the day before the session you wish to attend. Sign up by calling 215-686-3407 or email 

 with your full name, whether you support or oppose a particular bill or resolution, phone number, and email address. If you’re signing up on the day of, register at the front desk in Room 400 in City Hall.

At the state capital, public interest groups will rally in support or opposition to a particular cause. If you can make the trip to Harrisburg, you can join these groups to amplify your budget priorities. 

Although there are only three public testimony dates, city offices and departments present testimony to advocate for their agencies at several public hearings. Find a full schedule

. If you cannot attend in person, hearings are 

 live. The Democrats and Republicans run their own Appropriations Committee sites, where you can find videos of past hearings with each department and other documents.

The city hosts Budget Town Halls across each council district to present an overview of the proposed budget. Afterwards, guests can ask questions and provide feedback on the proposal. You can also leave written feedback. As of now, dates haven't been released for this year's town halls.

This article will be updated as more information on budget town halls and hearing schedules is released.

Budget season is officially in full swing at the municipal and state levels. Here’s how you can have a say in where your tax dollars go. 

How To Follow Philly and Pennsylvania’s Budget Process

How Should Philly and Pennsylvania Spend Your Money?

City Cast Philly staff

 that could dramatically impact neighborhoods in our city. District officials say this is all in an effort to address lower enrollment, dilapidated buildings, and overcrowded classrooms. But are the concerns of parents, students, and teachers being heard?

, bureau chief at Chalkbeat Philadelphia, sat down with City Cast Philly host Trenae Nuri to explain all the shifting parts of the school district's plan. This is a lightly edited excerpt from that conversation.

Last month, the school district came out with a tentative plan to close 20 [later amended to 18] of Philly's public schools by 2027. … This is all part of a larger plan that needs to be approved by the Philadelphia Board of Education. Can you give us an overview? How did we get here?

“This is a long time coming, and a long process to get to where we are today. … It’s reflective of what's been happening both in Philadelphia and across the country as well. The district has lost about 17,000 students over the last decade. So enrollment declines have really hit Philly public schools hard. A lot of that is due to a declining birth rate, but also the rise of charter schools and cyber charter schools in particular, and just an overall shift in the way that people are using and attending our public schools.

“And that means that we've got a lot of really old, big buildings that are half empty and cost a lot to maintain and upkeep. It also means that in some regions of the city — the Northeast, especially — there are classrooms that are bursting at the seams and schools that are not big enough to hold all of the students and give them the opportunities that they need. … District Superintendent Tony Watlington has been clear that to him this is a chance to sort of reorganize and reset. He's called it a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to sort of design the district that best fits the needs of the students that we currently have.”

What about teachers and education advocates? What have you heard from them?

“It's pretty resoundingly, 'No, don't close our schools.' It's pretty loud and clear on that front. … The Philadelphia Federation of Teachers union president, Arthur Steinberg, called the plan an abomination. He has said — and folks from the other unions have said — it's gonna force people to look elsewhere for jobs. It creates this feeling of instability that our schools could be ripped out from underneath us at any point. It's harder to sell working in the public school system in our city as a good and stable job. And the unions have said it's really gonna tank morale. ... [But] Watlington has said he doesn't anticipate people will be losing positions from this.”

It's not just the closures either, right? Because some of the schools are going to be merging and some of the schools are supposed to get upgrades. So there's no one that's excited for this?

“I'm sure there are folks who are excited about the modernizations. I'm sure there are aspects of this plan — things like, the Academy at Palumbo might get new bathrooms, I've covered the state of how awful their bathrooms are before — so there are aspects of this plan that people genuinely do need and do want. So I don't want to cast the whole thing as a big negative. But the closures themselves are sort of the big looming shadow over everything that is sucking up a lot of the air in the room. And people for very good reasons do not want them to take their schools away, do not want the district to close their schools.

“And so right now that is where a lot of this energy is. It's not so much looking forward to the changes that could benefit folks, as the superintendent has pointed out. But there's a lot of fears and concerns about what this is going to do to the community. [They say things like:] ‘I love my school. I love the community that we've built. It has meant a lot to myself, to my kids, to my family members. We've got generations of legacies here in Philadelphia.’ Folks do not want to go quietly into the night on this.”

🎧 This is an excerpt from a conversation with Sitrin. 

The purpose of the plan is to close decrepit buildings and modernize other facilities, but it involves student and staff displacement. 

School Board Considers $2.8 Billion Schools Makeover

What’s the Big School Closures Plan All About?

The Philadelphia Police Department has recent success to point to. The city had 220 homicides in 2025, 

, and the rate of crime in several categories — including gun robbery and retail theft — dropped from the prior year.

Looking to the future, the PPD developed its first ever 

 to steer the department’s priorities and shift how it polices our community. Last week it launched a 

, which runs through Feb. 11, so Philadelphians can comment on the plan before it’s finalized.

David Zega, executive director for strategic planning for the department, spoke to us about how to get involved in the planning process.

[The strategic plan] was developed in part based on results of a survey that the public took. How many people participated and what were some of the things that they said?

“ Over the past 10 months, 200 individuals from across Philadelphia have come together to build the strategic plan component by component.

“ We had thousands of responses to a survey we put out to get some initial input as well. [We] did 20 listening sessions across the city, six listening sessions internally with our police divisions across the city. All that went into the final draft that is now out for public comment.

The public comment period for the plan is now open and ends February 11th. What does that involve, and what kind of feedback do you want to hear from Philadelphians?

. On the left-hand side, you'll see a blue public comment button. You can click that and read the plan and provide some input and feedback.

”There's some specific questions that we are asking specifically around how we're prioritizing a few different things in the plan. And then a series of open-ended questions where residents or employees in the city of Philadelphia and the department are welcome to submit comment as well.

“We want to consider it all, review it all. After that, we'll be finalizing the plan and publishing it in advance of the mayor’s budget address in March.”

Doing the things that we said we were going to do right and doing them well. Continuing to see the outcomes that we’re seeing in Philadelphia with homicide rates dropping and shooting clearances increasing. Those are the numbers we wanna see. But also internally, how are we measuring success, as the commissioner said, for the men and women who work here? How is their health and wellness? What’s the morale of the department?

​​ ”Making sure that we're tracking those indicators, if we’re on track or off track, and then making those adjustments that are needed along the way.”

🎧 This is an excerpt from a conversation with Zega and Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel. 

Listen to the full version of today’s episode

The purpose of the plan is to create a model for how to be a better police department at all levels. 


Philly Police Soliciting Public Comment on Draft 5-Year Strategic Plan

Philly Police Wants YOU To Give Input On Its Strategic Plan

, we dug into the city’s unusual political practice of “councilmanic prerogative.” This unwritten rule gives district councilmembers the authority to green-light or halt developments within their district. At the center of the most recent debate over the practice is Councilmember Jeffery Young, Jr., and the increased tensions between him and North Philly residents over his refusal to move forward with the reconstruction of the aging Cecil B. Moore Library.

 covers parts of North Philly, the River Wards, and Center City, spoke with City Cast Philly to make his case for why he believes councilmanic prerogative is ultimately positive for his constituents.

You said that this issue over the library, specifically the Cecil B. Moore Library, has ‘sparked strong feelings’, and you said you wanted to see a commitment to equality…Why is it sparking such strong feelings?

“It was almost close to $5 million that was allocated…It's a rehab of that library would have taken place, but again, it does not provide us with the things that we need for the future. And understanding how government works with very, very limited resources, we would have been stuck with that same footprint, that same library for that community for another 60 years.

“That library was built in 1961, which means today my 7- or 8-year-old is gonna be using the same facility that a 7- or 8-year-old used back in 1961. Now you know how technology moves and how things are. This is a totally different world now, and to use that same space, we'll just continue to set our Black and brown kids behind in that community.”

If you don't want something to happen in a district, like bike lanes or zoning changes, then all of City Council will go along with what you say…Do you think that this idea of councilmanic prerogative is a good thing?

“ When folks talk about prerogative, I really believe that it's council members giving deference to their colleagues who represent that area 一 who should best know what the people on the ground in that particular area want to see, want to do. They’re directly held responsible and liable to those people that they represent.

“I don't see many of the negatives that folks claim to exist with the practice of giving your colleagues deference for an area that they know they're an expert on, essentially.”

Do you think that [councilmanic prerogative] stops progress in any way?

“I don’t think it stops progress at all. It adds a community voice to progress.

“If something is stopped, that’s because that’s within the best interest of the community.”

🎧 This is a preview of our conversation with Councilmember Young. 

 for the full interview with the councilmember and City Cast Philly host Trenae Nuri.

Councilmember Young believes fellow councilmembers are giving decision-making power to those considered experts in their district. 

Critics Are Wrong, Says Councilmember Young, ‘Councilmanic Prerogative’ is Actually Positive

The Pennsylvania Senate’s education committee 

advanced a bill Tuesday that would forbid cell phone use

 on school campuses, with limited exceptions. The bipartisan bill passed through the committee with a unanimous vote, though some revisions were suggested.

State Sen. Vincent Hughes, whose seventh district includes parts of Northwest and West Philadelphia, 

spoke about the bill in an episode of City Cast Philly

. Hughes said teachers across school districts, both “challenged and affluent,” express frustrations with phones in classrooms.

“ You talk to teachers and they will tell you, ‘All right, aside from pay and pension and benefits and that kind of stuff, please get these cell phones out of the schools because I can't get the attention of my children, my students,’” he said.

Nationally, most school leaders reported 

negative impacts of cell phone use on academic performance,

 according to the National Center for Education Statistics, and they attributed phone usage to students’ declining mental health and attention spans.

“ It only takes a minute to start doom scrolling,” Hughes said. “Next thing you know, it's an hour later or two hours later. You say you are only gonna do it for 10 minutes, just find out what's going on. And it's two hours later.”

over 20 states and the District of Columbia ban or restrict phone usage

 in schools, Pennsylvania is not one of them. In 2024, the state allocated $100 million for schools to purchase lockable bags for phones, but 

 would require Pennsylvania schools, both public and private, to implement policies banning phone use during the school day. Exceptions would be made for students with medical conditions or individualized learning plans, English language learners who rely on translation apps, and limited teacher-approved instructional use.

If approved, the bill would go into effect for the 2027-2028 academic year.

The bill is sponsored by Hughes along with Democratic Sen. Steve Santarsiero and Republican Sen. Devlin Robinson in 

an effort to improve students’ focus and mental health

 found that adolescent smartphone ownership increases risks of depression, obesity, and insufficient sleep, and described smartphones as “a significant factor in teen health.”

Schools that have implemented bans have noted improvements. At Olney High School, students place their phones in lockers before entering the school building, only accessing them after the last bell. Nearly all teachers at the high school 

reported improvements in student behavior

, with more students participating in class and interacting with each other.

Yet not everyone is in favor of an outright ban. Some argue that phones are 

, and that it’s still too early to tell whether these experiments are as successful as reported outcomes suggest.

Now that the bill has passed out of committee, the full Senate will consider the bill. It also must be taken up for a vote in the General Assembly before being signed into law by the governor.

A bipartisan bill to restrict phone usage across Pennsylvania is now up for consideration for the full Senate. But should they pass it?

New Bill Could Prohibit Phones in Pennsylvania Schools

Pennsylvania Is One Step Closer to Banning Cell Phones in School

After a 135-day impasse, Pennsylvania got a 

state budget that lacked a dedicated funding mechanism for SEPTA, ended the state’s participation in a climate program to curb carbon pollution, and failed to resolve the skill-game funding debate.

Meanwhile as school districts, nonprofits, and counties are recovering from months of trying to make ends meet without a state budget, legislators 

got their 3.25% raises with neither a delay nor a vote

, increasing their base salaries to $113,575. So what did Harrisburg learn from this and is this going to happen again next budget cycle?

State Sen. Anthony H. Williams, whose district covers parts of West, South, and Southwest Philly as well as sections of Delaware Country, sat down with City Cast Philly host Trenae Nuri to 

share what legislators could have done differently

 and how he really feels about U.S. Sen. John Fetterman.

I recently heard you on WURD Radio talk about an idea to have legislators not getting paid when there is a budget impasse. Do you think that would incentivize [lawmakers] so that we didn't have 135 days where we're just all waiting for money?

“ I think everybody knows if you don't get a paycheck, it moves you to a different place, right? Think about a person who goes on strike. They will say, ‘I'm for organizing,’ et cetera, until they’re like, ‘Wait a minute, I can't afford to not pay my mortgage.’ We're no different. We're not immune to that.

“The general assembly runs [for re-election] next spring. In that primary, you should ask the person who's running, ‘Will you support the legislation that says this next budget cycle, if you don't pass the budget, you do not get paid on July the first?’ ... I would expect if the public begins to pick that up, one, that'll become law. Two, we will not spend that much time passing a budget.”

[Over the summer] we saw so many signs in our neighborhoods, like, "Hey, this bus is not gonna be available soon." Children were late to school. Sometimes people ...  had to find all sorts of ways just to get to work. They felt like maybe they were screwed, basically screwed over. So I wanna talk about that.

“ We failed…we have a Band-Aid that we put on it for a year, but I do believe there's promise. Next year's budget will be addressing that issue along with a few others.

”The public is not gonna have any of it. We just went through an election cycle that made a very big statement about how people felt about all these issues, and both parties are gonna respond to that. I know for a fact we're not gonna go through what we just went through.”

Are you interested in maybe a higher office?

“​​ I'm never gonna stop being involved in politics. I'll always raise money. I will be behind the scenes supporting candidates … but actually holding onto a seat, I don't think that that's what we should be doing. I think we should be preparing, training, and developing other folks of another generation who speak a little bit differently than we do, see things a little bit differently. They do have the right to serve our communities.

“I don't think I should be running for any advanced office now. I will make one exception …  There is a U.S. Senate seat held by a Democrat from Pennsylvania. If somebody said, ‘I'll give you a hundred billion dollars to challenge that person,' I would do it."

"I'll say his last name starts with a ‘F,’ I'll put it like that … I feel like that person has not come to my community — being the African American community, which supported him significantly because they thought he was a breath of fresh air. He’s not done anything on DEI or the removal of us from the record books, or a variety of other spaces he could raise his voice on. Instead, he's going to Mar-a-Lago sitting down with Donald Trump.”

The state senator representing parts of Philly and Delaware County said he’s confident lawmakers are “not going to travel the same road that we did this cycle” when it comes to SEPTA funding. 

Pennsylvania State Sen. Williams Reflects on Budget’s Major Wins and Failures

Q&A with State Senator Anthony H. Williams

Election Day is Nov. 4. Do you know who or what you’re voting for? If your answer is “no” or “not really,” here’s a quick guide to help you prepare before heading to the polls or dropping off your ballot.

If you opted to vote by mail, you should have already received your ballot. You have until 8 p.m. on Nov. 4 to return your ballot to the Philadelphia County Board of Elections at City Hall at 1400 John F. Kennedy Blvd. You can also drop your ballot at a dropbox at one of the city’s 

Because ballots must be returned by election night, mail them back ASAP or drop them off directly.

If you are voting in-person, polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. If you’re in line by the time polls close, stay in line as you still have the right to vote. You can 

Philly voters will be voting for candidates at the municipal and state level. Because this is a general election, you can vote for candidates outside of your registered party. The following candidates are up for election and retention:

 for another 10-year term — Christine Donohue, Kevin Dougherty, and David Wecht – and all are recommended by the Pennsylvania Bar Association.

Democrat Brandon Neuman vs. Republican Maria Battista (Neuman is highly recommended by the Pennsylvania Bar Association & Battista is not recommended). Additionally Judge Alice Beck Dubow is up for retention for another 10-year term and recommended by the Pennsylvania Bar Association.

 Democrat Stella Tsai vs. Republican Matthew Wolford (both highly recommended by the Pennsylvania Bar Association). Additionally Judge Michael Wojcik is up for another 10-year term and recommended by the Pennsylvania Bar Association.

Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Judges:

 There are 11 candidates for 11 seats, with only Joseph J. Russo 

 recommended by the Philadelphia Bar Association. An additional 13 judges are running to be retained for 10-year terms, and four of those judges are 

 recommended by the Philadelphia Bar Association: Daine Grey, Scott DiClaudio, Frank Palumbo, and Lyris F. Younge.

Four Democrats — Sherrie Cohen, Amanda Davidson, Cortez Patton, Michael Parkinson — are vying for four seats. No Republicans are running, and only Davidson and Parkinson are recommended by the Philadelphia Bar Association.

 Democrat Larry Krasner (incumbent) vs. Republican Pat Dugan

 Democrat Christy Brady (incumbent) vs. Republican Ari Patrinos

Depending on your ward, you may have candidates for 

 responsible for operating the polling place, and

 Inspector of Elections, who check voter registration documents and ensure the accuracy of voting machine numbers.

There is no city-specific ballot question this election.

To get an idea of how your ballot will look on Election Day, use the city’s 

 and type in your home address, select “voting,” and click “preview ballot.”

From District Attorney to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, voters will make decisions that will not only have an impact on Philadelphia, but national politics. 

Local Civics

These Are the Ballot Questions Appearing in Philly’s 2026 Primary Election

How Should Philly and Pennsylvania Spend Your Money?

What’s the Big School Closures Plan All About?

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