Philly residents react to Mayor Parker’s promises of better quality of life in green-lit budget
Residents react to Mayor Parker’s promises of better quality of life in green-lit budget
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker gets a preliminary green light on her budget, which calls for investments in quality-of-life issues, including clearing streets of trash, combating illegal dumping and paving roads.
CENTER CITY - Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker gets a preliminary green light on her budget. There are big changes that need to happen across the city and she’s ready to make history.
For Philly citizens, the budget calls for investments in the quality-of-life issues Parker campaigned on, including clearing streets of trash, combating illegal dumping and paving roads.
On Philip Street, in the Fairhill section, there’s a gaping cut in the middle of the road with a traffic cone stuffed into a hole.
It pales to the 3,000 block of American Street pocked with ruts and cracks. A likely good place to start with the city’s new money for paving.
"They got to spread that around. I done lost three tires in one of my cars just driving around the city and I don’t get compensated for that," North Philly resident Eliel Cruz stated.
"Three tires?" FOX 29’s Jeff Cole responded.
"Three tires fully blown out," Cruz replied.
Mayor Cherelle Parker sets citywide cleaning program in motion: 'We can get this done together'
A months-long cleaning program is now underway across Philadelphia. Over the next several weeks, crews will tackle quality-of-life issues block by block, including litter, illegal dumping and graffiti.
The Parker Administration says there’s $30 million in her new budget to repave city streets, part of her $6.3 billion spending plan.
Mayor Parker stated in a press conference, "While we’re just getting started, I want to state for the record to the people of the city this budget is a step in making good on that promise to the people."
The promise of a cleaner, safer, economically vibrant Philadelphia that made Parker the city’s first female mayor.
The budget pours hundreds of millions of dollars into street cleaning and combating illegal dumping. It invests in the hiring of new cops and upgrades in technology and calls for a $100 million drug treatment center to be built near the city prisons in Northeast Philadelphia.
Mayor Parker shares plans for $100M addiction and mental health treatment center
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker announced plans this week for a $100M addiction and mental health treatment center, but many neighbors in Philly's Northeast are not on board with the plan.
Roz Pichardo runs a non-profit fighting violence and drugs in Kensington. "Invite people in this field to the table. Let us be part of it and let us train folks who know nothing about harm reduction."
Parker wins approval of her budget despite public squabbles with Council, especially over her appointments to the school board. For now, though, Council members are by her side, and it’s all smiles all around.
Parker says, "I promised no new taxes. Not only did we deliver, but we also worked with Council to implement additional relief to protect homeowners from rising property tax bills."