City Council returns: What we're watching
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Photo illustration: Allie Carl/Axios. Photo: BasSlabbers/Getty Images
Philadelphia legislators return to work this morning and could tap into the city's biggest issues this fall.
The big picture: Hanging over it all is the coming May primary, where several members on the Democratic-dominated City Council could face serious challengers.
State of play: The 17-member legislature gathers for its first autumnal legislative session today in City Hall after a monthslong summer break.
Zoom in: These are the top-line issues we're watching for:
🦕 Academy of Natural Sciences fallout: Thwarting attempts for developers to build residential units on the institution's property along the Ben Franklin Parkway by changing zoning codes to allow for only special civic and cultural purposes there.
- Councilman Jeffery Young Jr. is expected to introduce this legislation in the coming weeks.
🗑️ Trash burning: A fight over a forthcoming multi-year city contract from Mayor Cherelle Parker's administration with a Chester waste-to-energy facility over concerns the trash is incinerated.
- Councilmembers must approve these sorts of big, multi-year contracts.
- Leading an effort to derail the potential contract over environmental concerns is Councilmember Jamie Gauthier.
🤖 Data centers: Whether legislators will push for curbing the growth of data centers in the city is TBD.
- Earlier this week, a coalition called for a moratorium on data centers while Parker pledged a city a task force will establish standards for data centers.
🐘 The elephant in the room: Legislation required for the new Sixers and Flyers arena in South Philly.
- The Sixers and Comcast Spectacor say they want to start the project by June 2027.
Between the lines: All eyes are on Council President Kenyatta Johnson, who represents the 2nd District where the arena will be located.
- Vincent Thompson, a spokesperson for the council president, tells Axios no zoning legislation is scheduled for introduction at this time but discussions with the arena developers are ongoing.
☝ One big arena issue: The community benefits agreement between the city and developers, which will lay out the money and other pledges Spectacor and the Sixers will provide in exchange for building the arena.
🔮 What they're saying: The goals for City Council this fall are up in the air as the election looms, Kyle Darby, senior president and CEO of Darby Public Strategies, a government relations firm that lobbies in City Hall, tells Axios.
- Members could go big by taking up high-profile legislation or lay low and rely on their records ahead of the primary, he said.
⏱️ Ticking clock: City Council's brief calendar doesn't leave much room for passing controversial legislation before winter break. (It can take roughly four weeks to pass legislation in the best-case scenario.)
👀 What we're watching: Which councilmembers go big on legislation, which could signal they feel at risk in the coming election and need to boost their records with voters, Darby noted.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to show that the waste-to-energy facility targeted over environmental concerns is located in Chester (not Chester County).