Warren Bloom Sr.

I believe everyone should be able to pay their taxes at an affordable rate without going broke. We would have to make special allowances for the poor, and perhaps lower the taxes for those individuals suffering from this disadvantage.

Jeff Brown

Keeping Philadelphians in their homes is a priority of mine. As Mayor, I will implement a 5% cap on Real Estate Tax increases so Philadelphians are not taxed out of their homes due to gentrification, but rather can build generational wealth. I will also add an advocate to support low-income homeowners who are appealing their Real Estate Taxes and to protect them in Sheriff’s Sales.

James M. DeLeon

Declare a moratorium on property taxes. No increases, especially in low-income neighborhoods. Program deadlines will be extended to allow residents to access these programs that will reduce the impact of higher Philadelphia Property Tax Assessments:

Homestead exemption – Longtime Owner-Occupant programs – Low-Income Senior citizen real estate tax freeze – Real estate tax installment plan – Owner-occupied real estate tax payment agreement – Active-duty tax credit, for military members/families – Real estate tax deferral program.

Allan Domb

Unfortunately, Philadelphia is no longer a city of homeowners – we have become a city of renters – but we must increase the number of homeowners, which provides the most protection against displacement and is an important way to build generational wealth. I will fight to make government work better, so there is less pressure to raise taxes and protect programs to help retirees and those on fixed incomes stay in their homes. I will also aggressively work to increase the number of people working at good jobs, increasing their ability to purchase and stay in their own homes.

Derek Green

As a member of Council, I introduced legislation to shift property taxes to land value taxation. A “split rate” property tax with a higher tax rate for land puts less pressure on the wage tax to increase revenue, particularly in the wake of remote work taking people out of the city’s limits.

This would also increase the rate paid by owners of vacant lots, industrial properties, and non-taxed buildings while reducing the share paid by residential and commercial property.

owners. As mayor, I would look to push similar reforms, which you can learn more about on my website, under “Tax Reforms.” Additionally, we need a total restructuring of the Office of Property Assessment so that property values are consistent throughout neighborhoods and reassessments are done regularly so that residents don’t receive huge increases in property taxes.

Helen Gym

An equitable, responsive property tax system is vital to Philadelphia’s growth and the future of our school system. When so much property is tax exempt or undervalued, it is important that our property taxes be transparent and predictable. I will work with working class, immigrant, and Latino communities to ensure a fair property assessment process that engages communities and provides targeted tax relief. I will also lead reforms within the Office of Property Assessment to ensure that assessments are accurate, disputes are resolved quickly, and the appeals process is easy-to-use regardless of what language you speak.

David Oh

As Mayor, I will stop the improper and inaccurate over taxation of property in Philadelphia. Much of the property tax increases in Latino areas are caused by improper and unreliable assessments that are too high. An independent audit authorized by Council found that the City’s property assessment methodology is «below industry standards» (unreliable). As a Councilmember, I introduced a bill to reject overly high property taxes based on these inaccurate and unreliable assessments, but my bill was defeated in Council. In addition, property should not be assessed higher because it is next to or near a property redeveloped with the benefits of the ten-year tax abatement. Finally, I will use public funds to build new affordable housing and rehabilitate or stabilize existing homes in these communities.

Cherelle Parker

There are a number of tools in the city’s toolbox that can address the affordable housing crisis in the city. As we know, this disproportionately impacts the Black community. I have always said that the most affordable housing we have is our existing housing stock.

Said another way, the most cost-effective way of providing affordable housing is to keep people in their current homes. But many of these need significant renovations and modernization. That is why first we need to look at stabilizing, repairing, and modernizing our existing housing stock.

Maria Quiñones Sánchez

As Councilmember, I developed internationally recognized programs to keep families in their homes and prevent displacement. This vast array of “tools in the toolbox” provide support for low-income homeowners as well as renters and incentivize the preservation of affordable units in the private rental market. Regarding property assessments, we must address decisions at OPA that created sticker shock for assessments. Property owners deserve transparency – other cities provide a clear assessment formula. We must make sure that we don’t over-inflate property values in gentrifying areas due to the presence of abated properties.

Rebecca Rhynhart

When gentrification makes tax bills unaffordable, I’ll ensure long-term residents are not forced to leave their homes.  Many residents are currently unaware of programs like the Long-Term Owner Occupants Program and the Senior Tax Freeze that can mitigate rising costs and allow people to stay in their homes. My Administration will deploy city employees and volunteers to conduct door-to-door outreach informing long-term homeowners of available programs and helping them enroll in them.
My administration will fix the broken property assessment system and ensure these assessments are done in a fair and equitable way.

Warren Bloom Sr.

Absolutely we have to make up for this short for disadvantage for lower income residence. Absolutely I will protect these individuals from being over texted.

Jeff Brown

Yes! My administration will lead the efforts on workforce housing 60% of the AMI and above, and the Philadelphia Housing Authority will lead affordable housing less than 60% of the AMI. As we work to expand affordable housing, we have to re-envision the way the City’s Land Bank is structured and administered. In a city where we have a major affordable housing crisis, there is no reason thousands of properties should be sitting vacant under city control. As Mayor, I will provide access to portions of the Land Bank inventory to builders and developers who commit to building and maintaining affordable housing for Philadelphians.

James M. DeLeon

Yes

Allan Domb

As someone whose family was evicted when I was a child, I know what housing insecurity feels like and the deep impact it has on a family. Our shortage of affordable housing is a multi-level failure – we are not building enough housing overall, we are building the wrong types of housing, and we are not doing enough to create good paying jobs. As mayor, I will use the Planning Department and Licenses and Inspections to increase the number of affordable family units in every neighborhood and work to increase the number of people working at good jobs.

Derek Green

Yes.Additionally, I authored legislation that dedicates a portion of the city’s general fund (approximately $25 million annually) to the housing trust fund as a way to increase affordable rental housing. Further, these dollars should be prioritized for Latin and Black developers so that we not only build more units of affordable housing, but also help to grow minority businesses.

Helen Gym

I am running on the belief that housing is a human right. As a Councilmember, I fought tirelessly for renters and passed legislation that reduced evictions in the city by 70%. As Mayor, I will continue to take a bold approach to address our housing affordability crisis, both by encouraging the development of affordable housing and protecting existing affordability. My administration will do this by utilizing public land to develop permanent affordable housing, expanding funding for the Housing Trust Fund, providing shallow rent subsidies, increasing accessible no-barrier housing options, protecting renters from displacement, and conducting greater outreach on government programs.

David Oh

Yes, I will commit to building rental housing that is affordable for Latinos making between 30% and 60% of the AMI. That plan will be put in place quickly after I am sworn in as Mayor.

Cherelle Parker

I will commit 100% commit to building new affordable housing in our city. We need to use the massive amounts of city land that is available to build new affordable housing. This can be done by partnering with private developers to use the equity in the land coupled with deploying HB581 which allows for a 10-year property tax abatement in areas with blighted properties if at least 30% of the housing built is affordable to households making 60% of the area median income. We could strategically add on a final layer of funds available from the construction tax that I supported, and that are now flowing through the Neighborhood Preservation Initiative (NPI).

Maria Quiñones Sánchez

Yes, as Mayor I will develop a voucher program for Philadelphia using a new model to provide “fixed rate housing” at the deeper levels of affordability needed in some communities. Through a partial direct subsidy, we can offer housing for families that they can afford at a fixed, predictable rent. The landlord benefits from the stable payment, and the tenant gets a home they can afford at a reliable, fixed rent.

Rebecca Rhynhart

I will develop a citywide housing plan prioritizing new and affordable housing in every neighborhood. Working with City Council, my administration will leverage the 8,500 city-owned vacant lots and properties to develop this much-needed housing supply. While the mayor does not have jurisdiction to determine the cost of rent, we can use city policy to incentivize enough supply to lower costs. Additionally, my administration will develop and enforce accountability for discriminatory housing practices and income discrimination and expand the renter eviction program to make sure that families are not kicked out of their homes for unjust reasons.

Warren Bloom Sr.

I believe we must & will stop the gentrification of low-income families and neighborhoods that have to suffer from these indignities.

Jeff Brown

Coming from an entrepreneurial background myself, I am sensitive to the issues that affect small business owners and look forward to creating a small business council that will advise me. As I stated previously, I will implement a 5% cap on Real Estate Tax increases to combat displacement caused by gentrification. Additionally, I will build a partnership between the HR functions of businesses or small business owners and Philadelphia Works and the Commerce Department. That way we can better understand the individual hiring needs of businesses and work to connect the needs of businesses with residents training to meet those needs.

James M. DeLeon

For entrepreneurial, business development and job counseling, my administration will seed the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce with the necessary funds to provide on-going support to the Latino communities in these critical areas:

a.- Help Hispanic businesses prosper and grow;

b.- Increase job opportunities;

c.- Encourage an orderly expansion and development of all segments of the Hispanic community;

d.- Contribute to the overall economic stability of the Hispanic community; and

e.- Promote the nation’s private enterprise system of competitive marketing.

Allan Domb

As the only candidate for mayor who has successfully built a small business from the ground up, I am uniquely qualified to help grow and foster small and neighborhood businesses as mayor. I will work with communities and businesses groups like the Hispanic and African American Chambers of Commerce to enact inclusive growth policies to support every neighborhood business. I will move to teach financial literacy, tech, and entrepreneurship in schools to help train the next generation of small business owners and work with banks and CDFIs to expand the access to critically needed capital for new and existing neighborhood businesses.

Derek Green

As a former small business owner of a retail store on a neighborhood commercial corridor, I expand the staff of the city’s Commerce Department to provide more services to “mom and vendors and other businesses. These businesses are the core institutions that have helped to create thriving commercial corridors in our city. In a Green Administration, we will insure that these businesses are fully aware of the programs and services that they need in order to grow and thrive. Finally, I will expand my work with PA CEO in order to create a local task force to implement ESOP (“employee stock ownership plans”), which will enable better succession planning for neighborhood-based businesses.

Helen Gym

As Mayor, I am committed to easing the number of taxes that small businesses are subjected to, expanding the gross receipts exemption, and establishing opportunity and equity funds which can diversify and expand access to capital for small businesses. My administration will also establish city business services hubs in gentrifying neighborhoods to help businesses resolve conflicts among many agencies, whether it’s around permitting or fines. These one-stop shops for businesses will support them in pushing through the red tape and bureaucracy that creates delays and drives small businesses out.

David Oh

As a Councilmember, I was the strongest advocate for small businesses. I opposed the soda tax and every ordinance that hurts small businesses in an unfair way. I also worked with small businesses to increase policing and arrest criminals who target these small businesses.  I organized several neighborhood small business coalitions to fight City Hall and its anti-small business agenda. Our residents need the products and services of their local small businesses. As Mayor, I will support the existence and growth of small neighborhood businesses that cater to the needs, tastes, and income of area residents. I will initiate a program of support for neighborhood small businesses. The Department of Licenses and Inspections will operate after 6 p.m. and focus on shutting down illegal businesses that take revenues away from these small businesses. The City will do its part to repair and maintain streets and sidewalks and keep the commercial corridor clean and safe.

Cherelle Parker

We need to address the displacement of small businesses within our communities by being innovative but we surely do not need to recreate the wheel in many respects. The Power Up Your Business Program is an initiative that already exists, run by the Community College of Philadelphia, gives small businesses the access to basic business skills needed to run and grow their businesses. Power Up Your Business has assisted and continues to assist more than 1,000 small businesses and is the number one feeder for Goldman Sachs 10k Small Business program that unlocks more business resources as well as access to growth capital.

Maria Quiñones Sánchez

I authored a historic business tax reform that led to the $100,000 exemption on BIRT liability. Now more than 73,000 of the city’s nearly 100,000 neighborhood-based businesses have no City BIRT liability. As Mayor, I will eliminate the Net Profits Tax, which unduly burdens smaller businesses, encourages them to hide their profits, and limits their growth. I will realign the Commerce Department’s corridor work to provide stronger back-office support for growing small businesses, and invest in the infrastructure improvements, including cameras, lighting, and clearing blight, that make our commercial corridors safer and more vibrant.

Rebecca Rhynhart

To protect long-standing “mom and pop” and other businesses that help keep our neighborhoods vibrant, diversify our economy, and protect jobs, we need to implement programs other cities have used to stabilize those businesses. For example, San Francisco’s Legacy Business Program provides rent stabilization grants for businesses in rapidly gentrifying neighborhoods, and Washington DC provides legacy Business Grants to help businesses improve their locations. We must help legacy businesses make succession plans, stabilize property rental costs, and, where appropriate, acquire property.

Warren Bloom Sr.

I am the only candidate who has promised to have a satellite office in the Kensington area so I can be up and close with dealing with these issues as a minister I’m committed to putting an end to this open-air drug trafficking.

Jeff Brown

My administration will partner with the Kensington community to address addiction in the neighborhood and will work to ensure Kensington becomes a safe place for families to live and grow. My administration will create a team of outreach workers who can aid those struggling with addiction and guide them to treatment and support resources. We will also work to increase Access to specialized drug courts so we can help people struggling with addiction get on the path to recovery. As Mayor, I will not support safe injection sites as I am not satisfied with the research into them and cannot in good conscience place them in our neighborhoods.

James DeLeon

LIMS will provide support to the police by giving greater coordination, unity of command, collaborative planning and training with the State and City police forces, as well as detailed implementation guidance.

This will lead to regular and special police patrols and investigative units arresting drug dealers by: Reducing the gang violence associated with drug trafficking – Controlling the street crimes committed QY drug users – Improving the health, economic and social well-being of drug users – Restoring the quality of life in Kensington by ending street level drug dealing -Helping to prevent children from experimenting with drugs – And protecting the integrity of criminal justice institutions.

Allan Domb

On my first day as mayor, I will declare a public health emergency in Kensington and work with state authorities to coordinate disaster relief efforts through the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA). In addition to providing treatment for those suffering with addiction, the effort will provide wrap-around services, including for transitory housing and healthcare. The city will also coordinate increased police patrols in the area, close down open-air drug markets, clean all vacant lots and seal abandoned buildings in the area. I am the only candidate who has introduced a plan to improve city services in every community.

Derek Green

I pledge that under a Green Administration, the open-air drug market and gun violence that is tearing Kensington apart will end. It starts by engaging the community to determine their needs before acting. Too often in Kensington, outsiders come into the neighborhood and tell the community what they need. Solving such a complex problem like the ones Kensington faces is not something you can do unilaterally. As mayor, I am committed to being a present and collaborative partner to the residents of Kensington as we begin to change course in the community.

Helen Gym

As Mayor, I will continue the work I started in City Council by guaranteeing that children have safe routes to and from school and add more counselors and social workers in Kensington schools to support kids dealing with trauma. I will work with communities to end the open-air drug markets and ensure that Kensington residents have a real voice in decisions that impact their community. Together, we will reclaim McPherson Square, invest in cleaning up and lighting up our streets, improve community safety, increase pathways to recovery, remediate vacant lots, and support our young people.

David Oh

As Mayor, I will instruct the police to immediately shut down Kensington Avenue as an open-air drug market. All criminal and public safety laws will be enforced. Police will actively search for illegal firearms. Retail theft will no longer be ignored. I will use drones to enhance police capabilities to patrol day and night. Reckless conduct will not be tolerated. Drag racing cars, illegal ATV’s and dirt bikes will be stopped, ticketed, confiscated, and stored at owners’ expense before crushing them. Streets and parks will be cleaned, dumping cleared away and illegally parked vehicles towed. All quality-of-life ordinances will be enforced. Public spaces such as parks, recreation centers and libraries will be dramatically improved. I will begin implementing a plan to improve public education. My administration will actively inform Latino residents about jobs, career training, small business opportunities and free or low-cost educational programs.

Cherelle Parker

Under a Parker Administration, we are going to end the open-air drug market that operates with impunity in Kensington, period. And I support the community members and local organizations who stood firmly against putting ‘Safe Injection’ sites in their neighborhood. I will empower local grassroots organizations and community leaders to sit at the table. When important decisions are made, they will not be made without this critical input from community stakeholders.

Maria Quiñones Sánchez

I have been outspoken regarding the public policy decision that allows the public health and safety crisis in Kensington that would be allowed nowhere else in Philadelphia – this is an issue of race and equity. As Mayor, I will fully fund the Restore Kensington plan, and give Kensington community organizations, who do excellent work under tremendously challenging conditions, the full support of the Mayor’s office and city departments.

Rebecca Rhynhart

We will break up the open-air drug markets with a strategy that identifies street-level dealers and arrests those committing violent acts. We will also implement evidence-based law enforcement-assisted diversion programs for low-level offenders. Additionally, I will appoint an Opioid Czar to coordinate the city’s ongoing response to the addiction crisis and we will streamline intake at city-contracted facilities to ensure that those seeking treatment receive the care they need until they can be placed in long-term treatment. My full plan to address the opioid crisis is available at rebeccaforphiladelphia.com/opioid-policy-plan.

Warren Bloom Sr.

I will utilize many of the resources we already have in place, like the Community Crisis Intervention Program (CCIP), and make sure that they are up to speed in dealing with this ongoing problem. I am 100% committed to getting rid of the blight, property devaluation and many other things that hinder this community.

Jeff Brown

We must immediately and urgently address our city’s gun violence crisis. Part of that is hiring the 1,500 officers we are missing from the police department. In rebuilding our police force, we must also re-envision the way we police our communities. We must build strong community ties, ensure we are diversifying our police force by recruiting from neighborhoods from across the city, and allow officers to be assigned to, and patrol their own neighborhoods. My administration Will also partner with community-based organizations to ensure we understand the nuanced circumstances of each community and that community stakeholders are involved and supported.

James DeLeon

I will also use the Local Incident Management System («LIMS»), which can be adapted to meet the needs of the Latino communities. The LIMS is a system that could combat not only gun violence but also any series of events considered «dramatic incidents». Such a program would address many of the violence-based events, and socio-economic issues, that currently plague the lives of the Latino citizens of Philadelphia.

Allan Domb

Crime is not something one can easily “solve” because it is usually a symptom of underlying problems. As mayor, I will work with community leaders to identify the most important problems causing crime and work collaboratively on real solutions. From limited education options to a lack of opportunity and poverty to the poor delivery of city services, many neighborhoods have suffered through decades of under investment. As mayor, I will move to identify and stop the most violent, increase community policing programs and invest to limit housing and food insecurity while expanding access to good schools, including charter schools.

Derek Green

We need to do a better job as a city in connecting families with after-school and after care programs. As mayor, I would be committed to revitalizing Philadelphia Safe and Sound, which streamlined available resources for families across the city. In my estimation, we have great programs in every neighborhood, but families do not know where to find them. Once we connect these dots, I think that we will begin to see a reduction in gun violence.

Helen Gym

Ensuring that every person in Philadelphia is safe will be my top priority as Mayor. On day one, I will declare a State of Emergency on gun violence and align all departments, agencies, and stakeholders around a coordinated approach to community — and community-based Latino organizations will have a seat at that table. Together, we will implement a coordinated strategy to get illegal guns off the street, improve 911 response times, overhaul victims’ services, reconnect police officers to the communities they serve, expand mental health first responders, support young people, and invest in neighborhood improvements that have been proven to reduce violence.

David Oh

Deadly violence must be stopped immediately. The only way to do that is by strict law enforcement.  As Mayor, community policing will return. I will assign Spanish-speaking police officers to Latino neighborhoods to work hand in hand with community leaders to prevent and deter violent crime. Visible, uniformed officers will patrol the community on foot, bicycle, and car so that the message is clearly sent that we care about the residents of these neighborhoods. I will increase School Police and increase Spanish speaking officers to better protect children and faculty, inside and outside of our schools. Transit Police will patrol SEPTA’s public transportation system and the Philadelphia Police will coordinate with them to ensure everyone is safe.

Cherelle Parker

We must have a commitment to restoring order to our Latino neighborhoods so that families can live, work, and play in peace, while preserving the value and integrity of the homes in our communities. I introduced a formative Neighborhood Safety and Community Policing Plan in City Council – to address the immediate needs of our community to have a proactive police presence in every neighborhood while understanding that policing is just one of the tools we have to keep our communities safe and confronting the root causes of crime in our city.

My plan had five key tenets:

● Community Policing

● Hiring More Police and Addressing Other Personnel Challenges

● Quality-of-Life Issues

● Victim and Witness Services

● Community Engagement and Investment

Maria Quiñones Sánchez

My comprehensive public safety plan leads with the infrastructure investments and city services that we know make us safer – lights, cameras, and clearing blight. We will focus these investments first in high-priority areas, including schools, parks, rec centers, commercial corridors, in partnership with community-based organizations. Through focused deterrence, we can improve policing. I am also calling for a public safety dashboard to engage Philadelphians in an honest discussion about criminal justice reform.

Rebecca Rhynhart

As mayor, I would implement intervention strategies that reach the people most at risk of shooting or being shot in Philadelphia and offer them a way out of the lifestyle with mentorship, therapy, job training, and employment, working with community anti-violence leaders that have shown success in our neighborhoods. Successful implementation requires a coordinated effort and collaboration between the Mayor, other members of the criminal justice system, and relevant stakeholders outside of city government, including community leaders, clergy, nonprofits, and the criminal justice system.

Warren Bloom Sr.

I’m committed to simply planting more greenery trees, grass, and flowers we must think green we must plant more trees. I will be very aggressive and making sure green spaces are plentiful throughout the city of Philadelphia.

Jeff Brown

We must ensure that preserving and enhancing green space is an integral part of the city planning process and that it is prioritized in new and ongoing development projects. Leveraging the private sector by providing incentives for builders and developers that advance innovative strategies for protecting and expanding green spaces is one way to accomplish that. We should also create an office that specifically creates partnerships with state and federal agencies and philanthropies to secure additional funding and resources for expanding the city’s green spaces. I am also dedicated to revisiting our Tree Plan and increasing the speed of our efforts to ensure every neighborhood has adequate tree coverage.

James DeLeon

My plan for public green spaces in Eastern North Philadelphia would consist of the following:

– Mapping and assessing the tree canopy to understand the current status and distribution of the Philadelphia’s forest and plantable areas, working with urban foresters, arborists and/or spatial mapping experts.

– Update and, where necessary, modify the Kenney tree plan for Philadelphia to ensure optimal preservation of the city’s tree canopy by the use of reforestation efforts to remove dead and dying trees and to plant new trees as needed.

– Prioritize and create a Mayor’s implementation plan and immediately start that plan in the community through identification of financial resources and city departments to carry out the plan. The Mayor’ s office will oversee this plan to ensure that work is begun quickly and completed timely as in the best interest of the residents of These target neighborhoods.

Allan Domb

Philadelphia has a large, but under-invested in, park systems, ranging from large parks to neighborhood pocket parks, as well as a significant number of trees lining streets across the city that should be preserved and protected. I fully support the goals of Philly Tree Plan and work with community groups to ensure that every community, but especially environmental justice neighborhoods, are fully represented and are able to add to their local tree canopy. I will ensure full implementation of the recently enacted legislation sponsored by Councilmember Katherine Gilmore Richardson which prioritizes tree protection and replacement during development projects.

Derek Green

Philadelphia established an Urban Forest Strategic Initiative in 2020, which was a crucial step in formalizing efforts to preserve tree canopy and natural areas in Philadelphia. But this initiative has not been updated in nearly two years, and no future action appears planned. As mayor, I would establish new deadlines for this initiative with clear, measurable objectives so our environment does not fall by the wayside. I would deliver on existing objectives, including strong public policy, clearly defined roles and responsibilities amongst participating stakeholders, and prioritization of preservation in our most underserved communities. Preserving tree canopy needs more than conversation – it needs to be action.

Helen Gym

Increasing Philadelphia’s tree canopy is a public health, racial equity, climate justice, and community safety issue. Cleaning and greening our neighborhoods has profound mental and physical health benefits, which is why neighborhood greening is a key element of my safety plan. I support strengthening standards for protecting heritage trees, preserving the existing canopy, and increasing tree planting requirements for development, as well as setting fees that will help support maintenance needs. My Administration will also focus on modernizing our public-school facilities so that every building has modern heating/cooling systems, and every student has access to a green play space.

David Oh

As Mayor, I am committed to continuing the agenda to increase the tree canopy throughout our city but starting with those areas with the highest temperatures. I will prioritize the opening of public swimming pools, spray grounds and cooling stations. I will look at greening and cleaning outdoor spaces and ensuring that those public spaces are safe. I will also ensure that air conditioning is sufficient in neighborhood community and recreation centers.

Cherelle Parker

I want Philadelphia to be one of cleanest, greenest, and safest big cities in America; that starts. Ensuring that our green spaces are preserved and abundant. Numerous studies have shown that tree cover is not distributed equally across the city. As a result, less affluent areas of the city often get to live in green neighborhoods, with abundant trees. Areas of the city with the least amount of trees also tend to be neighborhoods that are largely Black and Brown. I would work to ensure that loopholes are closed and push to ensure that communities of color have the same tree canopy as more affluent, whiter neighborhoods.

Maria Quiñones Sánchez

I grew up in Hunting Park, which has the highest heat index in the city. In my administration, the Water Department will be charged with leading our environmental justice strategy and executing our comprehensive tree plan. Through the Land Bank, I have prioritized community gardens and side yards in the land disposition process to create more green space, and the 7th District leveraged more public land for community gardens and resident side lots than the rest of the city combined. As Mayor, I will fully fund Land Bank operations and ensure equity as we provide land for green space and resident use.

Rebecca Rhynhart

My administration will prioritize and invest in the new Urban Tree Plan that was recently introduced. We will increase our city’s tree canopy by planting and maintaining street trees in neighborhoods with high summer air temperatures.  My administration will set goals and create a public dashboard to show the progress made towards our goals for increasing our tree canopy. Additionally, I will insist that the Water Department, Streets, Health, the School District and Parks and Rec all collaborate to prioritize and fund tree plantings, greening, and park maintenance.

As Mayor:

Warren Bloom Sr.

I will have to increase funding for charter schools to meet the disparity, but it must balance out to be even or more to deal with a disparity that the charter schools are now facing.

Jeff Brown

I believe one of the reasons that funding for charter schools is less per pupil is due to the burden our old buildings place on our district schools. We are wasting resources that should go to young people’s education on half-empty buildings and asbestos contamination. My administration will create a long-term plan to address our school buildings and work to right-size district schools to save money. I also feel that the current school board is biased against charter schools. As Mayor, I will appoint a more equitable school board that focuses on creating the best education for all of our children.

James DeLeon

Addressing existing schools in the Latino community, my administration would also employ the LIMS system to fix those schools that do not have adequate support for a well-rounded safe and secure academic environment which will encourage learning for all students. This system will be employed on a school-by-school basis.

Allan Domb

I am the only candidate for mayor who has publicly pledged to support both increased funding for schools and to expand the number of charter schools. I am proud that as a member of City Council I led the charge to collect delinquent taxes and to correct our assessment system to ensure that schools were getting the funding they needed and were owed. I also donated my Council salary to schools and educational programs. My school board appointees will ensure every school has the funding it needs to prepare our students for the future.

Derek Green

I believe that the 75% of Hispanic students attending public schools deserve my unwavering support, which is why I will always prioritize investments in them. I am happy that charter schools provide many families with a safe and fruitful education. As a former Board member of a charter school, I will work to bring more equity to per-student funding for all schools and students.

Helen Gym

I have long advocated for increased funding from the state and will continue to push to make a state-fair and equitable funding formula a reality so that all public schools in Philadelphia can receive the funding they deserve. However, we cannot wait for the state action to get started — as Mayor, I will increase City funding for the School District of Philadelphia, so that we can turn our schools into the vibrant institutions children and educators deserve.

David Oh

My goal as Mayor is to comply with the law regarding equal access to good quality education, vocational/career training, and non-academic programs such as sports, arts, culture and after-school activities. Equal funding is critical to achieving this goal and complying with the law. The members of the Board of Education that I appoint will be committed to this goal. In addition, my Administration will include a Chief Education Officer who will work with the City Controller’s Office to ensure the equal distribution of funding for all students.

Cherelle Parker

I am where I am because my family and community believed in the power of education. My undergraduate degree is in education, and my first job after college was as a teacher. And I am committed to ensuring that every child in Philadelphia has an opportunity to use education and our schools as a tool to do whatever they want.

We cannot ignore that Philadelphia is one of the most segregated cities in America. This has been true for generations, and the divide in equity was always far from closing. And as the pandemic receded, we were left with even greater systemic challenges that we must face.

This is why I support the creation of quality seats in state-of-the-art buildings to have a world-class education system in the city of Philadelphia. This includes both District-run and charter-run schools.

Maria Quiñones Sánchez

I am a long-time advocate for a student-weighted formula, where the money follows the student. We need to see a return of the charter reimbursement funding from the state. We also need to update the charter funding formula to address the structural issues around special needs funding, building use, and capital improvements. To increase school funding and make it more reliable, I will adjust the real estate tax formula to a 60/40 split and would also make sure that we make the schools whole first as revenues come in from properties coming off abatement.

Rebecca Rhynhart

As Mayor, I will make sure that the city contributes its fair share of funding to our education system. Simultaneously, I will work with the superintendent to establish transparency and accountability around how our education dollars are spent so that we can be sure the money is spent to its highest purpose and that these increases yield better educational outcomes for our students. Additionally, I will advocate for Harrisburg to meet its constitutional obligation to fairly fund Philadelphia’s schools as well. My full education plan is at rebeccaforphiladelphia.com/education.

Warren Bloom Sr.

As I said before and earlier, there should not be a waiting list for students who want to get into good charter schools, I will rectify the situation. Any student who wants to better themselves by applying to a more robust and informative charter school will have the opportunity to apply to the schools.

Jeff Brown

Wait lists at schools indicate that they are in demand, and we should respond to that demand by creating more slots for students. If an in-demand school can no longer accommodate more students, we should create a second version of that school to expand the total number of slots. This problem exists in both district-run schools and charter schools, and we must work to ensure no student is being held back by not being able to attend their first-choice school.

James DeLeon

LIMS would provide for the access and functional needs of the whole school community, which includes children, and their family members, adults with disabilities, access, and functional needs, those from religious, racial, and ethnically diverse backgrounds and people with limited English proficiency. Teachers and school staff will also be included in this model.

Allan Domb

It is unacceptable that there remains a long waiting list for charter schools. As mayor, I will support lifting the cap on the number of charters and charter enrollment and my appointments to the Philadelphia Board of Education will be advocates for every type of school. In addition to providing necessary funding, I will increase accountability in every school. We need to recognize that parents have made this choice – that charters work — and if we want residents to stay here to raise their families and build a future, we need to ensure their children have good schools to attend.

Derek Green

I am committed to providing the best quality education to our students, whether that be a public or charter schools. Additionally, I will change the process for how charter schools are authorized in the city. Going forward, we will have an independent authorizer for charter school applications. Through this step, we will ensure accountability and transparency for the citizens of Philadelphia as the authorizer reviews application that will help to address this issue.

Helen Gym

As Mayor, I will support a high-quality of education for every child in every school. There are a number of top-notch charter schools across the city that are a vibrant supplement to the public school system and have kept families anchored in Philadelphia. My priority is to stabilize our system so we don’t see chaotic school closings — and to guarantee that every public school is a safe, high-quality, vibrant option so that charters can continue to be important supplements to traditional public schools, not an escape hatch for a district that refuses to invest in its children.

David Oh

My first commitment is to make immediate improvements to neighborhood public schools. Second, I will ensure access to the most immediate seat in a good school, whether it be public or charter. I will convene and Chair a meeting with the Board of Education and any Charter School able to expand its capacity to serve Latino students. My goal will be based on the best interest of the student to get a good education as soon as possible.

Cherelle Parker

We can’t get there if there is a battle between charters and traditional public schools. To bridge this gap, I will lean on my intergovernmental experience to insist that the state legislature reinstate the Charter School Reimbursement line-item that was deleted by the Corbett administration in 2011. Removing this reimbursement that refunded the School District of Philadelphia for students lost to charter schools pitted public schools against charter schools unnecessarily by leaving public school no way to defray the overhead and stranded costs that remained the same despite smaller enrollments. Reinstating this will grow the pot of funds and allow for more opportunities for Philadelphia’s students no matter what type of school they attend.

Additionally, with my call for schools to open earlier and close later, children of every background have the opportunity to participate in enrichment programs, and older children have a chance to get job skills and college preparatory training.

Maria Quiñones Sánchez

 I founded PA’s first bilingual charter school because the SDP had no bilingual program, so I understand that parents want options for their children. I will not ask parents in marginalized communities to keep their children in underperforming schools and wait while we fix the entire system. My focus is on expanding the number of quality seats both in public schools and public charters and ensuring that all Latino students have access to schools and curriculums that celebrate their language and diverse communities.

Rebecca Rhynhart

As Mayor, I will be committed to ensuring that we create enough quality seats to serve Philadelphia’s students throughout all of our neighborhoods, regardless of whether those seats are in charter schools or traditional neighborhood schools. We need to ensure that our students have equitable opportunities to succeed no matter their zip code. If a charter school is demonstrating high rates of success, we should implement their successful practices in more of our classrooms across our city to ensure that we have that supply of high-quality seats, and in certain cases that could mean expansion of the successful charter model.

Warren Bloom Sr.

Absolutely I will appoint more Latinos to the school to the Board of Education and to the school board to balance out the disparity I must’ve minorities and have more Latino representation.

Jeff Brown

My appointed Board of Education will be diverse in race, ethnicity, gender, and perspectives on education to enable equitable outcomes.

James DeLeon

I will appoint a Latino to the school board that supports all forms of public education, including Charter schools.

*Candidate provided a single response to a three-part question. The editorial team divided the candidate’s response into three parts.

Allan Domb

While I have not made any decisions about who I will appoint to the Board –nor have I made any decision about any other appointment – I can tell you what criteria I will use. I will appoint diverse and representative experienced professionals, community leaders, and parents with children enrolled in a Philadelphia school. I will ensure that all public schools are represented, as fewer than half of Philadelphia’s school-age children attend district-operated traditional brick-and-mortar schools. My appointees will be advocates for all Philadelphia’s public schools, including neighborhood schools, charters, special education, and vocational and tech schools.

Derek Green

I would be open to such an appointment.

Helen Gym

My administration will appoint a Board of Education that is accountable, transparent, and responsive to the needs of all parents and families. My appointments will take a proactive approach to maintaining school facilities, fixing high school admissions processes, and ensuring all schools – including charter schools – have the resources they need to thrive. I will appoint members who are creative and bold on teacher recruitment, retention, and development, so we can end the vacancies and staffing instabilities that have plagued us. And I will ensure that my board is representative of the communities that it serves, including our Latino communities.

David Oh

Yes, I will appoint a Latino who represents Charter Schools to the Board of Education. Charter Schools are an important part of our city’s educational system. They cannot be ignored because doing so harms the students, teachers, parents, and communities in which they serve. In addition, many students who attend Charter Schools are Latino. I want to ensure that Latinos have a voice regarding the needs and preferences of the Latino community.

Cherelle Parker

I would certainly consider appointing Latinos that support my vision for high-quality schools in both our neighborhood and charter schools.  We must not continue with the “Us vs Them” mentality as it relates to public vs charter.  We must recognize that when we play politics with our school systems in this City, the students lose the most.

*Candidate provided a single response to a three-part question. The editorial team divided the candidate’s response into three parts.

Maria Quiñones Sánchez

I will seek a diversity of perspectives and lived experiences reflecting the diversity of our families and students, and I will appoint BOE members who share my values related to what we should offer all families:  A great K-8 school in every neighborhood -Multiple high school options including CTE with real career options and dual enrollment at CCP – Warm, welcoming buildings that are open and accessible to the community year-round, including nights and weekends

Rebecca Rhynhart

The Rhynhart education agenda will yield a long-term transformation of our public school system, ensuring a fair, equitable, high-quality, and nurturing education for all of our students, whether at District-managed schools or those run by nonprofit charter operators. The school board’s decisions will align with my city-wide vision, and I will appoint board members accordingly who have a vested interest in the education of our students, and whose lived experience reflects the rich diversity of our city.