Group Number 10
Moderators: Louise Guigliano and Adrian Sagan
Total points: 56

Group Description:
Group 10 originally consisted of 20 people. There were 2 City officials stationed with group 10 to field questions. Two event volunteers sat outside of the circle as observers.
The mood of the group can be described as neutral. Participants had process concerns and wanted to include options that were described to them though the hand outs from outside groups. Multiple individuals had trouble participating due to the room configuration. The room was very loud due to four other focus groups that were facilitating the process. The group completed the following buckets: Low Hang Fruit, Shared Pains and No Ways, No Hows.

There were no dissenting worksheets filed with the moderators by participants.

Low-Hanging Fruit
Total points: 47 points
• #1 Administrative - 5 points
o Supported by 88% of participants.
o Concern: The Mayor’s Office is the most expensive in the City’s history.
o Concern: If the public takes cuts in services, the Mayor’s office should too.
o Concern: The increase in exempt employees has increased. Positions have become exempt that have never been before.
• #3 Drop Program - 4 points
o Supported by 80 of participants
• #12 Prisons reduced by 20% with stipulation - 21 points
o Supported by 88% of participants.
o Stipulation: Only non-violent offenders can be released into the streets.
o Concern: If prisons close, the remaining prisons will continue to be overcrowded. This deeply affects the level of health care provided to inmates.
o Support: There needs to be an increased emphasis on rehabilitation and prevention rather than incarceration.
• #16 Vehicle Fleet - 6 points
o Supported by 88% of participants.
o Concern: The fleet is being misused.
o Concern: City Council should not have access to any cars in the fleet.
• #17 Amusement - 2 points
o Supported by 95% of participants.
o Support: The cost is “affordable”.
• #20 Eagles - 4 points
o Supported by 80% of participants.
• #26 Wage/Commuter - 5 points
o Supported by 88% of participants.

Not Supported
• #15 Streets Revenue Option 2, Sanitation Fee (trash pick-up)
o Supported by 10% of participants
o Support: The fee will reduce unnecessary waste and increase recycling.
o Support: The fee will generate income for the City.
o Support: People might support the initiative if the fee is based on a person’s ability to pay.
o Concern: Empty lots will become dumping grounds.
o Concern: The elderly and poor populations will not be able to afford the fee.
o Concern: The collection will be hard to enforce and manage as people will begin putting their trash in front of other people’s homes.
• #18 BPT- Gross increase by .1%
o Supported by 25% of participants
o Supported by 55% of participants with the stipulation
o Stipulation: The .1% increase would only be placed on large businesses. Small businesses would receive a waiver or abatement.
o Concern: This increase will affect small business the most
o Concern: Businesses would have to pay this even if they are not generating income.
o Concern: The increase will force businesses out of the city.
• #21 Parking
o Supported by 55% of participants
o Concern: If parking costs go up it will reduce the amount of people coming into the city which will reduce sales and revenue.
o Support: People come into the Philadelphia to do things they are unable to do anywhere else.
o Support: An increase in parking rates will increase Public Transit use
o Support: Participants would rather see parking rates increase than Septa rates increase
o Support: The increases in parking rates are not substantial enough to reduce overall traffic into the city.
• #24 Sales
o Concern: People pay too much in sales tax as it is.
• #25 Wage/Resident
o Supported by 30% of participants with stipulation #1
o Stipulation #1: Increase by .5% but exempt those earning less than $35,000 annually.
o Supported by 35% of participants with stipulation #2
o Stipulation #2: Increase by .5% but exempt those earning less than $25,000 annually.

No Ways, No Hows
Total points: 74 points
• # 6 Free Library - 3 points
o Supported by 84% of participants
o Concern: The libraries have already been cut.
• #7 Housing - 7 points
o Supported by 89% of participants
o Support: The City cannot afford to lose any beds or shelters.
• #13 Public Health - 7 points
o Supported by 89% of participants
o Concern: Philadelphia is the only major city without a public hospital.
o Concern: The City needs to support the uninsured.
• #14 Recreation - 5 points
o Supported by 94% of participants
o Support: Children need a place to go
o Concern: A reduction in Recreation Centers will increase rate of youth crime.
• #11 Police - 52 points
o Supported by 75% of participants with stipulation
o Stipulation: Increase use of Community Policing. Officers must begin getting out of their cars and engaging the public.

Not Supported
• #4 Fairmount Park
o Supported by 71% of participants
• #8 Human Services
o Supported by 57% of participants
o Support: Human Services is not doing a good job currently.
o Support: There needs to be an overall assessment of the agency and the staff.
• #22 Real Estate
o Supported by 30% of participants
o Concern: Real Estate tax is too high already
o Concern: The elderly will be negatively affected

Shared Pain
Total points: 9 points
• #2 Courts reduced by 10% - 5 points
o Supported by 66% of participants with stipulation
o Stipulation: Public Defenders are not to be cut.
• #10 License and Inspection reduced by 15% - 2 points
o Support: Inspection and demolition still need to take place
• #23 Real Estate Transfer - 2 points
o Supported by 62% of participants
o Concern: The housing market is down so the revenue option won’t make a great impact on the budget.

Not Supported
• #15 Streets reduced by 20%
o Supported by 21% of participants

Notes
Quote: “This was fun! I enjoyed being civically involved!”

New Options
• PILOT Program
o Supported by 85% of participants
• 50% of Uncollected bail money should be collected
o Concern: Many offenders are low income. If they can’t pay, would we send them back to prison?
• Unpaid Real Estate taxes should be collected.