Philly City Council gets good budget update

 

 

The city’s chief money people report to Philadelphia City Council this week during budget hearings.

 

 

 

Rob Dubow, the city’s finance director, says the budget is doing well this year, and tax collection’s up with the exception of the amusement tax.

“I think it’s because our teams haven’t been making the playoffs, and there was an NHL strike, and I think that all hurt the amusement tax.”

Dubow says the Pennsylvania Governmental Intercooperation Authority does have one major concern with the city’s spending plan.

“They have a constant concern about where we are on labor; I don’t know whether that’s a new red flag or recurring issue for them,” he said.

Today Council President Darrell Clarke urged the Nutter administration to find some common ground with the unions that are without contracts. If a deal isn’t struck, he expects a lot of noise from union members when the mayor presents his budget next month.