New taxes may stay in Philadelphia budget

City Council says no consensus to be found

The Philadelphia budget remains a problem with time ticking down to the end of the fiscal year.

Philadelphia City Council President Anna Verna says there is no consensus on a spending plan, and would not say whether the trash fee and sugary drinks tax proposed my Mayor Michael Nutter are dead.

“I don’t know, I cannot answer that, because if they are dead, we have to get an awful lot of money to come to life and say here I am, come and get me.”

There is about a $150 million hole in the city budget. Councilman Frank DiCicco has proposed a property tax hike to fill the hole, while other councilmembers are calling for trimming costs to prevent a massive tax hike.