Philadelphia City Council resumes its weekly meetings after a winter break Thursday morning and there is plenty to do as the legislative body remains virtual to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Council President Darrell Clarke said they are going to continue their virtual meetings for now with no immediate plan to return to their legislative chambers at City Hall.
“Every time we think that we might be able to change our ability to operate in person, be it staffing, be it hearings, all the other activities we get pushed back,” Clarke said, noting that council staffers are keeping a close eye on transmission rates and tracking risks.
It’s not only council operations that have been shaken by the virus. Much of the spring session will focus on determining the city’s next budget, which will be approved sometime in June, at the end of the session. With city coffers depleted by reductions in tourism, sales tax and wage tax revenue, the math will be tricky this year, he said.
“We’re a little better than we were last year, but we’re not even close to being out of the woods yet,” Clarke said.
The council president said he expects to have to adjust service levels to reflect the drop in tax revenue.