Philly council set to pass budget with tax hike for schools

Philadelphia City Council is poised to approve a budget Thursday that will include a tax hike for the schools.

After a day’s worth of bickering a week ago, the council is prepared to rubber-stamp the budget and tax hike then send it to Mayor Michael Nutter for his approval.

Nutter said the next step is waiting for more school funding from the state.

“Certainly Harrisburg realizes that Philadelphia is doing its fair share and our part,” Nutter said Wednesday. “The state budget is totally different situation. Many legislators are trying to squeeze some extra dollars in there because they know cuts to education will be hurtful.”

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The mayor said he’s not certain there will be more money coming from the state.

“The one thing we knew, if we didn’t do anything, we certainly weren’t going to get anything,” Nutter said. “We also have an obligation to try to do our best for the services we were trying to get back.”

Nutter said he is working the phones and will travel to Harrisburg if necessary. Gov. Tom Corbett said the total budget cannot get bigger, so more education spending would require cuts in an already tough spending plan.

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