Authorizing the Committee of the Whole Council to hold hearings regarding the impact of the proposed Fiscal Year 2012-13 state budget on all City of Philadelphia government services and infrastructure, and services provided by governmental and quasi-governmental entities including, but not limited to, the Philadelphia School District, state institutions of higher education, and SEPTA.

WHEREAS, On February 7, 2012, Governor Corbett presented to the Pennsylvania General Assembly a proposed Fiscal Year (FY) 2012-13 state budget that allocated $27.138 billion for the general fund of the Commonwealth; and

WHEREAS, The proposed FY 2012-2013 state budget includes significant reductions to funding for education, human services, transportation, and more, all of which will have an adverse impact on Philadelphia; and

WHEREAS, The proposed FY 2012-13 state budget includes an increase for K-12 education from $5.3 billion this fiscal year to $5.4 billion next fiscal year, but also eliminates $100 million in grants that help fund full-day kindergarten and other school programs, and is expected to result in a net reduction in funding to the School District of Philadelphia, which continues to face significant fiscal challenges; and

WHEREAS, The proposed FY 2012-13 state budget reduces education funding for state institutions of higher education by $625 million - a more than 50 percent cut - which will have a significant impact on Temple University and other local institutions; and

WHEREAS, The proposed FY 2012-13 state budget reduces transportation funding by approximately 9 percent, from $6.43 billion this year to $5.86 billion next year, at the same time that Pennsylvania has more structurally deficient bridges than any other state (more than 5,000), including 362 in Philadelphia, for which the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation is responsible for maintenance; and

WHEREAS, Resolution 120090, introduced by Councilwoman Tasco and approved by unanimous vote of City Council on February 16, 2012, authorizes public hearings to analyze the impact of human services budget reductions and the new development block grant for human services proposed in the FY 2012-2013 state budget; and

WHEREAS, Because the proposed FY 2012-13 state budget contains additional reductions in the areas of higher education, transportation, and other areas that will have an adverse impact on Philadelphia and the quality of life for its citizens, hearings considering these cuts will help inform the public and City Council as it considers the City's FY 13 budget; now therefore

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That the Committee of the Whole Council is authorized to hold hearings investigating the impact of the proposed FY 2012-13 state budget on all of the City's services programs and other services provided by City-related agencies in order to determine its full fiscal impact on the City and to use this information in the development of the City's FY 2013 operating budget.

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