WHEREAS, The School District of Philadelphia (“District”) has a capital deficit of no less than $5.5 billion dollars; and
WHEREAS, The District’s buildings, even in the last few years, have experienced acute dangers and minor threats to human inhabitants, including a boiler explosion, nonfunctioning climate control systems, lead paint chipping, asbestos exposure, and pest droppings; and
WHEREAS, The Council of the City of Philadelphia has held investigatory hearings regarding the physical safety of the District’s buildings and addressed concerns about lead exposure through school water fountains, and its members have joined parents, activists, and other concerned parties in attempting to assist in the remediation of building problems; and
WHEREAS, Even the best efforts of District staff, in cooperation with the public, would be impeded by the severity of the infrastructure maintenance backlog; and
WHEREAS, The Philadelphia Parking Authority has proposed replacing its annual 1% assessment on taxicab medallion owners’ annual gross operating revenue with a 50-cent-per- ride taxicab fee that would also cover digitally hailed services; and
WHEREAS, The vast majority of the revenue from the imposition of such a fee should be allocated to the School District’s capital budget to address its maintenance needs; and
WHEREAS, Leveling the playing field between taxicab services regardless of how they are hailed to assist the District in providing safer, cleaner, better buildings for our school children is a win-win proposition; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That Council does hereby call upon Governor Tom Wolf and the General Assembly to enact the proposal of the Philadelphia Parking Authority in order to provide new capital funding for the School District of Philadelphia.
FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to Governor Wolf and the General Assembly as evidence of the sentiments of this legislative body.
End