Philadelphia City Council in 2017
Council's Busy Year: 352 Bills Introduced, 287 Signed into Law
The year in summary
Philadelphia City Council was busy in 2017, introducing 352 bills and signing 287 into law. Zoning, planning, infrastructure, transportation, land-use, and housing dominated the agenda, with zoning seeing a significant spike of 20 more bills than the previous year. On the other hand, land-use issues declined by 9, while civil-service and economic-development also saw decreases. The median time from introduction to becoming law was 56 days. Contested votes reveal that some council members were hesitant to increase police oversight funding, implement stricter restaurant rules, or license street sellers. These debates highlight the complexities of balancing competing interests in city governance.
AI-generated analysis grounded in 352 bills from official Philadelphia City Council records.
What council worked on in 2017
Rising vs 2016: infrastructure (+22), zoning (+20), transportation (+17), neighborhood (+12). Declining: land use (-9), civil service (-8), economic development (-7), taxation (-6).
Highest-impact bills of 2017
Philadelphia Homeowners Could Face Higher Tax Bills Due to Proposed Sewer Rate Hike A new city council proposal would increase sewer rates by up to 20% over three years, affecting hundreds of thousands of property owners and renters who already pay one of the highest water bills in the country.
A tight deadline looms as Philadelphia City Council approves a $4.3 billion spending plan for Fiscal Year 2018, allocating funds to crucial services like education and public safety.
Philadelphia's public schools will receive a massive funding boost under the new budget, with $1.4 billion set aside for repairs and renovations to crumbling buildings. City Council Unanimously Passes Landmark Legislation to Create Community Land Trusts in Neighborhoods Citywide A proposed community land trust project aimed at preserving affordable housing options in Fishtown has been cleared a
Philadelphia building owners must regularly inspect fire and smoke dampers to ensure they're working properly, a crucial safety measure. Failure to comply with new regulations could result in penalties for violations.
Residents who live in neighborhoods zoned for industrial use may soon see a surge of new apartments as city council votes to relax restrictive building codes, opening up 12 square miles of waterfront property for development.
Most contested votes of 2017top 5 of 8
Most council roll calls are unanimous — these are the bills that split the chamber.
Most active sponsors in 2017
- Council President Clarke77 bills
- Councilmember Squilla48 bills
- Councilmember Jones35 bills
- Councilmember Blackwell35 bills
- Councilmember Quiñones Sánchez31 bills