Philadelphia Ballot Questions: Vote No on Housing Trust Fund Contributions, Yes to Three Other Proposals

Should the Philadelphia Self-Reliance Charter be amended to call on the Pennsylvania General Assembly and Governor to pass legislation that would decriminalize, regulate and tax the use and sale to adults aged 21 or older cannabis for non-medical purposes?

Every few elections, the Philadelphia City Council uses voting questions to send a message to the General Assembly. It’s a way to educate politicians, especially those considering a statewide race, of Philadelphia’s priorities. This year, Council is asking voters to show the state legislature that the city supports the recreational use of cannabis. This advice supports legalization and recommends that you vote YES on the question of the ballot. The General Assembly would be wise to initiate the legalization process to prevent marijuana revenues from crossing Delaware to the next dispensaries in New Jersey.

»READ MORE: Who to vote for in the 2021 general election | Approval Guide

Should Philadelphia’s Charter of Local Self-Government be amended to establish and define the functions of a fleet services department, headed by a commissioner, to manage all city-owned motor vehicles and city programs? city ​​regarding alternative fuel initiatives for vehicles?

When Ed Rendell became mayor in 1992, oversight of the Philadelphia fleet had been so mismanaged that the new administration could not determine how many vehicles the city had. Three decades after Rendell signed an executive order that created the Office of Fleet Management, voters have the option of making the department permanent. Considering the number of city departments that depend on a well-functioning fleet – from police to garbage collection, the proposal to ensure a long-term centralized fleet services department makes sense, and we recommend that you vote YES.

Should the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter be amended to revise the provisions relating to the civil service system, to allow the director of personnel to determine the number of people on an eligible list from which a decision to hire or promote? can be taken, and to determine the number of times a person can be ignored and remain eligible on such a list, all depending on the position and the needs of the civil service program?

Voters will have the opportunity to fundamentally change hiring and potentially increase the diversity of the municipal workforce. Under the city’s current hiring rules, applicants take a test and only the two highest-rated applicants are interviewed in a department. Eliminating these rules would allow the city to decide how many finalist departments could interview for each position and reduce the reliance on standardized testing – which has proven to be biased. We recommend you vote YES.

Will the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter be amended to provide for a mandatory annual credit for the Housing Trust Fund?

The fourth ballot question asks voters in Philadelphia to demand about $ 25 million from the general fund to go to the city’s Housing Trust Fund. While this council supports the Housing Trust Fund and the programs it supports, it would be wrong to tie the hands of future councils and future mayors by imposing contributions. Vote NO to question 4.