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Philadelphia City Council Home Page
Philadelphia City Council Member Contacts — 2016-19
Philadelphia City Council Standing Committees — 2016-19
Philadelphia Proposed Ordinances
Stated Meetings & Public Hearings of City Council
Contribute to Philadelphia FoodPAC
Philadelphia Legislative Priorities
Minimum Wage Increases: PFMA opposes increasing the minimum wage to $10.10 or $15 an hour as many in city council have discussed in recent hearings. We believe this will negatively impact businesses and the wages and jobs they are able to provide. Also, adding a COLA to the proposal would have a negative impact.
Litter/Trash Ordinances: PFMA believes that any ordinances looking to address trash and littering in the city should take a three pronged approach. Those include an education, collection and enforcement component. This will help ensure any proposal is successful.
Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Tax: PFMA opposes any plan which would add a tax to sugar-sweetened beverages. This type of tax will increase customer’s food bills and infringe on their ability to purchase these products. It will drive business outside the city/county to surrounding areas and reduce revenue predicted to be generated by the Tax. This will lead to the need for more taxes/revenue in the future. It is up to the customer what types of products they would like to purchase and this type of tax hurts their ability to make that choice.
Container tax: PFMA opposes any plan which would add a tax on beverage or non-beverage containers. This type of tax will increase customer’s food bills and infringe on their ability to purchase these products. It will drive business outside the city/county to surrounding areas and reduce revenue predicted to be generated by the Tax. This will lead to the need for more taxes/revenue in the future. This is an extremely regressive tax which will hurt the citizens most, who can least, afford to pay it.
Use and Occupancy Tax Increases: PFMA opposes increases to the use and occupancy tax which is a tax on the business, trade or other commercial use and occupancy of real estate located in Philadelphia.
Fair Criminal Records Screening Standards/Ban the Box Ordinance: PFMA opposes this ordinance as it is currently drafted and was passed by City Council on December 10, 2015. We will work with council members to amend the legislation to address some of our members concerns.
Supermarket/Food Merchant Covenant Restriction Legislation (Bill no. 160720): PFMA is opposed to legislation proposed by Councilwoman Cindy Bass which would restrict grocery stores with over 7,500 square feet of space located in a food desert from restricting another grocery store from buying during transition of sale.
Philadelphia Department of Public Health Tobacco Permit Regulations: PFMA opposes the department of public health’s tobacco permitting/population density regulations for retailers. The regulations would prohibit permitted locations with 500 feet of a school, set ratios for the number of permit-holding stores per neighborhood, and prohibit permits for any individual cited for more than two underage tobacco sales in a two-year period. Research has indicated that the nearly all Philadelphia neighborhoods already exceed the number of permit-holding stores per 1,000 citizens, which would effectively end tobacco permitting in Philadelphia for the near future.
Tobacco Flavor Bans: PFMA opposes banning certain cigarette, cigar and other tobacco products. We oppose a menthol ban as well as an overall ban on tobacco flavored products.
Restrictive/Predictive Scheduling Legislation: PFMA opposes any attempts through legislation or regulation to restrict a business’s ability to work with their employees and managers to effectively staff and schedule their workforce. This includes so called predictive scheduling legislation which has been enacted in a very small number of municipalities across the US.
Sodium Safety Warning Labeling Legislation: PFMA opposes legislation which would require sodium warnings for food retail and restaurant establishments. This additional city regulation is redundant and unnecessary due to recent action on the federal level in the form of menu labeling contained in the affordable care act.
Philadelphia City Council Member Contacts — 2016-19
Philadelphia City Council Standing Committees — 2016-19
Philadelphia Proposed Ordinances
Stated Meetings & Public Hearings of City Council
Contribute to Philadelphia FoodPAC
Philadelphia Legislative Priorities
Minimum Wage Increases: PFMA opposes increasing the minimum wage to $10.10 or $15 an hour as many in city council have discussed in recent hearings. We believe this will negatively impact businesses and the wages and jobs they are able to provide. Also, adding a COLA to the proposal would have a negative impact.
Litter/Trash Ordinances: PFMA believes that any ordinances looking to address trash and littering in the city should take a three pronged approach. Those include an education, collection and enforcement component. This will help ensure any proposal is successful.
Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Tax: PFMA opposes any plan which would add a tax to sugar-sweetened beverages. This type of tax will increase customer’s food bills and infringe on their ability to purchase these products. It will drive business outside the city/county to surrounding areas and reduce revenue predicted to be generated by the Tax. This will lead to the need for more taxes/revenue in the future. It is up to the customer what types of products they would like to purchase and this type of tax hurts their ability to make that choice.
Container tax: PFMA opposes any plan which would add a tax on beverage or non-beverage containers. This type of tax will increase customer’s food bills and infringe on their ability to purchase these products. It will drive business outside the city/county to surrounding areas and reduce revenue predicted to be generated by the Tax. This will lead to the need for more taxes/revenue in the future. This is an extremely regressive tax which will hurt the citizens most, who can least, afford to pay it.
Use and Occupancy Tax Increases: PFMA opposes increases to the use and occupancy tax which is a tax on the business, trade or other commercial use and occupancy of real estate located in Philadelphia.
Fair Criminal Records Screening Standards/Ban the Box Ordinance: PFMA opposes this ordinance as it is currently drafted and was passed by City Council on December 10, 2015. We will work with council members to amend the legislation to address some of our members concerns.
Supermarket/Food Merchant Covenant Restriction Legislation (Bill no. 160720): PFMA is opposed to legislation proposed by Councilwoman Cindy Bass which would restrict grocery stores with over 7,500 square feet of space located in a food desert from restricting another grocery store from buying during transition of sale.
Philadelphia Department of Public Health Tobacco Permit Regulations: PFMA opposes the department of public health’s tobacco permitting/population density regulations for retailers. The regulations would prohibit permitted locations with 500 feet of a school, set ratios for the number of permit-holding stores per neighborhood, and prohibit permits for any individual cited for more than two underage tobacco sales in a two-year period. Research has indicated that the nearly all Philadelphia neighborhoods already exceed the number of permit-holding stores per 1,000 citizens, which would effectively end tobacco permitting in Philadelphia for the near future.
Tobacco Flavor Bans: PFMA opposes banning certain cigarette, cigar and other tobacco products. We oppose a menthol ban as well as an overall ban on tobacco flavored products.
Restrictive/Predictive Scheduling Legislation: PFMA opposes any attempts through legislation or regulation to restrict a business’s ability to work with their employees and managers to effectively staff and schedule their workforce. This includes so called predictive scheduling legislation which has been enacted in a very small number of municipalities across the US.
Sodium Safety Warning Labeling Legislation: PFMA opposes legislation which would require sodium warnings for food retail and restaurant establishments. This additional city regulation is redundant and unnecessary due to recent action on the federal level in the form of menu labeling contained in the affordable care act.
