Philadelphia House Delegation salutes Mayor Kenney’s critical priorities for the city as his mandate comes to an end this year

Legislators looking forward to working with Mayor & City partners to make these priorities a reality

PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 11 – The Philadelphia House Delegation today expressed their endorsement for Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney’s core priorities in his final year as mayor. The delegation also highlighted their concerns and hopes for the city.

“The plan introduced today by Mayor Kenney gave us optimism. I’m pleased to see that reducing gun violence and strengthening public safety are an important part of this agenda. I also laud the commitment to diversity, to improving access to quality education and to expanding affordable housing” said the delegation’s chair, state Rep. Morgan Cephas.

“These goals might not be entirely achieved by the end of the year, but we are going in the right direction, there’s a strong approach from the administration to address the major issues affecting our city”, Cephas said. 

The mayor’s goals are explained in a report titled “Equity and Opportunity for All: Moving Philadelphia Forward.”  In it, Kenney revealed four critical focus areas of the administration in an effort to guarantee Philadelphia’s immediate and long-term future success.

The mayor promised to reinforce his commitment to enhancing public safety, improve quality of life and build thriving neighborhoods. His other goal will be investing in Philadelphia’s youth. Driving inclusive growth and economic opportunity while building a thriving economy that benefits all residents of the city is another priority on the mayor’s list.

State Rep. Danilo Burgos, vice-chair of the delegation, emphasized the fact that for the first time in more than a decade, the Philadelphia House Delegation, with a Democratic majority, will have an opportunity to address the inequities and deficiencies present for residents not only in Philadelphia, but across the state.

“I support the initiatives presented by the administration, I feel encouraged, and I eagerly anticipate the economic growth of our city. I also understand that the only way to achieve these goals is by working together with a real sense of community. I am confident that now, as a majority, we will be able to tackle key concerns in our city,” Burgos said.  

State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, delegation secretary/treasurer, expressed his satisfaction knowing that the mayor is putting a high priority on ending the violence in the streets and driving inclusion and equity across the city.

“I hope to see action in City Council on these initiatives as we continue our work at the state level with our renewed hope in a Shapiro administration and forthcoming Democratic majority in the House,” Kenyatta said. “Our neighborhoods, our kids, our seniors are depending on the success of our collaborative and strategic economic and social recovery from the pandemic.”  

Rep. Jared Solomon who is chairing the Philadelphia House Delegation Policy Subcommittee, explains that he is looking forward to working with the Mayor’s administration in his new role. The subcommittee was recently created as part of the redesign of the Philadelphia platform.

“There is plenty of work to be done, but I’m ready to develop policy at the state level for investments in the safety and stability of our neighborhoods across our great city, helping our seniors, Infrastructure investment, business corridor development, improving education, and ensuring inclusion and equity for all Philadelphians”, Solomon said.