Arthur Wright, a West Oak Lane homeowner, attended the packed town hall at the Madjidullah on Limekiln Pike. He said increasing property taxes is putting pressure on residents like him.
"They're really exceptionally high to me. Every year they're going up $400 or $500. Before you know it, we'll be paying $6,000 a year," Wright said.
City officials acknowledged those concerns and pointed homeowners to tax relief programs while also seeking support for several proposed revenue measures.
Among them is a new hotel tax to fund homelessness initiatives and a $1 rideshare tax, which the administration says would generate $48 million annually for Philadelphia public schools.
Officials say that funding would help prevent job cuts and address a $300 million deficit.
Querida Hayes of Germantown canvassed the neighborhood for the city ahead of the town hall on the issue and shared what she's heard from residents.
"Uber and Lyft should actually pay the extra dollar or split it 50/50. That's what we've been hearing pretty much," Hayes said.
The mayor's office agrees that Uber should pay the tax, but the ride-share company says it can't.
"This is a consumer tax, plain and simple. Uber does not have the option to absorb this tax. The law requires it to be collected from the passenger, and this $1 regressive tax would come directly from riders, as it does anywhere in the world that charges this kind of tax, just like a sales tax," said Uber spokesperson Jazmin Kay in a statement.
"This will raise the cost of rides, making it more expensive for Philadelphians to get to work, medical appointments, school, and other essential services," Kay added.
Leah Uko, press Secretary for the mayor's office, responded with the following statement:
"Investing in Philadelphia schoolchildren is vital to our city's present and future. And to preserve their progress and help the School District deal with a $300 million budget deficit and threatened elimination of hundreds of jobs that help kids learn, Mayor Parker is proposing a $1 tax on rideshare rides in Philly. Uber has the ability to pay this tax for its riders. The tax revenues and actions by the School District will help save 240 school jobs and preserve our students' progress. Our kids are worth it."
"This is really important because people will make you think that we're doing something that no one else is doing. We're not, we're just saying this is a billion-dollar industry and they should do their part to help our children," a city official said to the crowd after pointing out 51 other US cities have similar measures in place, some at a higher cost than what Philadelphia is proposing.
In addition to the tax proposals, city leaders highlighted investments in clean and green initiatives, housing, economic opportunity, and public safety outlined in the proposed budget.
Parker also pointed to recent public safety gains, saying "the city of Philadelphia has seen a 60-year low in homicides and violent crime in our city."
The mayor's office said nine more budget town halls are scheduled across the city in the coming weeks.