Mayor Jim Kenney

MAYOR JIM KENNEY is a lifelong city resident of Philadelphia. In 1990 Philadelphians elected him to serve as a City Councilman At-Large and, over the next twenty years, he stood up for Philadelphia’s working families and progressive policies —fighting for a real living wage, broader protections for LGBTQ Philadelphians, marijuana decriminalization, and a more sensible immigration policy. On January 4, 2016, Kenney was sworn in as the 99th Mayor of Philadelphia. In his first budget, the Mayor worked closely with City Council to fund bold anti-poverty initiatives, and increased efforts to spur economic growth in the city’s commercial corridors. Philadelphia also shined on the national stage in 2016, successfully hosting the Democratic National Convention and safely monitoring peaceful protests, without a single arrest. At the same time, the City finished 2016 with the lowest crime rate in nearly forty years.

When the Department of Justice threatened to take away funding for Philadelphia police officers unless they acted as an extension of ICE, the City sued and won. The city has stepped up its commitment to provide resources to combat the opioid epidemic, engaging 1,400 former residents for direct services, including housing and drug treatment.  In his second year as Mayor, Philadelphia made significant strides in both criminal justice reform and education. The City reduced its prison population by nearly thirty six percent as part of the MacArthur Safety and Justice Challenge, and the number of pedestrian stops were cut in half. Building on his administration’s early commitment to education, the Mayor launched an effort to return the School District to local control and to provide adequate financial funding resources for our teachers and students, so that every Philadelphian has a quality school in their neighborhood.   @phillymayor