City Councilman At-Large W. Wilson Goode, Jr. has introduced Economic Opportunity Enforcement Legislation, including two bills and a resolution, empowering City Council to bring debarment charges against city contractors for failure to make best and good faith efforts to implement economic opportunity plans.

The Philadelphia Home Rule Charter amendment would confirm Council’s power to enact ordinances that require City contractors and recipients of City financial assistance to submit and comply with economic opportunity plans addressing the participation of disadvantaged business enterprises and workforce diversity. It would also provide remedies for violations, including debarment from doing business with the City or receiving City financial assistance for a specified period of time.

(Philadelphia, June 11, 2009) – City Councilman At-Large W. Wilson Goode, Jr. continues to push forward with new legislation this year. The third-term councilman has now introduced more than 50 bills that have - or will - become law, over almost a decade of legislative service.

The Diversity Track Record Ordinance, introduced by Councilman Goode this year, created new requirements related to the submission of an Economic Opportunity Plan. The Economic Opportunity Plans, required under Title 17 of the Philadelphia Code, will now contain a statement from the contractor, developer and/or recipient of financial assistance summarizing past practices to develop diversity at any/all levels of its organization including, but not limited to, Board and management positions. This statement would also summarize strategic business plans specific to current or past practices of DBE (disadvantaged business enterprise) utilization on government and non-government projects.

City Councilman At-Large W. Wilson Goode, Jr.’s Economic Investment Package was approved by the Council’s Committee on Commerce and Economic Development. The third-term councilman, and chair of the committee, has introduced more than 50 bills to become law.

The New Philadelphia Job Creation Tax Credit Ordinance amends the program under which a credit against the City's business privilege taxes will be given to businesses that create new jobs within the City of Philadelphia. The businesses will receive a $3000 credit for each new job created for tax years 2010 and 2011.

The New Economic Partnership Ordinance amends the program providing a credit for contributions to community development corporations (CDCs) to allow two businesses to apply jointly for the credit.

The DCED Main Street Funding Ordinance authorizes the Commerce Director to file
an application with the Commonwealth's Department of Community and Economic

Mayor Michael A. Nutter has signed the Diversity Track Record Bill, introduced by City Councilman At-Large W. Wilson Goode, Jr., into law. The ordinance creates new requirements related to the submission of an Economic Opportunity Plan.

City Councilman At-Large W. Wilson Goode, Jr. has a new proposal – he will not introduce the charter change resolution and companion bill that would reduce the number of Councilmembers from 17 to 15, and the number of at-large Councilmembers from 7 to 5. Instead, Councilman Goode will introduce legislation next week that will permit each party to nominate six candidates and give each elector the right to vote for six Councilmembers at large. The number of Councilmembers would remain 17, and the number of at-large members would remain 7 – but each party would get another nomination and each voter would get an extra vote.

When City Council returns from summer recess in two weeks, City Councilman At-Large W. Wilson Goode, Jr. will introduce charter change legislation that would reduce the number of City Council members that will take office in January 2012, sixty years after the charter took effect.

The charter change resolution and companion bill would reduce the number of Councilmembers from 17 to 15, and the number of at-large Councilmembers from 7 to 5.

The Mayor’s Commission on Construction Industry Diversity has just held its first public hearing to take testimony on race and gender discrimination in Philadelphia regarding economic participation. The goal of the public hearing process is to make real-life experiences a part of the public record which will lead to a report due in September that will be delivered to the Mayor and City Council. Most of the commission’s work will focus on workforce utilization, which is also the subject matter of hearings to be convened by City Council after the report is due. Somewhat obscured in the process is the fact that workforce utilization is only one part of the economic participation equation, diversity in business contracting matters as well – if not more.

City Councilman At-Large W. Wilson Goode, Jr. has introduced the CDC Tax Credit Expansion Bill. The legislation expands Goode’s CDC Tax Credit Program, which gives tax credits to businesses that contribute to community development corporations (CDCs) engaged in neighborhood economic development.

The CDC Tax Credit Expansion Bill would expand the program from 25 to 30 partnerships - with businesses contributing $1 million over 10 years for a full credit against business privilege tax liability. The expanded program would bring at least $5 million more in private investment to Philadelphia’s economically distressed communities over the next decade – but the return on the investment is more likely to exceed $10 million.

Today, when Michael Nutter signed Wilson Goode, Jr.’s Business Tax Reform Bill - it was the third bill to become law from Goode’s Economic Opportunity Legislative Package, consisting of three bills introduced on January 24.

In fact, the Business Privilege Tax Reform Ordinance, unanimously passed by Philadelphia City Council, was Goode’s 46th piece of legislation to be signed into law during his tenure. Ironically, Goode has offered only one piece of legislation that failed in City Council, and it failed by only one vote – in an earlier attempt, four years ago, to eliminate the business gross receipts tax by 2009. The new ordinance will eliminate the gross receipts portion of the City’s business privilege tax by the year 2017. Goode believes that taxing businesses on both gross receipts and net income is an impediment to job growth, as well as an excessive burden for small disadvantaged businesses.

Mayor Michael A. Nutter has signed the New Minimum Wage and Benefits Bill introduced by Councilman W. Wilson Goode, Jr. on January 24, 2008 into law.

The New Minimum Wage and Benefits Ordinance will require City-supported employers to pay at least 150% of the federal minimum wage to its employees as of July 2009, and to the extent that the Employer provides health benefits to any of its employees, the Employer shall provide each full-time Employee health benefits at least as valuable as the basic health benefits that are provided to the Employer’s other full-time employees.

Under Goode’s 2005 landmark living wage legislation, City-supported employers must now pay at least 150% of the state minimum wage (which currently amounts to at least $10.72 per hour for City-covered workers) but there was no standard set for minimum benefits.

PHILLY FIRST Civil Service Question
to be placed on November 4th Ballot

Philadelphia City Council has approved PHILLY FIRST Civil Service Legislation, introduced by Councilman W. Wilson Goode, Jr., for a charter change question to be placed on the November 4 general election ballot at the time of the presidential election.

There shall be placed on the ballot the following question to be answered “Yes” or “No” by the qualified electors participating in the election:

Shall the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter be amended to require that those candidates seeking civil service positions who have maintained a bona fide residence in Philadelphia for at least one year prior to the date of the civil service examination shall have priority over all other persons receiving an identical test score?

CITY COUNCIL approves New Minimum Wage and Benefits Standard

(Philadelphia, April 17, 2008) – Philadelphia City Council has unanimously approved the New Minimum Wage and Benefits Bill introduced by Councilman W. Wilson Goode, Jr. on January 24, 2008.

The New Minimum Wage and Benefits Bill will require City-supported employers to pay at least 150% of the federal minimum wage to its employees as of July 2009, and to the extent that the Employer provides health benefits to any of its employees, the Employer shall provide each full-time Employee health benefits at least as valuable as the basic health benefits that are provided to the Employer’s other full-time employees.

GOODE will introduce PHILLY FIRST Civil Service Legislation

Charter change would give bona fide 1 year residents a “tie breaker” over others

City Councilman At-Large W. Wilson Goode, Jr. will introduce PHILLY FIRST Civil Service Legislation at City Council’s March 27 stated meeting.

The proposed amendment to the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter relating to civil service regulations provides that, when eligible lists for appointments and promotions are established, those persons who have maintained a bona fide residence in Philadelphia for at least one year prior to the date of the examination shall prevail over all others who receive the identical test score.

City Council approves 1st Bill in Goode’s Economic Package
Business Diversity Ranking of City Departments and Agencies to be Law

Philadelphia City Council has unanimously approved the first bill in City Councilman At-Large W. Wilson Goode, Jr.’s Economic Opportunity Legislative Package. The package consists of three bills introduced on January 24, 2008.

City Councilman At-Large W. Wilson Goode, Jr. will introduce an Economic Opportunity Legislative Package, consisting of three new bills, at City Council’s first stated meeting after being sworn-in on January 7.

The first bill is a New Minimum Wage and Benefits Bill that would require City-supported employers to pay at least 150% of the federal minimum wage to its employees as of July 2009, while also being required to offer full-time employees the same health benefits that are provided to other full-time employees. Under Goode’s 2005 landmark living wage legislation, City-supported employers must now pay at least 150% of the state minimum wage but there is no standard set for minimum benefits. In July of 2009, the federal minimum wage is set to exceed the state minimum wage - and the new legislation would require covered employees in Philadelphia to be paid at least $10.88 per hour, with comparable health benefits for full-time employees.