How’s Mayor Parker Doing After a Year in Office?

Mayor Cherelle Parker reflects on her first year as mayor of Philadelphia at the State of the City on December 20, 2024. / Photography by Quinton Davis for City of Philadelphia

I ran for mayor a couple of years ago because I love Philadelphia. I care deeply about its people and its future, and I wanted to do whatever I could to help improve our city.

I didn’t win, but when the general election came around I was happy to support my opponent in the primary, Cherelle Parker. I knew from our years together on City Council that Cherelle is smart, tough, and cares as much about Philadelphia as I do.

With her first year in office coming to a close, I believe Mayor Parker is doing a very good job. She took office with the city facing a number of big challenges — including several years of high crime and a general hangover from COVID.

Solving those issues (and others) will take years, but here are five areas where the mayor deserves credit during her first year.

Attitude

The biggest thing Mayor Parker has done is lift people’s spirits. In contrast to her predecessor, Jim Kenney, she’s been present in the city, and she’s a very good speaker. Being mayor is a tough job because it’s not just about running city government. You also have to connect with people, challenge the status quo, be a cheerleader, and give citizens hope about their city. I give her high marks for doing all of that in year one.

Public Safety

By far the most urgent problem Mayor Parker inherited when she stepped into office were years of high crime and a general feeling, among both residents and visitors, that the city just isn’t safe.

Over the last year — despite incidents like last weekend’s Christmas Village shootings that, understandably, leave people rattled — crime has dropped significantly in Philadelphia. Homicides are down 40 percent compared to 2023, and the overall number of murders in the city is the lowest since 2013. Meanwhile, Philadelphia has seen the biggest drop in gun violence of any large city in the country. That’s a huge step forward.

Much credit for that progress goes to Mayor Parker’s terrific pick for police commissioner, Kevin Bethel. Commissioner Bethel and the Parker administration have instituted new strategies — including a better use of data, an increased police presence in certain places, and early intervention initiatives with young people — that are really making a difference.

Kensington

I also give Mayor Parker high marks for finally — finally — attempting to do something about the open-air drug market in Kensington and all the chaos it’s caused residents of that neighborhood (as well as the city generally) for years.

Mayor Parker and her team instituted a public safety plan in Kensington that includes a dedicated Kensington drug czar; increased police presence and enforcement of crimes like drug use and prostitution; and the clearing of homeless encampments.

At the same time they’ve also tried to create a public health strategy for people dealing with addiction, mental health challenges, and other issues. Her plan includes committing $100 million of municipal funding toward the creation of the Riverview Wellness Village, a city-run drug treatment facility that will ultimately have more than 600 beds.

Most importantly, Mayor Parker has sent a message that some things are just not acceptable. As she said earlier this year, “The status quo that’s been able to prevail here, in Kensington in particular … [is] unacceptable, and change is on the way.”

Mayor Cherelle Parker at State of the City on December 20, 2024

Cleanliness

Philadelphia’s nickname — “Filthadelphia” — comes and goes over the years, but I give Mayor Parker credit for taking steps that could end it once and for all.

Over the summer the city cleaned 19,000 blocks and neighborhood corridors, and the Parker administration has instituted procedures in which detailed cleaning will take place in every neighborhood twice yearly, with a particular focus on litter, abandoned cars, graffiti, and vacant lots. Basic services like that are crucial to establishing and maintaining a decent quality of life in Philadelphia, which is important to attracting residents and visitors over the long term.

Schools

Finally, there’s education. Quality schools are, of course, crucial for Philly’s future, and I’ve been impressed that Mayor Parker has tried to give the school district more of the resources its needs to effectively educate kids.

Under Mayor Parker’s budget, over the next five years the city will increase school district funding by $250 million. (Part of that money comes from increasing the share of property taxes that go toward schools; much of the rest comes from an increase in revenues attributable to the latest property reassessment.) The good news is, that money comes on top of more funding from the state, thanks to the leadership of Governor Shapiro. Money won’t solve every problem our schools have, but making progress is impossible without an adequate level of funding.

So what about Year Two for Mayor Cherelle Parker? We are at a turning point and have a unique opportunity to change the direction of the city. I’m confident that this next year she and City Council will focus on a long-term cure for the city — which is to provide the environment for good-paying jobs.