Two months after he presented his 2021 budget to the City Council, Philadelphia Major Jim Kenney released a revised budget on Friday in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
The revised budget includes layoffs, tax increases, salary reductions and cuts to some city services.
"Even as our operating departments rushed to respond to the virus, I directed our finance and budget directors to start the budget process all over again," Kenney said in a recorded address. "They developed a new plan that addresses the unfortunate economic reality we now face."
The Office of the Department of Finance projects that without the changes, the city would face a $649 million deficit in the coming year -- at least five times the projected deficit in 2009.
The projection led to what Kenney called "painful" decisions in order to reduce spending.
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