Mayor Cherelle L. Parker Details Action Plan to Streamline and Improve City Contracts Process

Parker Administration, City Controller and City Council join to affirm the City's action steps to streamline and approve contracts worth $389.3 Million

PHILADELPHIA - Yesterday, Mayor Cherelle L. Parker announced her plan to tackle a long-standing problem decades in the making - streamlining the City's contracting process with non-profit and for-profit organizations that do business with the City and provide services to residents. The Mayor shared her directive to senior leaders in her administration that they must conform and approve every remaining overdue contract by November 8, 2024, and pay all due invoices by November 29, 2024. These remaining contracts total $389,303,503.

"It is my commitment that the City will make good on our promise to pay provider partners for the vital services that they deliver to our residents on a daily basis," Mayor Cherelle L. Parker said. "This chronic problem of the city paying its bills on a timely basis didn't originate on our watch - but hear me on this: we are going to fix it."

Mayor Parker was joined at the press conference by City Controller Christy Brady, whose office released a report in September on the City's contracting award process and the non-profit exemption issue. Standing next to Controller Brady, Mayor Parker pledged to review all aspects of the report and to move forward with needed improvements. Controller Brady credited the Mayor and her administration for taking on this difficult issue of the city's contracting and payment process.

The Mayor also thanked City Council Majority Leader Katherine Gilmore Richardson for her legislative work and diligence in examining city contracting issues, particularly involving the Office of Homeless Services. She credited Majority Leader Richardson with being a catalyst for the contract reform process now underway in the Parker administration. The mayor thanked other Councilmembers for their work on these issues, including Council President Kenyatta Johnson, Councilmember Quetcy Lozada, and other members.

During the press conference, the CEOs of two longstanding vendors doing business with the City, Otis Bullock of Greater Philadelphia Community Alliance and Regan Kelly of NET Centers, shared their appreciation for upcoming changes to the process which has long been difficult and financially challenging, particularly for non-profit providers. Joe Pyle, President of the Scattergood Foundation, also attended the press conference and supported the administration's reform work.

Significant progress has already been made towards meeting the November deadlines set by the Mayor. In just over 72 hours of convening the Action Team, the Parker administration has been able to conform 91 contracts - with 369 more contracts still to be conformed. City staff will be working around the clock to meet the important deadlines set by Mayor Parker and her senior leadership team, led by Chief of Staff Tiffany W. Thurman and Chief Administrative Officer Camille Duchaussee.

"The Mayor has given us a directive - conform every outstanding contract by November 8th and get them paid in an appropriate fashion by November 29th - and we intend to meet and satisfy that directive," said Chief of Staff Thurman.

Additionally, on Friday, November 1, the Mayor convened approximately 100 businesses and non-profit vendors for an in-person conversation in which she not only shared the process for resolving the outstanding contracts and invoices but reiterated her strong commitment to revamping the process moving forward. Mayor Parker also thanked the Pew Charitable Trusts for their assistance on contract and procurement issues both in Philadelphia and around the Country.

"We're working with all stakeholders, as well as partnering with PEW Charitable Trusts, to not only address the instant concerns but to realize contracting and procurement reforms," said CAO's Duchaussee. "We look forward to working with Pew, our provider, and organizational partners on the transformation of these processes."