Just a reminder that today is primary election day. We wanted to pass along a few things to keep in mind as you head to the polls, which are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. You are allowed to vote as long as you are in line by 8 p.m.

Pennsylvania conducts closed primaries, so you can only vote for candidates from the party for which you are registered. If you are registered Independent, sorry no primary candidates for you, but you can still vote on the four city ballot measures.

Candidates for governor and lieutenant governor, U.S. Senate, state house and senate are on the ballot.

Here are the basics: Continue Reading

The city has released an interactive map that allows home owners to see the assessed value of their property following the citywide reassessment announced last week.

The first citywide property assessment in three years has come under mounting criticism as property values across the city increased an average of 31 percent. Tax rate increases vary by neighborhood with some seeing their tax burden as much as double.

The map allows property owners to type in their address to see the assessed value for 2022 and the new value, which would go into effect in 2023. Your property tax bill would be 1.3998 percent of your home’s assessed value, based on the city current tax rate.

The city’s “homestead exemption” will reduce your taxable value by $45,000. More info on that is available here. Mayor Jim Kenney has proposed increasing the homestead exemption to $65,000 to help offset tax increases.

You can dispute the new assessment here.

The City’s down payment assistance program, Philly First Home, has reopened today, according to an announcement by the Division of Housing and Community Development (DHCD). The program provides up to $10,000 (or 6 percent of the purchase price, whichever is less) in assistance to first-time homebuyers or those who have not owned a home for at least three years. The assistance recipient also must:

– Purchase a home in Philadelphia
– Have a household income at or below 100 percent Area Median Income (AMI)
– Complete housing counseling at a DHCD funded housing counseling agency. Continue Reading

Philadelphia’s Department of Public Health has lifted the indoor mask mandate.

Although the city was experiencing an increase in COVID-19 cases in the past few weeks, there has been a recent leveling-off of case counts and a decrease in COVID-19 hospitalizations, according to today’s announcement.

The City’s decision to reinstate the mask mandate on Monday, April 18 drew criticism. It was the only large U.S. city to reinstate the mandate this spring.

Instead of requiring residents to wear a mask in indoor public places, masks are now “strongly recommended.” As of yesterday, the city was averaging 242 new COVID-19 cases per day and 65 hospitalizations.

The department also announced that they are retiring the system of COVID-19 response levels introduced earlier this year. Continue Reading

Congressman Dwight Evans, who represents Pennsylvania’s 3rd Congressional District that includes West Philadelphia, has announced a more than $51 billion, seven-point plan to fight gun violence in Philadelphia and around the country. The plan was unveiled today at Temple University Hospital, which treats many of the city’s gun violence victims.

“Over the last two years, Philadelphia and communities across America have suffered from a surge in gun violence – a second epidemic,” Evans said at today’s event. “This is a national problem – it is not just happening here… This epidemic of gun violence demands an all-hands response – federal, state and local government – and more community involvement.” Continue Reading

SEPTA has announced that masks will no longer be required on vehicles, stations and concourses after a federal judge struck down the federal travel mask mandate.

SEPTA’s announcement came as an indoor mask mandate went into effect across the city, sowing confusion about where masks are required and where they are not.

Some transportation agencies around the country, notably New York City’s MTA, have kept a mask mandate in place. Others like Amtrak have made masks optional. Continue Reading