In addition to President Judge Nina Wright Padilla's testimony, council members heard from the heads of the city's law department, the Defender Association of Philadelphia and the sheriff's office on their initiatives and funding needs, most of whom noted that increases were needed to maintain current levels of operation and to adjust for tax increases and inflation.
"We are requesting a three-percent salary adjustment for those employees, which is the same as the union increase," Judge Padilla said at a council budget hearing in Philadelphia City Hall.
The proposed $138,438,813 budget for the First Judicial District — Pennsylvania's designation for Philadelphia's court system — represents an increase of $1,494,956 over the fiscal year 2026 budget, most of which is earmarked for paying employees in 2,206 positions, according to written testimony submitted to the council.
"This request is not about expansion, but sustainability," Judge Padilla's written testimony said. "The FJD has demonstrated that it can deliver strong outcomes with the resources it has been provided. Continued investment in our workforce will help ensure those outcomes are maintained without disruption to operations or degradation in service."
City Solicitor Renee Garcia provided highlights to the council on the law department's recent doings, including its filing of lawsuits against CVS and pharmacy benefit managers over insulin prices and opioids and a suit against gunmaker Glock over switches that convert pistols to fully-automatic fire.
Garcia also noted that her office sued SC Johnson and Bimbo Bakeries for allegedly misleading consumers about the recyclability of their products, which the city claimed has led to an increase in litter.
"Since the implementation of the consumer protection ordinance, introduced by this legislative body, the law department has championed efforts to protect Philadelphia consumers from scams and fraud perpetuated by bad actors," Garcia told the council. "We have filed several lawsuits to hold companies accountable for fraudulent business practices and harms to Philadelphia consumers."
The proposed 2027 fiscal year budget for the law department is $37,861,489, an increase of $849,482 from the last fiscal year, according to the department's written testimony. The largest portion of the money is dedicated to compensation for the more than 400 attorneys and staff working at the department.
Chief Defender Keisha Hudson of the Defender Association also told the council members that the majority of the proposed budget for her agency would go toward paying the association's more than 500 employees, roughly half of whom are lawyers.
"We are requesting an increase of just over $5 million," Hudson said.
Hudson touted her office's successes over the past two years, including working with criminal justice partners to bring incarceration levels in the city to historic lows through reentry programs, mental health initiatives and diversion programs.
The proposed $74,116,000 2027 budget for the Defender Association reflects the $5 million increase from last year.
Sheriff Rochelle Bilal told the council that her office suffers from inadequate staffing and needs money to bring on new recruits and promote veterans within its ranks.
"We look forward to working collaboratively with City Council to ensure this office is adequately resourced and strengthened," Bilal said.
Bilal said the office is seeking a $19 million increase from last year's number, bringing the proposed 2027 fiscal year allotment to $54,925,746.
"Current staffing levels have resulted in a significant reliance on overtime, contributing to increased fatigue, higher sick leave usage, and long-term strain on our workforce," Bilal said. "While our personnel continue to perform at a high level, this model is not sustainable."
--Editing by Drashti Mehta.
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