Creating and Preserving Family-Sustaining Jobs

Councilwoman Snchez has worked to make the City of Philadelphia a good place to start, run,
or grow a business. In order to stimulate economic activity, promote job growth, and make sure
that Philadelphia businesses are competing on a level playing field, Councilwoman Snchez has
introduced and passed numerous bills to reform the citys business tax system.
Business Tax Reform: Councilwoman Snchez and Councilman Bill Green passed Bill No.
110554 to reform and restructure Philadelphias business tax system. These changes help local
businesses by reducing their liability on sales made outside the city, and ensure that companies
headquartered outside the city pay their fair share. Councilwoman Snchezs bill also creates
significant benefit to small business by exempting the first $100,000 of gross receipts from
taxation. This exemption will be phased in over three years beginning in 2014, and by full
implementation over 50,000 of the 90,000 businesses that file BPT returns will have $0 liability.
As part of this overall Business Tax Reform, new businesses will have their license fees waived,
and will have no business tax liability for their first two years of operation.
Use and Occupancy Tax: Councilwoman Snchez led the fight to ensure that the Citys
implementation of the Actual Value Initiative (AVI) did not create a burden on small businesses,
such as those on neighborhood commercial corridors. She introduced Bill No. 130161 which was
added as an amendment to Bill No. 130182-A to provide a $2,000 tax exemption for small
businesses, providing a tax cut to 78% of businesses, fully exempting just under 10,000 small
businesses, and protecting Mom and Pop storefronts from what would have been a massive tax
hike.
Single Sales Factor: Councilwoman Snchez was the first to make manufacturing a top priority
in City Council and for the City administration. Her advocacy on behalf of the manufacturing
sector led to a report produced by PIDC which documented over 100,000 allied and
manufacturing jobs in the city. For the Seventh Council District represented by Councilwoman
Snchez, manufacturing and small businesses represent thousands of family-sustaining jobs. As
part of Bill No. 110554, the Councilwoman reformed the business tax liability structure for
manufacturing. When these changes are phased in over 2013-2015, manufacturers will no longer
be penalized for being located in the city and instead will be exempted entirely from taxation on
all sales conducted outside the city. This represents almost 70% in tax savings for this sector.
Community, Language Access, and Immigration to Grow Our City
Protecting Immigrant Communities: After years of advocacy by Councilwoman Snchez
along with community activists, Mayor Michael A. Nutter in April 2014 signed Executive Order
1-14 which ended the Citys collaboration with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
(ICE). Because of this, the City will no longer honor ICE detainer requests (commonly called
ICE holds) unless an individual has been found guilty of a serious violent crime. This change
will directly improve public safety all Philadelphia residents, by helping to end the widespread

mistrust of the police department that has prevented immigrant crime victims and witnesses from
seeking help from the police and justice through the courts.
Diverse Hiring and Language Access: Councilwoman Snchez held hearings on the Citys
language access and diverse hiring policies to make sure that all Philadelphians can access
important city jobs and services. This was the first hearing ever held on these topics in the City
of Philadelphia. During her time in office Councilwoman Snchez has provided crucial
leadership to make sure our City makes real progress on issues affecting minority and immigrant
communities, and has fought for a bi-lingual and diverse municipal workforce by mandating
bilingual employees in positions that work directly with the public.
Municipal ID: In 2013 Councilwoman Snchez introduced Bill No. 130872 authorizing the
City to issue Municipal Identification cards to residents. These Photo ID cards would increase
access to City services, help with law enforcement and public safety, and could also be useful in
obtaining financial services like bank accounts. Lack of government-issued identification is a
problem that is disproportionately faced by immigrant communities, seniors, people with
disabilities, and those with low incomes. The ID cards will ensure that no Philadelphian needs to
struggle to get basic identification.
Protecting Parades and Cultural Events: Councilwoman Snchez also passed legislation to
protect the citys cherished parades and cultural events. Bill No. 100158 protects these important
community events by limiting the fees and costs they must pay to the City. Her bill helped save
some of Philadelphias most beloved cultural events, such as the Puerto Rican Day Parade, the
St. Patricks Day Parade, and the Mummers Parade, which had faced cancellation in 2010.
Supporting Community Development Corporations: To support the valuable work of the
Community Development Corporations (CDCs) in the Seventh District, Councilwoman Snchez
introduced and passed Bill No. 140411, which extends the deadline for enrolling in the CDC Tax
credit, helping ensure that business owners and the organizations they support have access to this
important program.
Keeping People in Their Homes
Councilwoman Snchez has passed several major bills aimed at increasing property tax
compliance and collections, while better protecting vulnerable homeowners.
Tax foreclosure and payment plan reform: Bill 120054, introduced by Council members
Snchez and Green, comprehensively reformed the Citys process for collecting delinquent taxes.
In the past, it was often difficult for taxpayers to learn about their payment plan options. Now, all
homeowners who have fallen behind on their taxes are provided with detailed information about
their right to an affordable, income-based payment plan and the consequences of nonpayment.
The bill guarantees one set of transparent rules and procedures, and a clearly defined timeline for
enforcement.

AVI assistance for vulnerable homeowners: Councilwoman Snchez led the passage of bills to
ensure that vulnerable taxpayers would be protected during the transition to a fairer and more
accurate tax system through the City of Philadelphias Actual Value Initiative (AVI).
Councilwoman Snchez supported a strong Homestead Exemption in the amount of $30,000,
resulting in an approximately $400 benefit for every homeowner who applies.
She also fought to ensure relief for homeowners whose properties have significantly increased
due to gentrification, through the Longtime Owner-Occupant Program (LOOP). LOOP
protects qualifying homeowners from tax increases for ten years.
She cosponsored Bill No. 130417, Property Tax Deferral legislation that will help homeowners
who truly cannot afford increased property taxes and have no other options. In limited
circumstances, homeowners can apply to defer payment of their taxes until they are deceased or
the property is transferred, allowing them to stay in their homes and avoid homelessness.
Councilwoman Snchez has worked tirelessly to ensure that as many homeowners as possible
can enroll in these benefit programs. She passed Bill 140278, which provides a Deadline
Extension for homeowners facing hardship who still need to apply for the LOOP, Deferral, and
Senior Freeze programs. Councilwoman Snchez also successfully obtained funding to do
door-to-door outreach and assistance to homeowners.
Creating Opportunities to Reuse and Repurpose Vacant Buildings
Since she was first elected, Councilwoman Snchez has led efforts to transform the City of
Philadelphias broken system for managing and selling vacant and blighted properties.
Improved policies: As a member of the mayors Vacant Properties Task Force, Councilwoman
Snchez was instrumental in the adoption of new policies for the sale of properties owned by
City agencies. She strongly supported the creation of a new Side and Rear Yard Program,
which gives vacant lots to neighboring homeowners for $1 plus the costs of transfer. She
successfully pushed for the adoption of more accurate prices for publicly-owned property, which
have paid off by dramatically increasing the rate of successful property sales.
Land Bank: Councilwoman Snchez led the passage of historic legislation to create a new
Philadelphia Land Bank. Bill No. 130156 was unanimously adopted by City Council, and will
transform the Citys management and sale of vacant properties and help revitalize
neighborhoods. Councilwoman Snchezs legislation creates a single agency with one
transparent set of rules, a long-needed reform of what has been referred to as an alphabet soup
of local land-holding agencies. The new Philadelphia Land Bank will make it easier and quicker
for individuals, community groups, small businesses, nonprofits, and real estate developers alike
to purchase city property. The Land Bank will have new powers to acquire tax delinquent
property, returning blighted buildings and lots into vibrant, tax-producing reuse. Councilwoman

Snchez ensured that the Land Bank will ensure equitable development, through an annual
Strategic Plan process with public input, and policies to make properties more available for a
range of uses that will benefit the community, including growing food, creating new jobs, and
increasing access to affordable housing.
A Government Of The People, For The People
Councilwoman Snchez has made reforming, improving, and modernizing City government a
priority of her time in office. She has pushed legislation and executive action that would make
government more open and responsive to Philadelphians.
Freshman 15 Reforms
Councilwoman Snchez was sworn into City Council with one of the most ambitious classes of
freshman legislators in Council history. Along with Councilmen Bill Green and Curtis Jones, Jr.,
she spearheaded measures that would save the city over $60 million annually, and laid the
groundwork for countless reforms that improved transparency and modernized municipal
government. Cutting spending through simple, common-sense solutions to create efficiencies and
eliminate waste will allow the City to provide higher quality services at a lower cost to
taxpayers. Additionally, her ideas regarding improved collection of delinquent taxes and fees
have helped to ensure that everyone is paying their fair share.
Online Access to City Regulations: The City of Philadelphia has made great strides in recent
years to make government more open and accessible, and in 2014 Councilwoman Snchez
continued this trend by passing Bill No. 140131, requiring City agencies to post all proposed and
final regulations online. Philadelphians have a right to know about proposed regulations that
could impact their lives or businesses, and putting the full text of all regulations online will make
it easier for citizens to discover opportunities to provide input and access key public information.
Preventing Blight and Improving Public Safety
High Risk Vacant Properties: Since she was elected, Councilwoman Snchez pursued
legislation to address the threat these properties pose to the citys neighborhoods public safety
and economic health. Following the 2012 fire at the Buck Hosiery factory building in
Kensington, which tragically claimed the lives of two brave firefighters and destroyed many
adjacent homes and businesses, Councilwoman Snchez successfully passed Bill No. 120229AA. This bill requires owners of large vacant commercial or industrial properties to register with
the City, post contact information, and regularly inspect the properties. Owners now have to
deposit a bond with the City in order to provide the financing necessary if the Department of
Licenses and Inspections is forced to repair or seal the property. It also treats properties that are
found to be fire hazards as imminently dangerous, and requires prompt remediation of the
hazardous condition. Investing in effective prevention will not only save the City the cost of
addressing and future problems with these sites, it is also likely to save lives.

Vacant Property Licenses: Together with Council President Clarke and other colleagues,
Councilwoman Snchez has explored ways to promote the productive reuse of vacant land in
Philadelphia. By observing best practices in other cities, Councilwoman Snchez and Council
President Clarke passed Bill No. 110084, which has encouraged property owners to revitalize
vacant land while protecting valuable neighborhood yard and green space by exempting them
from additional taxes or fees.
Landvest Scam: Beginning in 2009, a massive foreclosure crisis hit over 400 properties in the
Kensington and Port Richmond neighborhoods, when Robert Coyle Sr.s Landvest companies
went into default and were revealed to be a scam. Coyles companies had entered into fraudulent
rent-to-own agreements, and the resulting foreclosures threatened to force hundreds of people
from their homes and create a large-scale problem of vacancy and blight. Councilwoman
Snchez set out to address this crisis and protect the residents who were having their homes
threatened: she held extensive hearings in City Council, giving those most affected a chance to
testify; she issued subpoenas to the banks foreclosing on the properties; she submitted a
statement at the criminal sentencing of Robert Coyle; and, most importantly, she worked
diligently to assist the residents affected by helping them to purchase the properties, make
arrangements to stay in their homes, or find new housing options.
Demolition Reform
In the wake of the tragic building collapse at 21st and Market Streets of 2013, City Council
formed a Special Investigating Committee on Demolitions Practices to seek out best practices
and propose reforms that would improve public safety and protect Philadelphians from unsafe
demolition conditions. As the Chair of the Committee on Licenses and Inspections,
Councilwoman Snchez was selected to serve on this Special Investigating Committee which
held hearings throughout the summer and issued a comprehensive report on its findings as well
as accompanying legislation to reform the Citys demolition policies.
Councilwoman Snchez was also appointed by Mayor Michael Nutter to a Blue-Ribbon
Commission dedicated to improving demolition and building safety standards in Philadelphia,
along with local and national experts. The Commission issued a detailed report, including many
recommendations that build on Councilwoman Snchezs work establishing a Land Bank and
improving our systems that address blight and vacancy.
Councilwoman Snchez introduced Bill No. 130691-A which requires demolition projects to
submit to the Department of Licenses and Inspections a safety plan that accurately describes the
condition of the property, details of the planned demolition including method to be used ,a
description of potential hazards, and details on how adjacent structures will be protected. The bill
also requires projects to submit a demolition timeline, and requires L+I to inspect demolition
sites at specific intervals over the course of the work being performed. Use of mechanical
demolition equipment is also prohibited under this bill when adjoining properties are occupied.