Philadelphia City Councilman Bobby Henon, D-6th. NewsWorks photo/Emma Lee

Councilman Bobby Henon, D-6th, intends to travel his district, going door to door with a group of volunteers, in an effort to visit about 14,000 homeowners who have not yet signed up for the tax break.

City Council recently extended the deadline to Sept. 13 for homeowners to apply for the tax exemption of up to $30,000 of the property value of their primary residence. continue reading »

Philadelphia City Council held a public budget hearing April 29 at Lincoln High School. Photo/Shannon McDonald

With the exception of one outburst from the audience early on about Philadelphia City Council members not listening closely enough to public testimony, Monday night’s city budget hearing at Lincoln High School was otherwise calm. Raised voices were saved mostly for support for those pleading with Council for better services and more funding.

The meeting, one of a handful around the city designed to bring public budget testimony to those who can’t make it to Council chambers on a weekday afternoon, was led by Council President Darrell Clarke, D-5th. He was joined by Republican Councilmen at-large Denny O’Brien and David Oh, Councilmen Bobby Henon, D-6th; and Mark Squilla, D-1st; and Councilwoman Cindy Bass, D-8th. All but Clarke are first-term council members. continue reading »

By Elizabeth Fiedler and Holly Otterbein for NewsWorks

Philadelphia has been getting a lot of attention lately for doing a lousy job of collecting the more than half-billion dollars it’s owed in property-tax bills. Critics say delinquents don’t just rob the city of much-needed money; they also depress market values and hurt neighborhoods.

So which areas are being harmed the most from tax deadbeats, and how can City Council help? continue reading »

Just six Philadelphia City Council members attended the 2012 budget hearing in the Northeast. Photo/Shannon McDonald

Philadelphia City Council members will be in the Northeast Monday to give community members a chance to express budget concerns.

The hearing is scheduled from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Lincoln High School. Those who sign up to testify at the hearing can weigh in on things like quality of life issue, property taxes, education, union contracts and more. continue reading »

From plants to baked goods to balloon animals for the kids, the Mayfair Farmers Market debuted with something for everyone. Photo/Raymond Boyd

Earlier this month, the Mayfair Community Development Corporation and the Allegheny Iron and Metal Corporation struck a deal to revitalize Mayfair. The partnership was reached under Philadelphia’s CDC Tax Credit Program and will allow the Mayfair CDC to receive $85,000 annually from Allegheny for the next 10 years.

Sunday, the deal was announced to the public. The announcement kicked off the debut of the  Mayfair Farmers Market, which will take place several times throughout the year. continue reading »

City Council district changes will take effect sooner than expected. Image/City of Philadelphia

Philadelphia City Council decided last month to allow members affected by redistricting to begin serving their new constituents this month — three years before the new districts were to take effect in 2016.

City Paper reports that decision had largely to do with disputes over Northeast Philadelphia’s 56th Ward — split among Council members Brian O’Neill, R-10th; Maria Quinones-Sanchez, D-7th; and Bobby Henon, D-6th. continue reading »

Councilman Bobby Henon co-sponsored a resolution to review a change that would transfer Philadelphia firefighters to new assignments. NewsWorks photo/Tom MacDonald

A change that will transfer senior Philadelphia Firefighters to new assignments will receive a review in Philadelphia City Council.

Firefighters came out in force to support the resolution to hold a hearing mass transfers of veteran Philadelphia firefighters.

continue reading »

6th District Councilman Bobby Henon in an April 2011 interview with NEast Philly. Photo/Saleem Ahmed

Councilman Bobby Henon, D-6th, announced today that residents in his district will be able to set out their trash and recycling two hours earlier than usual as part of a pilot program aimed at enhancing quality of life in the district.

“We will measure if the two additional hours will have an impact on litter reduction,” reads a press release from Henon and Streets Commissioner Clarena Tolson. continue reading »

The Pennypack Creek Bridge that’s part of what is now Frankford Avenue received a state historical marker Saturday. Photo/Jessica Lopez

More than 200 years ago, soldiers of the Continental Army marched across the Pennypack Creek Bridge toward a monumental victory in Yorktown during the Revolutionary War. Saturday, neighbors marched across that very bridge to celebrate its historical marker, an honor that Fred Moore and the community of Holmesburg have worked so hard to achieve.

A celebration was held to commemorate the bridge, built in 1697. A section of Frankford Avenue between Ashburner Street and Solly Avenue was closed for the residents to walk across the bridge led by Scottish bagpiper Don Phillips and the Sons of the American Revolution Color Guard.

Moore, the chairman of the Bridge Celebration Committee and the former president of the Holmesburg Civic Association, unveiled the marker. continue reading »

Set to launch next April, the Mayfair Farmers Market held a preview day Sunday to showcase what’s to come. Photo/Jessica Lopez

The 3500-block of Ryan Avenue in Mayfair was transformed into a small street fair Sunday during a preview of the Mayfair Farmers Market, due to open next spring.

Children waited patiently to get their face painted while adults stopped by the Grey Lodge Pub table to pick up a beer mimosa. Lil Dan’s food truck and White Dragon Philly stayed busy during the lunch hour as people picked through produce from Grateful Acre Farms and Stern Farms.

Organizers estimated a total of 400 people attended the five-hour preview. continue reading »