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 Phillip’s Record

2022-2023

As City Council President during 2022, Phillip was proud to lead the City Council in achieving the following:

  • Hiring of our new City Clerk and Clerk of Committees

  • Codification of our Public Input Policy

  • Streamlining of our budget process

  • Completion of an independent review of the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for the proposed Aries gasification plant

As Chair of the Finance and Salaries Committee, Phillip has worked closely with Mayor O’Connell, the Chief Financial Officer, and the entire Finance Team to bring the City’s financial standing to the next level by:

  • Instituting new and improved budgetary controls and formalized financial policies

  • Finding new revenue sources and increasing our investment earnings

  • Adopting a first-time 5-year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP)

As a result of these and many other accomplishments, the City received a bond rating upgrade to AA+: the second highest rating a municipality can receive and a first in our history. This upgraded bond rating will allow the City to save millions from lower interest rates on projects that involve borrowing such as the new Public Safety Facility.

Our improved financial standing has also allowed us to nearly triple the amount of money we invest in our roads and sidewalks annually. The CIP has strategically allocated funding to make numerous improvements to City buildings and public parks and playgrounds, as well as purchase new state-of-the-art equipment for our public safety and other City departments.

Phillip also has several projects that are currently in progress that he hopes to continue in his next term:

  • Establishment of a municipal composting site for yard waste and food waste to address rising solid waste disposal costs

  • Installation of several solar array projects to generate additional revenue for the City and minimize utility costs

  • Updating and finalizing our Housing Production Plan for adoption by the City Council to identify concrete ways to address the housing issues in our community

2020-2021

  • Advocating for more information and research about the public health and environmental impacts of the proposed Aries gasification facility

  • Proposing a resolution to condemn the U.S. Capitol attack on January 6th

  • Advocating for an equitable rollout of the marijuana industry

  • Standing up for the decision-making authority and autonomy of the City Council in marijuana-related litigation

  • Voting for a fee waiver for the Union Block housing project to rehabilitate the upper floors of our downtown

  • Supporting market-rate and affordable housing projects throughout our community

  • Voting for the maximum shift in the tax rate away from residential to minimize the tax burden on residents

  • Voting for the BRAVE Act local option that provides a property tax exemption for Gold Star families

  • Voting for the PACE program which will help businesses and multi-family homeowners pay for energy efficiency and renewable energy improvements

  • Leading the effort as the Golf Course Liaison to procure a new management company for the John F. Parker Municipal Golf Course

  • Voting for the creation of a Public Safety Facility Capital Stabilization Fund using 50% of retail marijuana excise tax to fund a new public safety facility and improvements to existing facilities

  • Voting for the establishment of an Elections Department to modernize the City’s election processes by moving from a bifurcated system that splits election-related responsibilities between the City Clerk and the Registrar of Voters offices to a more efficient system that consolidates these responsibilities under a single office