Overview
- Mayor Cherelle Parker, who delivered a 75‑minute appeal Wednesday, pressed City Council to back a $1‑per‑ride charge on Uber and Lyft to boost school funding.
- Following Tuesday's heated budget hearing, several councilmembers linked support for the fee to changes in the district's facilities plan and warned they could condition funding, with a Council vote expected next month.
- Uber, which urged riders via a push alert Tuesday to "Stop the $1 tax," says the law requires any surcharge to be collected from passengers, and Lyft argues the charge would raise costs for low‑income riders.
- City officials estimate the fee would bring in about $48–54 million a year to help preserve roughly 340 school‑based jobs as the district faces a $300 million gap, and principals warn losing climate staff would cut early breakfast coverage and daily support for students.
- Philadelphia already collects a 1.4% rideshare excise for the Parking Authority that sends a share to schools, and the debate unfolds as the school board prepares a Thursday vote on closing 17 schools and modernizing 169 under a long‑planned facilities overhaul.