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City Council Tries to Go Green by Giving Bid Preferences to Eco-Friendly Contractors

Official:Providing for the submission to the qualified electors of the City of Philadelphia of an amendment to the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter authorizing City Council to provide, by ordinance, for bid preferences in the awarding of public contracts, for businesses whose products, services or operations demonstrate a high level of environmental performance.

Sponsor: Councilmember Reynolds Brown

Introduced: September 18, 2008

: Committee on Law and Government

city charter environment procurement

No one voted on this bill

This bill was introduced in the 2008–2011 Council term and when that term ran out. The public record shows no committee vote and no floor vote at any stage, so no member of Council ever went on record for or against it.

That is not unusual here. Of the 8,465 bills introduced between 2000 and 2025, 1,624 lapsed without a single recorded vote. Ninety percent of bills that became law carry a roll call. Three percent of lapsed bills do. How this works.

Plain-Language Summary

This bill asks Philadelphia voters to approve a change to the city charter that would allow City Council to give preference in public contracts to companies with strong environmental records.

What This Bill Does

AI-written. Every figure is checked against the bill text.

Submits an amendment to the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter to City voters for approval.
Authorizes City Council to give bid preferences in public contracts to companies with high environmental performance through ordinances.
Places a ballot question on the May 19, 2009 election asking voters to approve the amendment.
Requires the Clerk of Council to print and distribute a pamphlet to voters explaining the proposed amendment and the ballot question.