Senate Finance Committee Approves Philadelphia Relief Legislation
Bill contains key provision eliminating DROP for elected officials

August 25, 2009 – The House bill that would give Philadelphia the authority it needs to repair its budget deficit received the thumbs up Monday from the Senate Finance Committee.

House Bill 1828 includes a key provision preventing elected officials in the future, from participating in the Deferred Retirement Option Program, or DROP.

Senator Farnese pushed to ensure language eliminating DROP for future elected officials became part of the amendment to the legislation.

“It became clear that in order to get this bill passed in a Republican-controlled Senate, the city would need to demonstrate it was taking steps to reduce costs and commit to reforms, so I worked with my colleagues in the Senate to make these changes to DROP,” said the senator.

He expressed his support for DROP reform in his opinion piece, which appeared in the August 9, 2009 edition of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Sen. Farnese is pleased that the city of Philadelphia is a step closer to getting the relief he’s been fighting for.

###