Welcome to the Monday, May 19, 2025, Brew.
By: Lara Bonatesta
Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day:
- Philadelphia voters to decide on three ballot measures, Democratic district attorney primary on May 20
- Join Ballotpedia Society!
- Did you know that the U.S. Supreme Court was composed of six justices when it convened for the first time in 1790?
Philadelphia voters to decide on three ballot measures, Democratic district attorney primary on May 20
As part of Ballotpedia’s ongoing coverage of local ballot measures, this year we are covering those in the 100 largest U.S. cities, state capitals, and throughout California.
Today, we’re taking a look at three proposed amendments to Philadelphia’s Home Rule Charter that voters will decide on May 20. The Philadelphia City Council put all three amendments on the ballot. Fourteen of the 17 members of the City Council are Democrats, two are members of the Working Families Party, and one is a Republican. Mayor Cherelle Parker is a Democrat.
We’ll also examine the May 20 Democratic primary for Philadelphia’s District Attorney. Ballotpedia’s coverage scope for local elections includes those in the 100 largest U.S. cities, as well as mayoral, city council, and district attorney elections in each state capital.
Question 1: Ombudsperson for Office of Homeless Services Amendment
Question 1 would create the Office of Homeless Services Ombudsperson. According to the text of the measure, the office would “assist residents experiencing homelessness, help provide fair access to essential resources, improve quality of life in the shelter system, investigate client complaints, and provide oversight and recommendations to the City’s providers of homeless services.”
According to the legislation that put the measure on the ballot, the mayor would appoint the ombudsperson with the approval of the majority of the City Council.
Question 2: Increase Minimum Spending on Housing Trust Fund Purposes Amendment
Question 2 would “increase the minimum amount that must be appropriated for spending on Housing Trust Fund purposes in the City’s operating budget each year.”
Currently, the city’s charter requires that at least 0.5% of the General Fund appropriations be available each year to spend on the Housing Trust Fund. Voters approved that amendment 70.5%-29.6% in November 2021.
According to the measure’s official statement posted on the city commissioner’s website, the amendment would provide an additional amount of money “equal to the amount of money developers pay the City each year for zoning benefits” to also be spent on the Housing Trust Fund.
City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier (D), who introduced the legislation to put the measure on the ballot, said, “This is about making sure that we’re fully funding the trust fund, and making sure that we’re giving communities what they are owed in terms of affordable housing benefits, particularly as neighborhoods change and as many neighborhoods around the city gentrify.”
According to WHYY, Mayor Cherelle Parker (D) opposes the measure, and according to the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jesse Bunch, budget officials in the mayor’s administration “say the city doesn’t need another fixed cost that could avert funding away from other priorities like public education and violence prevention, and estimate that the decision could cost the city around $25 million over the next five years.”
Question 3: Prison Community Oversight Board and Office Amendment
Question 3 would create an independent Philadelphia Prison Community Oversight Board and an Office of Prison Oversight. The measure would also authorize the City Council to determine the composition of the board and office, as well as their powers and duties.
Currently, the city’s charter states that the Board of Trustees of Philadelphia Prisons adopts “standards and guidelines relating to City correctional institutions.”
According to the measure’s statement, the new board and office would replace the current Board of Trustees of Philadelphia Prisons. The new board would “hold regular public meetings and advise on how to make the City’s prisons operate better and more fairly.” The office would be tasked with supporting the board and “reviewing policies, investigating practices, and recommending changes at the Department of Prisons.”
Ballot measure context
Since 2010, Philadelphia voters have decided on 37 local ballot measures in primary and general elections. Voters have approved 36 measures and defeated one, an approval rate of more than 97%.
Click here to learn more about Philadelphia’s 2025 ballot measures, and click here to learn more about Ballotpedia’s local ballot measure scope.
What else is on the ballot?
Philadelphia is holding elections for city controller, district attorney, and county and multiple judicial offices this year.
The May 20 Democratic primary for Philadelphia’s District Attorney is contested. Incumbent Larry Krasner (D) and Patrick F. Dugan (D) are running.
According to WHYY’s Carmen Russell-Sluchansky, “The contest pits two competing philosophies against each other: Krasner’s commitment to continuing to overhaul a historically punitive system and Dugan’s pledge to restore a sense of safety.” No Republican has filed to run in the general election.
The district attorney of Philadelphia is responsible for charging and prosecuting accused criminals. The office decides what offenses someone will be charged with and can also determine sentencing via plea deals.
Philadelphia is the sixth-largest city in the U.S. Click here to learn more about Philadelphia’s 2025 elections.
Join Ballotpedia Society!
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Did you know that the U.S. Supreme Court was composed of six justices when it convened for the first time in 1790?
While the U.S. Constitution established the U.S. Supreme Court, Article III gives Congress the authority to set the number of justices. The Judiciary Act of 1789 authorized five associate justices and one chief justice.
The number of justices on the country’s highest court has fluctuated over time, ranging from a low of five to a high of 10. The number of justices has been set at nine since the Judiciary Act of 1869.
Ballotpedia provides comprehensive coverage of all cases that reach the Court. The Court has agreed to hear 65 cases during the 2024-2025 term, and it has scheduled 50 of those cases for oral arguments.
Click here to learn more about the U.S. Supreme Court.