Philadelphia City Council
The 1951 Home Rule Charter established Council as the legislative arm of Philadelphia municipal government, consisting of seventeen members. Ten Councilmembers are elected by district and seven from the City-at-large. Each is elected for a term of four years with no limitations as to the number of terms that may be served. Under the rules of Council, regular public sessions of Council are held weekly, usually on Thursday morning at 10:00 AM., in Room 400, City Hall.

The functions of City Council influence a wide range of public affairs in Philadelphia and directly impact the quality of life for its citizenry.

Organization of the Council
On the first Monday of January following its election, the Council elects a President from among its members and a Chief Clerk who is the secretary of the Council, and not a member.  The Council also adopts rules providing for a finance committee and other committees, defining the duties of its President and of its Chief Clerk and employees, and otherwise providing for its own organization.

The Committee System
Most of the Council's legislative work is done in committee. It is there that proposed legislation is initially debated and the members of other government branches and the public are given a chance to comment.  Council committee hearings are held in the Council Chambers (Rm 400) in City Hall. Meetings of the entire Council, referred to as Stated Meetings, are held on Thursdays in City Hall. A weekly schedule of Council hearings is available online and in the Chief Clerk’s Office in City Hall.

Legislative Process
Every proposed ordinance is in the form of a bill introduced by a Council member. Before a bill can be enacted, it must be referred by the president of the council to an appropriate standing committee, considered at a public hearing and public meeting, reported out by the committee, printed as reported by the committee, distributed to the members of the council, and made available to the public. Passage of a bill requires the favorable vote of a majority of all members. A bill becomes law upon the approval of the mayor. If the mayor vetoes a bill, the council may override the veto by a two-thirds vote. An ordinance embodies the legislative action of City Council. Section 2-200 of the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter ("Charter") generally requires "every legislative act of the Council" to be done by ordinance.

However, the Council also approves certain matters by resolution (e.g., honorary resolutions; resolutions providing for investigative hearings; resolutions adopting rules and changes to the rules; resolutions approving redevelopment contracts and other matters which by statute may be approved by resolution. As a general rule, there are no Charter or statutory requirements for the adoption of resolutions, so only the Rules of Council apply. Unlike an ordinance, a resolution need not be referred to a committee, no public hearing need be held, only a majority of those voting is needed for passage, and the approval of the Mayor is not necessary. The Rules of Council require that resolutions, after being introduced, be placed on the final passage calendar for the next session of Council or referred by the President to an appropriate committee. Resolutions making or confirming appointments are typically referred to committee for a hearing on the qualifications of the person being appointed. Similarly, resolutions proposing amendments to the Home Rule Charter are referred to committee for a hearing, and those resolutions also require the vote of two-thirds of all Council members (12 votes). A resolution that is reported from committee is placed on the final passage calendar for consideration at the next session of Council.

Budget
The budget is the centerpiece of policymaking in government. Through the budget, the Council establishes priorities, allocates resources and sets the policy agenda for the year. It is the single most important municipal document that affects the lives of Philadelphians. While the Mayor proposes the city's spending priorities for the upcoming year, the Council has final budget approval powers. 

The chart below depicts City Council’s internal budget.  This budget accounts for approximately 184 staff from 17 Council offices and the Council President’s office.