An Open Letter from Mayor Cherelle L. Parker to Philadelphians

Posted by City of Philadelphia on January 9, 2024

Dear fellow Philadelphians,

On Tuesday, I swore an oath as Philadelphia’s 100th Mayor and the first woman to hold the office in 341 years. I did so with humility, with respect for the 99 who came before me, and with a solemn promise: we will make Philadelphia the safest, cleanest, and greenest big city in the nation with economic opportunity for everyone.

One Philly, a United City. 

Philadelphia is an incredible city. We have world-class educational institutions and healthcare facilities—our “Eds and Meds.” We have a thriving downtown, an amazing and diverse food and restaurant scene, world-renowned museums, and great arts and culture. We have wonderfully vibrant neighborhoods that are the lifeblood of our city. These are all strengths we will build on in the years ahead.

We face real challenges as well—in public safety, stubbornly high poverty, quality-of-life concerns, housing availability, burdens on local businesses, and shortcomings in our educational system.

These challenges now fall on my administration, and I look forward to addressing them. Even as we continue our unprecedented transition process, with hundreds of our neighbors producing fresh ideas to make Philadelphia better, I want to give every citizen my own Action Plan and share my vision for a Safer, Cleaner, Greener Philadelphia, with economic opportunity for all.

Read the full letter and review Mayor Parker’s full 100-Day Action Plan.