Ahmad files a new charter resolution for a Child Welfare Commission after missing the Nov. 3 ballot
Resolution 260943 has 11 sponsors. Her earlier ballot bill, which named the Nov. 3 election, was on Thursday's agenda again and did not move.
At-large Councilmember Nina Ahmad introduced a new resolution Thursday that would amend the Home Rule Charter to create a Philadelphia Child Welfare Commission. Resolution 260943 proposes the charter change "and providing for the submission of the proposed amendment to the electors of Philadelphia," according to its title in our record of the Oct. 29 session.
The step matters because the effort missed this year's ballot. Next Tuesday's Nov. 3 election has two charter questions, and this isn't one of them. A new resolution is a sign that Ahmad is trying again for a later election.
What the commission would be
When Ahmad introduced the idea in February, PhillyVoice reported that the commission would have 15 members, including six parents, caregivers or adults who went through the child welfare system, plus a youth ombudsperson, a School District representative, mayoral appointees from health departments, and experts in child welfare law or research. It would meet quarterly in public and publish an annual report. Ahmad said a similar board under former Mayor Jim Kenney lapsed after he left office, PhillyVoice reported.
Putting it in the charter, the city's constitution, would make it harder for a future administration to drop it.
What our records add
- The earlier bill is stuck. Bill 260076, the ordinance that would set the election for the question, names "the election to be held November 3, 2026" in its text. Council passed it June 4 and reconsidered it Sept. 17. It was listed on Thursday's agenda and is still "In Council – Second Reading" in our records. It has been back on that calendar for 43 days. Our earlier story.
- Not on the ballot. The city's official list of Nov. 3 ballot questions covers small-business contracting and Creative Philadelphia. Our explainer on Question 1 and on Creative Philadelphia.
- Sponsors. Our record lists 11 sponsors for the new resolution: Ahmad, Anthony Phillips, Cindy Bass, Curtis Jones Jr., Jamie Gauthier, Jim Harrity, Kendra Brooks, Mark Squilla, Mike Driscoll, Nicolas O'Rourke and Quetcy Lozada. That is 11 of Council's 17 members. Isaiah Thomas, who co-sponsored Bill 260076, is not listed on the new resolution in our record.
- The text isn't posted yet. Our record of 260943 has no attached document so far, so we can't yet say which election it names or whether the commission's makeup changed. We'll update the matter page when it is posted.
Why the date matters
A charter question has to name a specific election, and the bill that sets it must pass before the city prepares ballots. Because Bill 260076 still names Nov. 3, 2026, Council would need to amend it or pass a new ordinance to send the question to voters later. The next citywide election is the May 2027 primary. Our records don't say why the bill was reconsidered in September, and we found no reporting that explains it.
What's next
The new resolution goes through Council's usual process, which can include a committee hearing. Ahmad's other recent resolution, 260944, which would create a task force on the Academy of Natural Sciences, was placed on the final passage calendar. Our story. Council's next stated meeting is Nov. 12.