Mayor Nutter just departed for Harrisburg, saying he hopes that budget relief legislation will be passed today, in time to halt the 3,000 layoff notices set to go out to city workers tomorrow.
"Today must be the day when this issue comes to a close," Nutter said.
Nutter said he hopes the state Senate will today pass House Bill 1828, which would allow the city to raise the sales tax temporarily and delay some payments into the pension fund. "We go to Harrisburg with a sense of hope and certainly optimism," he said.
Without state action, layoff notices will go out tomorrow, Nutter stressed."Unfortunately these are not tactics, it's responsible leadership," he said.
Nutter has recorded a video message to city workers, expressing his frustration with the budget situation and his hope that even if layoff notices go out, they won't be finalized. In it, he also asks that workers continue coming to work after they receive layoff notices.
That message will be aired on the government access channel (64) today at 10 a.m., noon and 7 p.m.