‘Pothole squad,’ trash incineration debated at Philly City Hall Tuesday

During a busy day of hearings for the Philadelphia City Council, members debated whether the city should continue trash incineration, as well as a proposed new initiative for its pothole repair strategy.

The key issues will have the chance to modified when the city passes its next fiscal year budget, which must be done before the next fiscal year starts on July 1, 2026.

Trash incineration

Protesters packed City Hall on Tuesday to voice their frustration with a portion Philadelphia’s trash being incinerated in Chester.

The protesters said that incineration pollutes the air at an unacceptable level.

Councilmember Jamie Gauthier told NBC10’s Lauren Mayk has proposed a bill that would prohibit the city from using contractors who incinerate trash or recycling. She also told NBC10 that it would cost $6 million more for the city to send all of its trash to landfills.

“Six million dollars is not a lot to pay for clean air and clean health for both Philadelphia and Chester,” she said, referring to one of the surrounding cities that is impacted by trash incineration.

“Philadelphia cannot make itself cleaner and greener and safer on the backs of other vulnerable communities. It’s not okay for us to do that,” she added.

Carlton Williams, the director of Philadelphia’s Office of Clean and Green Initiatives, said that the city will take environmental factors into consideration as they negotiate a new trash disposal contract, but would not share specifics on how much of the city’s trash is incinerated or the cost.

The agreement with the city’s current trash disposal contractors ends on June 30, but Williams said that the current contract could be extended if a long-term deal is not reached in time.

‘Pothole squad’

After a tumultuous winter on Philly’s roadways, Streets Commissioner Kristin Del Rossi proposed a new initiative on Tuesday that would help maintain the city’s arteries.

Named the “One Philly Pothole Squad,” the group would consist of around two dozen new hires who will be paid for with a 25-cent retail delivery tax.

Their goal, Del Rossi said, would be to maintain roads as they wait to be paved.

“While we’re paving the roads the miles that we’ll be paving and into the next, the pothole squad will be in addition to that to help maintain,” she said.

In Philadelphia’s last quarterly report, they found they filled 72% of potholes reported in three days, which is below their goal of 90%.

The “pothole squad” is part of Mayor Cherelle Parker’s overall $6.9 billion budget proposal for fiscal year 2027. Learn more about it here.

Potholes are a common complaint in the City of Brotherly Love, and the city is now considering using a “pothole squad” to improve street safety. NBC10’s Lauren Mayk has the story.