Christy's Priorities
Throughout her career as a public servant, Christy Brady brought people together to solve tough problems and delivered results for the citizens of Philadelphia. Now, Christy is running to be Philadelphia’s next City Controller – to move our city forward and tackle our biggest challenges. With first hand knowledge of the capabilities and resources of the office, Christy will immediately implement the steps necessary to achieve her vision. Safer neighborhoods, economic opportunity, and educational excellence can all be realized while improving government efficiencies and increasing revenues.
Christy will lead audits, financial analysis, and investigations that can improve the safety of our neighborhoods and the education of our children while having a positive economic impact on the citizens and city finances.
THE UNDERGROUND ECONOMY
The underground economy in construction and development creates dangers to workers, residents, and first responders. The process starts when unscrupulous developers misclassify workers as independent contractors while paying them cash under the table. They often work in unsafe conditions without mandated safety equipment. In addition, they are frequently not properly trained causing them to use hazardous building techniques that may result in structurally unsound finished products putting residents at risk and placing first responders in danger when they are called to emergencies. Beyond the serious safety issues, when workers are paid without proper reporting, and required permits are not obtained, the city loses tax and license fee revenue. Christy will investigate the city’s enforcement of code violations, and the use of unlicensed tradesmen to recover the millions of dollars of unpaid license and permit fees as well as lost payroll and city wage taxes related to these unsafe practices.
THE GUN VIOLENCE CRISIS
The gun violence crisis in Philadelphia subjected thousands of people to the pain and trauma of claiming an unprecedented number of lives. Along with the increase of lives taken, increased gun violence rates also reduce property values, economic opportunity, and educational performance in neighborhoods where violence is highest. Christy will audit the city’s Anti-Violence Community Expansion Grant Program to examine the city’s oversight, administration and selection of the organizations receiving grant funds and determine whether the funds are being properly and effectively spent on services related to anti-violence interventions.
THE OPIOID & DRUG CRISIS
The opioid and drug crisis in Philadelphia is creating challenges disproportionately for disadvantaged communities throughout the city. Neighborhoods with higher levels of opioid abuse feel the negative impact on economic opportunity and educational performance. Christy will follow-up on the audit of the HealthChoices Fund administered by the city’s Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services (DBHIDS) to determine whether DBHIDS implemented the Controller’s Office recommendations regarding the lack of oversight of the administration of mental health and addiction treatment services.