For immediate release: Thursday, March 26, 2020

Contact: Jolene Nieves Byzon, 215-300-1071

Philadelphia, PA – City Controller Rebecca Rhynhart released the following statement regarding the Controller’s Office and COVID-19 in Philadelphia. The statement is as follows:

“This is a challenging time for Philadelphia, our country and the world. We’re in the midst of a global pandemic. The City is rightfully focused on the health, well-being and safety of Philadelphia’s residents. While frontline City workers are risking their health to serve the public, other offices are contributing to the City’s operations in whatever way they can. The Controller’s Office continues to work – our essential staff is auditing and approving citywide payroll for employees and expenditures. Our team is conducting time-sensitive audit work and our investigations unit continues to operate the office’s fraud hotline (215-686-3804) and online reporting form to monitor any potential wrongdoing or fraud across Philadelphia.

And importantly, we’re looking at the impact COVID-19 is going to have on Philadelphia’s fiscal health. We’ve begun to work on budget and revenue stress test scenarios, to assess the potential impact on the City’s municipal pension funds, and to monitor the federal stimulus response to ensure the City is taking full advantage of the resources available to it.

It’s an uncertain time, but the Controller’s Office is committed to working for the people of our city through short term essential operations and by analyzing the impact of COVID-19 on the City’s finances. We hope this crisis is resolved quickly and with as few lives and livelihoods lost as possible. But, I want you to know the Controller’s Office is focused on doing our part to make the City stronger on the other side of COVID-19.

Stay safe and take care of yourself.”