Recent Publication:
Leaders inside and outside of City Hall have been steadfastly searching for solutions to Philadelphia’s recent dramatic uptick in violent crime. On Tuesday, Mayor Jim Kenney signed an executive order banning firearms and other deadly weapons from the city’s recreation centers. The action comes weeks after the fatal shooting of Mill Creek Recreation Center employee Tiffany Fletcher and is intended to address the nearly 300 incidents of gun violence that have occurred at recreation centers across the city since 2019. The order is expected to face legal challenges at the state level.
Bringing experience across public service, public affairs, political campaigns, and education policy, Joe leads the firm’s government relations and public advocacy efforts in Philadelphia and southeastern Pennsylvania. He also plays a key role in the firm’s broader executive and legislative branch advocacy and policy monitoring efforts throughout the Commonwealth.
Joe recently returned to the firm after serving as statewide political director and deputy campaign manager for Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf’s highly successful reelection bid. Prior to joining Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies, Joe served as deputy political director for the Hillary for America campaign in Pennsylvania, where he managed and leveraged the campaign's relationships with elected officials, business leaders, and labor organizations throughout the state. Before this role, he served as the director of public participation for the 2016 Democratic National Convention Committee (DNCC), leading the public engagement program with various state and local stakeholders in the Philadelphia area.
Joe previously served in a number of roles in the office of U.S. Senator Robert P. Casey, Jr., which included advising the senator on issues before the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee (HELP). During this time, Joe worked on higher education policy, as well as the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) that became law in December 2015.
Prior to serving on Capitol Hill, Joe was a Teach for America corps member in Wilmington, Del., where he taught middle school social studies and science, leading his students to significant growth on statewide assessments. Before becoming an educator, Joe served as chairman of the Philadelphia Youth Commission and testified before the House Budget Committee on higher education policy.
Joe holds a B.A. from Georgetown University where he served as an elected member of student government. He currently lives in Philadelphia where he was born and raised.
News
September 26, 2022
City & State Pennsylvania recognized Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies as one of the Top 50 firms based on 2021 revenues in the state, coming in at number two.
April 10, 2022
Joe Hill was quoted in the National Journal discussing Pennsylvania's front-runner for the Democratic nomination for Senate, John Fetterman.
January 04, 2020
Joseph Hill was quoted in a Philadelphia magazine article discussing the personalities and issues that are poised to have a dramatic impact on Philly politics and potentially turn Pennsylvania blue in arguably the most consequential presidential election in modern history in November 2020.
September 25, 2019
Cozen O'Connor Public Strategies hosted client, The Reform Alliance at the State Capitol, meeting with Pennsylvania Senate, House Leadership and Lt. Governor to advocate for probation reform.
January 07, 2019
Hill Returns After Helping Run Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf’s Decisive Reelection Bid
Publications
September 29, 2022
Leaders inside and outside of City Hall have been steadfastly searching for solutions to Philadelphia’s recent dramatic uptick in violent crime. On Tuesday, Mayor Jim Kenney signed an executive order banning firearms and other deadly weapons from the city’s recreation centers. The action comes weeks after the fatal shooting of Mill Creek Recreation Center employee Tiffany Fletcher and is intended to address the nearly 300 incidents of gun violence that have occurred at recreation centers across the city since 2019. The order is expected to face legal challenges at the state level.
September 23, 2022
Jim Engler, the Chief of Staff to Mayor Jim Kenney, has announced that he will be resigning at the end of the month to accept a position as Executive Director of the Office of the President and Chief of Staff at Delaware-based health care provider ChristianaCare. He will be replaced by First Deputy Chief of Staff Christina Pastrana Hernandez. Engler has worked with Mayor Kenney since 2015 and is leaving 15 months before the end of the mayor’s term.
September 21, 2022
Throughout the country, large municipalities are laboratories of democracy. New and innovative policies introduced in one market are often exported to others, and ultimately replicated at the state and federal level. This newsletter highlights emerging local policy and regulatory discussions that impact industries, businesses, and organizations across the nation.
September 15, 2022
This morning, City Council will be reconvening with 13 members following the resignation of four members over the past month. On Friday, City Council President Darrell Clarke announced that special elections would be held in November to fill the City Council seats in Districts Seven and Nine, which had been held by Maria Quiñones-Sánchez and Cherelle Parker, respectively. The former councilmembers recently stepped down in order to officially launch their respective mayoral campaigns. While former At-Large Councilmembers Allan Domb and Derek Green also recently resigned — the former to explore a potential mayoral run and the latter to launch his mayoral campaign — there are currently no plans for special elections to fill these vacancies.
September 01, 2022
After several months in quarantine, some of the Philadelphia Zoo’s most famous feathered residents — including penguins, flamingos, hornbills, and emus — have finally returned to their outdoor exhibits. The Philadelphia Zoo has been keeping its birds in quarantine to protect them from, and prevent the spread of, a particularly virulent outbreak of avian flu that has impacted birds across the country.
August 25, 2022
Last week, the Community College of Philadelphia (CCP) officially opened its groundbreaking Career and Advanced Technology Center at 48th and Market Streets. The new building will host several of CCP’s short-term certificate and associate’s degree programs in fields such as advanced manufacturing, health care, and transportation technology. The CCP intends for the center to serve as a resource for Philadelphia’s small business community.
August 18, 2022
On Monday, City Councilmember Allan Domb announced that he is resigning, citing his intent to evaluate a 2023 mayoral run. In an interview with The Philadelphia Inquirer, the councilmember said that he is weighing a run because Philadelphia is a “city in crisis” in need of a “champion.” Councilmember Domb is the first of potentially many city elected officials to step down due to the resign-to-run rule in Philadelphia’s city charter. Domb made a name for himself as Philadelphia’s “condo king” before serving two terms as an at-large councilmember.
August 11, 2022
After weeks of occupying the lawn of the University City Townhomes complex, the encampment protesting the impending sale of the property was evacuated by law enforcement officials on Monday in accordance with a court order. The majority of residents and activists demonstrated peacefully, with only one protester being issued a citation.
August 04, 2022
While no one has officially thrown their hat in the ring for Philadelphia’s upcoming election for its milestone 100th mayor, teams are beginning to coalesce around suspected mayoral candidates. The race is expected to garner much attention throughout the region and attract campaign veterans and high-profile campaign operatives from Philadelphia and beyond.
July 28, 2022
Data company Placer.ai, which works frequently with organizations like the Center City District, recently released a white paper detailing trends in population movement. They found that while Philadelphia’s population decreased during the first year and a half of the pandemic, it has since begun to increase again, and at a faster rate than other comparable cities. Notably, many millennials are choosing to relocate from New York to Philadelphia, as well as from surrounding suburbs. The study was conducted using cell phone location data.
July 21, 2022
Approximately one in seven municipal jobs in Philadelphia are currently vacant — from librarians and social workers to police and corrections officers — causing severe service interruptions for people across the city. This stems largely from the relatively large turnover over the course of the pandemic. While there has been a national increase in municipal governments’ hiring rate over the past year, Philadelphia’s has not kept pace with the number of resignations and retirements.
July 14, 2022
Giraffe Encounter, the Philadelphia Zoo’s newest exhibit that opened last Thursday, allows the public to get up close and personal with its three resident giraffes. For an additional $6, or $5 for members, guests are able to feed the giraffes acacia browse, the same plant the long-necked animals eat in the wild.
July 08, 2022
On Monday evening, two police officers were shot near the Philadelphia Museum of Art as the annual Wawa Welcome America Party on the Parkway — the first since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic — drew to a close. Both officers were treated at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and have since been released. The search for the shooter is ongoing, and any motive remains unknown.
July 01, 2022
In 2023, the city of Philadelphia will elect its 100th mayor. Because of the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter’s resign-to-run rule — which requires that any city employee or officer who intends to run for office resign their position prior to announcing his or her candidacy — if every one of the rumored candidates decides to run for mayor, there could be as many as five vacancies on City Council, which could lead to significant changes in City Hall even sooner than the historic election.
June 23, 2022
Today is City Council’s last voting session before summer recess begins. The legislative body is expected to pass a budget that will invest additional money into public safety and quality-of-life programs. City Council will also vote to lower the net profits portion of the Business Income and Receipts Tax (BIRT) and the Wage Tax. For more information, read the Public Strategies team’s policy alert.
June 16, 2022
te last night, Philadelphia City Council passed a budget deal out of committee that invested additional money into public safety and quality-of-life programs. They also voted to lower the net profits portion of the Business Income and Receipts Tax (BIRT) and the Wage Tax. For more information, read the comprehensive analysis below.
June 13, 2022
With budget negotiations ongoing, there is still significant disagreement on how the city should handle generating revenue moving forward, with some criticizing the city’s historic reliance on the wage tax as stymying economic growth while others asking if taxpayers should get a reprieve after properties were reassessed for the first time in three years. Others are pushing for a wealth tax and increased real estate tax allocations to the School District. However, with strong divisions between members of City Council and activists, a significant change for the upcoming fiscal year would be challenging.
June 02, 2022
The United Way is hosting free legal clinics that will help eligible Philadelphians expunge their records of certain offenses; this could help open up employment and educational opportunities. Pennsylvania’s clean slate law allows for convictions to be cleared after 10 years and non-convictions after 60 days. However, the process requires legal assistance that can be costly. The clinics will be hosted in different locations across Philadelphia.
May 26, 2022
Council President Darrell Clarke and Mayor Jim Kenney presented a new bill to address “prison gerrymandering” — when incarcerated people are counted in their prison’s district for the purposes of legislative districting. The Clarke and Kenney proposal would reapportion the inmates into their last address, with each district netting between 500 and 1,000 residents. In this plan, district lines do not need to be redrawn. If the proposal passes council, it will go to voters for final approval in 2023.
May 19, 2022
Despite infighting between progressive and establishment Democrats, incumbents were largely victorious in Tuesday’s Democratic primary for State House and Senate seats. Progressive incumbents secured commanding victories, despite not receiving the Philadelphia Democratic Party endorsement. To review a detailed analysis of election results across the Commonwealth, read Pennsylvania's Public Strategies Team’s alert.
May 05, 2022
On Tuesday, the Kenney administration announced the value of the average residential property increased 31 percent. Non-residential real estate increased 9 percent. It is clear that the administration and City Council have some disagreements over how to offset this drastic tax increase on residents and how to spend the additional revenue.
April 28, 2022
Councilmember Helen Gym introduced a bill last week that would require businesses with 50 or more employees to establish a commuter benefit program for employees’ public transit and bike commuter costs. Payment would come from pretax income and could save participants an average of $200 a year in federal income tax.
April 21, 2022
Philadelphia elected officials are pushing to extend oversight of the city’s budget by the Pennsylvania Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority (PICA) to at least 2047, a bipartisan effort joining politicians in the state capitol and city hall. After poor finances nearly led to a municipal bankruptcy in the 1990s, state officials created PICA — which has members appointed by the governor — to approve the city’s long-term financial plans. Current PICA oversight will expire next year, and some local unions oppose an extension, arguing it prevents them from getting more favorable contracts.
April 15, 2022
Two weeks ago, Mayor Jim Kenney released his proposed 2022-2023 budget, which totals $5.6 billion in spending.
April 07, 2022
Facing low recruitment numbers, the city is in talks with budget officials and the police to offer bonuses of up to $10,000 for people who serve at least one year after completing training. The program would be triggered when the Police Department has 5 percent fewer officers than included in the city’s budget.
April 05, 2022
Joe Hill, Joe Bright, and Brianna Westbrooks discuss Councilmember Brooks' proposed tax on certain intangible property, including direct holdings in stocks and bonds, at 0.4 percent.
March 31, 2022
Today, Mayor Kenney will outline his vision for the upcoming fiscal year’s budget, which will officially kick off budget season. His proposal does not include tax increases, but it assumes real estate tax revenue will increase 4.5 percent due to new property assessments. If the reassessments increase by more than the projected 4.5 percent, the administration has committed to working with City Council to provide relief to property owners. The mayor’s budget would only spend $335 million of the $1.4 billion from the American Rescue Plan this year. City Council will host hearings over the next few months and must approve a budget before their summer recess. Mayor Kenney must sign the approved budget before July 1.
March 28, 2022
On March 3, 2022, Council amended Philadelphia’s Public Health Emergency Leave Ordinance and created a specific COVID-19 sick leave protection.
March 24, 2022
On Tuesday, Mayor Kenney appointed Anne K. Nadol to lead the Commerce Department. She has been an executive at Temple University for more than 20 years.
March 17, 2022
Councilmember Helen Gym is proposing a bill that would require all Philadelphia public schools to install modern water filters wherever school water can be tapped by 2025. The push comes after reports emerged that some schools have water with levels of lead far higher than the legal limit.
March 10, 2022
Philadelphia City Council voted last week to pass a paid COVID-19 sick leave requirement for companies with more than 25 employees. Although the bill passed 12-4, there was extensive debate amongst councilmembers about the impact this legislation could have on small businesses. Once signed, this ordinance will be in effect until the end of 2023.
March 03, 2022
Yesterday, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health announced that the indoor mask mandate ended. Two weeks ago, the city established benchmarks that would determine COVID-19 safety restrictions, and conditions have been met that allow mandated masking indoors to cease. However, if the spread of COVID-19 rises, restrictions can be mandated again.
February 17, 2022
For the third time in two years, a proposal for emergency paid sick leave for those affected by COVID-19 is moving out of a City Council committee. The latest proposal, authored by Councilmember Kendra Brooks, is similar to laws passed in 2020 and 2021. Brooks said that the recent spike in local COVID-19 cases from the Omicron variant shows the continued importance of encouraging people to stay home and recover from infection.
February 10, 2022
At a press conference, Mayor Kenney and Councilmember Gilmore-Richardson announced the appointment of 17 Philadelphians to the Environmental Justice Advisory Commission, which was created in 2019 by then-Councilmember Reynolds Brown. The commission will be responsible for examining and proposing changes to city policy that impact environmental justice. At the same time, Councilmember Gym introduced a bill, which would “protect communities against the adverse health effects caused by pollution.”
February 03, 2022
Ward leaders in the 6th Council district selected State Representative Mike Driscoll to run in the special election to replace former Councilmember Henon. Council President Clarke has not yet selected a date for the special election.
January 27, 2022
A new district map for City Council was introduced by President Darrell Clarke, which makes some small adjustments to districts based on population changes.
January 20, 2022
Due to city vaccine requirements, one will no longer be able to enter a restaurant for indoor dining with only a negative COVID-19 test.
January 13, 2022
Twenty-two percent of city employees are not in compliance with the vaccine mandate going into effect on Friday, according to local officials.
January 06, 2022
As Philadelphia continued to grapple with the pandemic, both City Council and the Kenney administration implemented policies and ordinances that will impact several industries.
December 16, 2021
Monday morning, Mayor Kenney and other top-ranking officials announced that beginning January 3, 2022, establishments that sell foods and/or drinks for consumption on-site will have to enforce a phased vaccine mandate.
December 09, 2021
On Tuesday, the Committee on Law and Government unanimously approved a measure that would allow Philadelphia voters to decide if the Zoning Board of Adjustment’s composition and procedures should change
December 08, 2021
Joe Hill and Brianna Westbrooks discuss Council President Clarke’s proposal to alter the composition and processes of the Zoning Board of Adjustments.
December 02, 2021
Al Schmidt, the lone Republican City Commissioner and the target of direct attacks from former President Trump during the 2020 election, said that he will resign from his position in January to become president and CEO of the Committee of Seventy, a good-government group based in Philadelphia.
November 18, 2021
A plan intended to protect the ability of low and moderate-income Philadelphians to live in their neighborhoods despite increases in property values took one step forward this week.
November 11, 2021
A City Council committee advanced legislation to make some “streeteries” a permanent part of the city’s dining and zoning landscape.
November 04, 2021
Philadelphia’s new public buildings may soon be held to a higher environmental standard than before.
October 28, 2021
Sponsored by the Philadelphia Energy Association, U.S. Department of Energy, and PECO, city leaders unveiled a new solar lab at Frankford High School. The lab is designed to train students on the skills required for jobs in solar and clean energy.
October 21, 2021
City Council passed Councilmember Isaiah Thomas’s driving equality bill with a 14-2 vote, which will prohibit Philadelphia police from stopping vehicles for certain low-level driving code infractions.
October 14, 2021
With a historic surge in gun violence continuing through the start of the fall, City Council is now aiming to take proactive measures to reduce the risk of gun violence.
September 30, 2021
After nearly 10 years on the job, Philadelphia School District Superintendent William Hite said he will step down from his position when his contract expires in August 2022.
September 23, 2021
On Friday, Council President Darrell Clarke introduced legislation that would borrow nearly half a billion dollars in an effort to increase affordable housing and improve the quality of life for low-income Philadelphians.
September 09, 2021
Although City Council was planning on returning to in-person meetings later in September, Council President Clarke announced that City Council will continue to meet virtually due to the spread of the Delta variant. Its first fall legislative session is on Friday, September 17.
August 12, 2021
As the Delta variant continues to spread, governments and businesses across the country are considering changing their COVID-19 protocols.
July 29, 2021
Philadelphia’s elected officials continue to spar over the city’s gun violence epidemic, resulting in dueling press conferences and high tensions.
July 15, 2021
Philadelphia’s eviction diversion and rental assistance programs will stay in effect until at least August 31, thanks to a favorable ruling by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. The city reports that over 35,000 have applied for rent relief, and that the city is on track to distribute $37 million in aid by September 1.
July 01, 2021
Philadelphia’s latest budget goes into effect today, containing $5.2 billion in spending and a host of programs designed to curb Philadelphia’s increasing gun violence rates.
June 25, 2021
Joseph Hill & Brianna Westbrooks discuss Councilmembers Quiñones Sánchez and Gauthier's legislation that would institute mandatory inclusionary zoning in select areas of the city.
June 24, 2021
Philadelphia City Council is slated to give final approval to the city’s $5.2 billion budget today, capping a marathon of negotiations on a variety of different issues and funding streams.
June 18, 2021
On June 17, Philadelphia City Council approved amendments to the budget that Mayor Kenney initially presented in April.
June 18, 2021
After extensive debate and negotiations, City Council approved an amended version of Mayor Kenney’s budget proposal late last night.
June 10, 2021
City Council and Mayor Kenney are still working towards reaching a consensus around tax policy and key city investments. Changes to the wage tax, business and receipts tax, and the parking tax are still being debated.
June 03, 2021
Members of City Council will review two proposals to incentivize vaccines citywide. The first proposal would give residents a $50 credit to use on Philadelphia Gas Works and Water Department bills, and the other would create $50 vouchers that can be used “in a manner to be determined by the City.” Both proposals would be capped at 100,000 vouchers.
May 27, 2021
New legislation proposed by Councilmembers Maria Quiñones-Sánchez and Jamie Gauthier is taking aim at how the city requires developers to support affordable housing.
May 20, 2021
On Thursday, City Council passed legislation that authorized $400 million in bonds to finance the Neighborhood Preservation Initiative (NPI).
May 13, 2021
On Tuesday, the Kenney administration announced that it would be lifting pandemic related restrictions on businesses. Restaurants, offices, casinos, museums, and other indoor venues will have increased capacity limits beginning May 21.
May 06, 2021
On Monday, budget season officially began as City Council asked questions of the Kenney administration. Gun violence, racial equity, proposed tax reductions, and economic recovery were the main topics councilmembers raised during their questioning.
April 29, 2021
On Thursday, City Council introduced a resolution to form a special committee that would create and recommend strategies to ensure equity and inclusion in city infrastructure projects.
April 22, 2021
News and intelligence for professionals on the front lines of policy in the city and suburbs of Philadelphia.
April 21, 2021
Joseph Hill and Brianna Westbrooks discuss Mayor Kenny's budget proposal.
April 13, 2021
Joseph Hill & Brianna Westbrooks discuss three bills introduced to City Council that lower certain business taxes in an effort to spur economic recovery.
February 17, 2021
Joseph Hill, Michael Henlon, and Brianna Westbrooks discuss legislation introduced in Philadelphia City Council that would significantly expand required paid sick leave for individuals at companies with more than 50 employees.
November 02, 2020
Joe Hill was quoted in an Associate Press article discussing Joe Biden’s campaign efforts to appeal to Black supporters to vote in-person during a pandemic that has disproportionally affected their communities, betting that a strong turnout will boost his chances in states that could decide the election.