U. officials decry city's request for more funds

University administrators this week opposed city officals' suggestion that the University pay additional money to the city for fire, transit and other services. Because it is a non-profit organization, the University is tax exempt, and therefore does not support public services with tax revenues from activities related to its educational mission. But some city officials have argued that the University uses city services, such as fire, police and transportation, and said that it should contribute more toward funding them. Last week Philadelphia Finance Director Betsy Reveal said that the city would approach the University and other universities in the city to ask them to contribute additional funds. "It is an idea whose time has come," Reveal said. The University does pay the city in the form of payroll taxes, and property tax for buildings not used for educational purposes. Senior Vice President Marna Whittington said yesterday that the University opposes having to pay the city for services because budget constraints necessitate that any money paid to the city would have to come out of school programs. She said that the University provides many of its own services, such as police protection, garbage collection and street cleaning, adding that members of the surrounding community benefit from these services as well. While the University is willing to talk with the city if it does request money, Whittington said, it is not anxious to pay large amounts of money. "We are not in the business of giving our resources away," she said. She also said that the University provides millions of dollars in health care to residents of the city. "For them to ask us for a cash contribution is not something we would treat sympathetically," Whittington said. Paul Cribbins, the University's director for city and commonwealth relations, said this week that the University has not been approached by the city yet with any requests for money. Reveal said that Philadelphia officials are not looking at University contributions as a budget-balancing measure for the coming year, since the fiscal 1991 budget hearings are already underway. She said they will approach the University shortly after the budget is determined. Assistant to the President William Epstein said yesterday that the University's non-monetary contributions to the city easily make up for the fact that it is not taxable. Epstein pointed out that the University contributes to the welfare of the surrounding community and the city at large, brings tens of thousands of visitors to the city every year, and also brings a millions of dollars of research funding to the city. Whittington said that the University has not talked to other universities in the city about the possibility of being approached.

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