The resolution authorizing the hearings was introduced by Councilwoman Katherine Gilmore Richardson, the majority leader, on behalf of Council President Kenyatta Johnson. It calls for hearings to "examine the operations and policies of the Philadelphia Sheriff's Office and restore public confidence in the office by providing recommendations to improve transparency, accountability, efficiency, and public safety."

The move follows a series of revelations about the office's handling of sheriff sales. Last month, Common Pleas Judge Paula Patrick threatened to hold the sheriff's office in contempt after three hearings examining how the office auctions foreclosed and tax-delinquent properties. Her ruling is pending. Under Bilal, who took office in 2020, some bidders have waited a year or longer to receive deeds after auctions, and a Bilal aide told Patrick in September that an internal audit had found $20 million in undisbursed sales proceeds, including delinquent taxes and utility revenue that should have gone back to taxpayers.

Council President Johnson had previously declined to commit to public hearings when asked by reporters last month. But in a statement after Thursday's resolution passed, he said: "The people of Philadelphia deserve to know that taxpayer dollars are properly accounted for, that real estate transactions are handled in a timely and transparent manner, and that our courtrooms are safe." He added that "when questions arise about missing or delayed payments, unfulfilled agreements, staffing shortages, and the overall operations of a public office, City Council has a responsibility to examine what is happening and determine what needs to change."

Bilal did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The resolution does not specifically mention sheriff sales but calls for a "comprehensive analysis of current operations." It also notes that, according to Philadelphia judges, the sheriff's office has "failed to provide for a safe environment in the courts and caused delays and postponements of criminal proceedings during critical moments in trials." Bilal was hit with two court orders in 2024 and 2025 following reports of a threefold increase in courthouse security incidents on her watch. Judges at the time described it as an "emergency situation" and a "disaster waiting to happen."

Deputy staffing dropped in the aftermath of the pandemic, dipping to a low of 264 in 2024 from 338 in 2019. Bilal has consistently sought double-digit budget increases from City Council to plug these gaps but has struggled to explain why more than one hundred budgeted positions have sat unfilled. She has pointed to barriers posed by civil-service hiring rules, lengthy training timelines for sworn officers, and a distant sheriff's academy. Council has refused the requests for multimillion-dollar funding increases. Despite this, hiring began to tick up starting in late 2024, and the office now employs nearly as many deputies as before Bilal took office, payroll records show.

Even so, Thursday's resolution notes that the sheriff's office "claims it lacks the personnel to properly staff courtrooms and common areas inside city court facilities, yet it has many positions budgeted for but unfulfilled each year, including 62 vacancies as of June 2026." Meanwhile, Bilal doubled the number of employees who are not bound by civil-service hiring rules, hiring dozens of "Sheriff Sale Service Representatives" to address deed processing that had slowed to a glacial pace.

During the public comment section of Thursday's meeting, Andrew McGinley, a vice president at the Philadelphia good-government group Committee of Seventy, thanked Johnson for calling for hearings and offered his group's assistance. "As I think all of you know, we have done extensive research on this topic, detailing 40 years of mismanagement in that office," McGinley said. Wanda Walker, a community advocate, defended Bilal, saying "if you didn't find the money in her mattress, in her house, or in her bank account, she's not stealing money." She added that Bilal "is the person that's helping us save generational wealth, slowing down the gentrification, teaching people how to stay in their homes, and helping us fight."

Johnson said Bilal would be required to testify in person at the hearings. Court officials and other stakeholders are also expected to appear. He said the goal was to "develop recommendations for meaningful operational improvements."