City Council
City renews tools that let residents tinker with the budget.
A city website lets residents set budget priorities and see what their taxes pay for. On May 11, council advanced a $13,000 request to extend the tool, Balancing Act, by a year. A city official said how much residents use it depends on promotion. Meanwhile, the acting budget director said the city is building its own version to save money.
Written by Amy Whipple
The city’s budget website, in which residents can set their own priorities and see how they are reflected in the city budget, may survive the current budget crisis.
Council voted to move forward with a request for $13,000 to extend a contract with Balancing Act by one year. The online tool educates and engages residents on budget priorities. One feature produces a tax receipt that breaks down, as low as cents, what users paid for with their income and property taxes. The platform also allows users to add and subtract expenditures from the preliminary operating and capital budgets and submit their results to the city.
“They’re very cool tools. I’ve explored all of them,” said Council Member Erika Strassburger of Squirrel Hill North during the May 11 committee meeting. She noted, however, that even $13,000 needs to be scrutinized during tight financial times.
David Hutchinson, assistant director for capital and asset management, said resident use depends on promotion. He said they’ll likely be featured in upcoming public budget meetings
Rea Price, the acting director of the Office of Management and Budget, said the city is creating an in-house version of the platform to save money.
Council also voted to move forward with a request for $286,740 to cover a three-year extension with Euna Solutions, Inc. The company provides the city’s budgeting and performance management system.
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- City Council · May 12, 2026
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