County Council
Committee moves forward with legislation to limit county cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.
Residents have told Allegheny County Council that county officers have been turning immigrants over to ICE. On March 2, the public safety committee voted to advance a bill limiting county cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. Three members opposed it, and one warned the county could lose federal funding. Next, the full council could vote as early as March 10.
Written by Amy Whipple
Despite misgivings from almost half of its members, Allegheny County Council’s public safety committee voted in favor of moving forward with legislation to limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.
One sticking point at the March 2 committee meeting was redundancy given the county’s existing policies. “Just because a policy says one thing does not mean that it is set in stone for forever,” argued Bethany Hallam of Ross.
The sheriff, district attorney, executive’s office and county court provided the committee with assurance that they were upholding those policies. However, the public cannot access the content of those assurances, including a statement from the county executive. Council Member Suzanne Filiaggi of Franklin Park said, “We’re making decisions on information that you all don’t know,” acknowledging frustration of lack of transparency.
Residents at recent council meetings have said that uniformed county officers have been detaining immigrants and turning them over to ICE. A Feb. article in PublicSource also revealed a 2025 internal memo that the sheriff’s office had been assisting federal agents, though the office denied the allegation.
The three council members who voted against the legislation expressed disagreement with actions by federal agents, but differed on how council should respond.
Council Member Aaron Adams of Duquesne said legislating the matter could foment distrust among county employees. Filiaggi added that unwanted attention from the federal government could result in losing federal funding that goes toward initiatives such as housing support.
Moving forward, the legislation carries two amendments. One makes explicit that the legislation does not supersede directives from the president judge to county court employees. The second establishes that the purpose and intent behind the legislation is to create a boundary around county expenditures on federal operations.
The legislation goes to a full council vote as early as its March 10 meeting.
Connections to this story
- Elected officials:
- Suzanne FiliaggiBethany Hallam
- Local issues:
- Allegheny County's limits on ICE
- Governments:
- County Council
More surveys
Have your say on more of the stories we’re covering.
County Council
Public comment time cut in half as immigration debate draws crowds.
Seventy people signed up to speak at Allegheny County Council's Feb. 24 meeting. As it began, nine of 15 members voted to cut each speaker's time from three minutes to 90 seconds. Comments were overwhelmingly against county cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. So far, council hasn't said whether it'll do the same on March 10.
Follow the issues:
Allegheny County's limits on ICECity Council
Carnegie Mellon to cover a $200,000 match for safe streets.
Carnegie Mellon has offered to cover a $200,000 match the city lacks for a federal street safety grant. That brings the Safe Streets and Roads for All project to $400,000. Still, a council member wondered whether one large contribution from nonprofits that don't pay city taxes would be more efficient. Council voted to keep moving toward accepting the money.
Follow the issues:
Vision Zero and safer streetsBig donors, public billsCity Council
City Council weighing whether ShotSpotter is worth the cost.
ShotSpotter sensors alert Pittsburgh police to gunfire without waiting for a 911 call. Council is still weighing whether to renew the $1.2 million yearly contract. A city audit found ShotSpotter got police to possible gunfire about five minutes faster than 911 calls. Still, critics say the system leads to over-policing in marginalized areas.
Follow the issues:
ShotSpotter's price tagWestmoreland County
County advances housing safety, treatment programs and major infrastructure funding.
While public comment centered on immigration enforcement, most formal actions taken by commissioners focused on housing, public health and infrastructure investments.
Westmoreland County
ICE agreement sparks packed meeting and legal dispute among commissioners.
More than 80 residents attended the February meeting of the Westmoreland County Board of Commissioners as nearly 20 speakers provided comments. Most of the comments were about Sheriff James Albert’s agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under the federal 287(g) program which allows local police agencies to enforce federal immigration laws.
Westmoreland County
Paper ballot printing agreement approved while residents ask for more ballot drop boxes.
Commissioners approved an agreement to purchase paper ballots to supplement electronic voting at a rate of $0.215 per ballot, plus $0.03 for a window in the outer return envelope. Residents will vote by marking the paper ballots by hand. The ballots will then be scanned and counted in much the same manner as electronic ballots.
Forward Township
Parkway bridge closure will affect commuters for 25 days.
Cline announced that the Interstate 376/Commercial Street Bridge on the Parkway East in Pittsburgh will close for 25 days for construction.
Forward Township
Part-time road crew hire approved without posting the job.
The board voted 2-0 to hire Mark Stewart as a part-time road crew employee, with Levdansky abstaining.
Forward Township
Forward will pay more for police, but locks in two more years of coverage.
Forward approved an increase to its existing police contract with Elizabeth Township during a contentious Feb. 9 meeting that drew a packed audience of residents.
County Council
Hallam reports there are fewer people sleeping outdoors than last year.
Fewer people are living outdoors in Allegheny County than last year, a county council member said. Counting on Feb. 3, she saw no one on a South Side trail where she said 60 to 70 lived last year. She credited coordinated outreach and the Housing First approach. Still, winter shelters are open, she noted, so warmer months may look different.
Follow the issues:
Shelter and outreach for unhoused residentsCounty Council
New legislation will take some of the bite out of rising taxes.
For longtime homeowners in redeveloping areas, rising market values can mean rising tax bills. On Feb. 10, Allegheny County Council passed a program capping eligible owners' tax increases at 35%. Owners qualify after 10 years in their homes, with incomes up to $131,625 for a family of four. However, one council member argued the income limit should be higher.
Follow the issues:
Property reassessment and tax reliefCounty Council
Snow clearing, housing and public safety highlight county executive report.
In her Feb. 10 address to council, Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato reported progress on snow clearing, public safety, and housing. She said homicides fell last year to the lowest level since electronic records began, crediting violence interruption teams. Her Feb. 5 executive order introduced a Housing Investment Fund. Her goal is $50 million to $100 million in public and private money for affordable housing.
Follow the issues:
Paying for affordable housingStopping violence before it startsClearing Pittsburgh's snowCity Council
City to study how to maintain accessibility even after a big snow storm.
Last month's snowstorm left some wheelchair users stuck at home for weeks, a council member said. So she's proposing a citywide inventory of curb cuts, intersections, and transit stops to guide snow clearing. It would also have the city cite owners who don't clear sidewalks. But council held the bill for two weeks to get feedback from city planners.
Follow the issues:
Clearing Pittsburgh's snowCity Council
Bond sales will pay for local infrastructure improvements.
With $645 million in debt already, the city wants to borrow $56 million more for bridges, roads, and buildings. On Feb. 18, council met with financial advisors about the bonds. Still, the city's yearly debt payment would drop to $46 million in 2027, since it's paying off more than it borrows. A final vote is scheduled for next week.
Follow the issues:
Pittsburgh's yearly budget fightsCity Council
Short-term rental regulations move forward after mass shooting at Airbnb on New Year's Day.
About 3,000 Pittsburgh properties are available as short-term rentals, a council member said. Last month, she reintroduced bills to regulate them, including permits for out-of-town owners. Another member said a New Year's Day mass shooting at an Airbnb revived the issue. For now, the zoning bill heads to the Planning Commission, and the permit bill waits at least 12 weeks.
Follow the issues:
Regulating short-term rentalsCity Council
Pittsburgh police have quietly used cell phone surveillance software for seven years.
For seven years, Pittsburgh police have paid for cell phone surveillance software. On Feb. 12, a council member flagged a $2,754 invoice for the software, called CellHawk. She said the administration told her police request data only with a search warrant. So far, the contract doesn't appear to be publicly available.
Follow the issues:
Police surveillance tech under reviewWho's watching city contractsCity Council
City to extend tax break for affordable senior housing.
Three affordable senior high-rises pay the city about $150 a year each instead of property taxes. Now the finance department wants council to extend those agreements for 10 more years. Without them, the tax-exempt buildings would pay nothing, the finance director said. Council advanced the request, though one member worried it lets the department negotiate terms without council oversight.
Follow the issues:
Tax breaks for new housingSchool Board
Philips K-5 to pilot 'walking classroom' program where students learn while moving.
Some Philips K-5 students will learn while walking instead of sitting through lessons. On Jan. 28, the school board authorized a pilot where students walk indoors while listening to a curriculum-based podcast. A nonprofit is providing it at no cost. The district's academic chief said it's considering expanding the program to other schools over the next several years.
Follow the issues:
Walking classrooms at Philips K-5School Board
School board votes 8-0 to reconsider controversial plan to close nine schools after November defeat.
A plan to close nine Pittsburgh Public Schools buildings is back on the table. After rejecting it 6-3 in November, the board voted 8-0 on Jan. 28 to reopen discussion. That version would have meant new schools for about 6,000 of the district's 18,000 students. Still, the board president said the vote wasn't an approval, and public meetings are next.
Follow the issues:
PPS school closuresCity Council
Pittsburgh still $1 million short on unpaid water bills from 2025.
The money set aside for the city's unpaid water bill has come up $1 million short. On Feb. 4, the budget director said only $6 million of the $7 million council approved last year is available. The city still owes the missing $1 million, he said. Next week, council is expected to amend the transfer amount.