County Council
Council asks to sit in on the court fight over its $1.5 billion-short pension fund đź”—.
Allegheny County's employee pension fund is nearly $1.5 billion short. A Sept. 3 court opinion said the governor and state lawmakers will likely need to give the county more funding tools. Then on Sept. 22, county council voted to ask the court to let its lawyer join the case as a neutral party. Next, the court will hold a hearing on that request.
Written by Amy Whipple
The governor and the general assembly are now on deck to potentially intervene to right the county employees’ sinking pension fund.
During the Sept. 22 meeting, council approved filing a request to allow its solicitor, Frederick Frank, to represent council as a neutral third party in Commonwealth v. Retirement Board of Allegheny County and Allegheny County. The case will likely determine the next steps for filling the nearly $1.5 billion hole in the pension fund.Â
“There is absolutely no doubt that it will require a substantial number of years to bring the retirement fund back to actuarial soundness,” says an opinion issued by the Allegheny Court of Common Pleas on Sept. 3. “It will likely be necessary for the General Assembly and the governor to intervene and give the County additional mechanisms to fund its employees’ retirements.”
Council President Michelle Naccarati-Chapkis of Plum said council’s responsibility for passing the annual budget and issuing bonds necessitates a seat at the table.
“We see no value in putting the council in the position of having to rely upon secondhand information,” she said. “We therefore want to make sure that our solicitor…is able to participate directly in the court’s hearings and is copied on all notices, filings, orders and opinions.”Â
According to Frank, there will be a hearing for the court to decide on council’s request.
Connections to this story
- Elected officials:
- Michelle Naccarati-Chapkis
- Local issues:
- The county pension shortfall
- Governments:
- County Council
- Public meetings:
- County Council · September 22, 2026
More surveys
Have your say on more of the stories we’re covering.
County Council
Door-to-door reassessment could cost $50 million and bring a wave of appeals.
Allegheny County hasn't reassessed property values since 2012. In August, a judge ordered the county to start reassessing by July 2027 and finish by 2032. On Sept. 14, a council committee heard the door-to-door work could cost $50 million and bring a wave of appeals. For now, it's holding a bill for regular reassessments until other lawsuits end.
Follow the issues:
Property reassessment and tax reliefCounty Council
EMS providers get a faster path to $1 million in opioid settlement relief.
Opioid settlement money set aside for emergency medical services providers has sat unspent since last December. On Sept. 22, county council approved changes that widen how the $1 million can be used and simplify applications. Payments can begin as soon as the county executive signs the legislation. So far, the county has spent almost half of its overall opioid settlement funds.
Follow the issues:
County funding for mental health and addictionCity Council
City closes North Side space that provided drop-in support for unhoused residents.
North Side unhoused residents have lost a drop-in spot that helped with housing and paperwork. The ROOTS drop-in location closed for good on Oct. 2 after the city didn't renew its lease. The mayor's proposed 2027 budget adds money for ROOTS staff but none for rent. For now, council can approve a new lease only if the administration presents one.
Follow the issues:
Shelter and outreach for unhoused residentsPittsburgh's yearly budget fightsCity Council
A will of council urges county lawmakers to require paid parental leave.
A county proposal would make businesses with 15 or more eligible employees give new parents at least 12 weeks of paid leave. Now that the Board of Health has unanimously recommended it, county council will decide. On Sept. 29, a city council member introduced a measure urging county council and the state to act. County council next meets Oct. 6.
Follow the issues:
Paid leave for workersCity Council
Speakers warn that surveillance technology threatens civil rights.
Council is studying how governments use surveillance tools, including the city's license plate readers and police cameras. On Sept. 21, speakers warned that surveillance technology can threaten civil rights. An Austin council member said his city struggled to regulate it and canceled its license plate reader contracts. A Carnegie Mellon expert said the city's report felt incomplete because it skips independent agencies like the schools.
Follow the issues:
Police surveillance tech under reviewCity Council
Golden Horizons would bring a 55+ community with pickleball to Banksville.
Banksville's Marian Manor, a care facility for almost 70 years, closed in 2024 after continual financial losses. Now, council is set to rezone the 26-acre site for a housing community for people 55 and older. The plan includes 124 townhomes, a community center, pickleball courts, and a pool. Last month, the Planning Commission recommended the rezoning after two hearings.
Follow the issues:
Who gets a say in neighborhood developmentCity Council
Paving becomes the quickest way to use up unspent pandemic aid.
More of Pittsburgh's leftover pandemic aid is headed to street paving. On Sept. 23, council advanced moving $346,683 from streetlight and mobile toilet projects to paving. If it isn't spent by the end of 2026, a budget official said, it'll likely go back to the federal government. She said shifting unspent money to paving is the only quick way to get it out the door.
Follow the issues:
Use it or lose it: unspent public moneyFixing streets, steps, and wallsCity Council
Controller audit reveals city-owned properties break code rules but face no fines.
The city isn't subject to fines for code violations on property it owns. On Sept. 15, council took up a controller's audit that found 4,330 code investigations of city-owned properties from 2021 through 2023. An audit official said there's no cohesive process for dealing with them. He said that sends taxpayer money toward notices that just end up in a bin.
Follow the issues:
Managing the city property portfolioCity Council
Council pauses a $50,000 Vibrant Pittsburgh membership renewal to ask what it delivers.
Since 2023, the city has paid $50,000 a year for a Vibrant Pittsburgh membership. On Sept. 16, three council members questioned the cost and asked how well it works. A city finance official said she didn't have that information, and council held the renewal for one week. One member suggested the administration list all city memberships and training services.
Follow the issues:
Oversight on Pittsburgh's annual membershipsWho's watching city contractsCounty Council
Campaign materials built with generative AI could need a clear disclosure starting next year.
AI-made material is getting harder to tell from reality, a proposed county law says. On Sept. 8, county council introduced the bill, which would require disclosures on AI-made campaign materials for county office. Skipping one could bring a fine of up to $300, a 30-day jail sentence, or both. If passed, it would take effect Jan. 1, 2027.
Follow the issues:
AI in campaign adsCounty Council
Proposal would soften a 2021 ban on shackling incarcerated individuals during medical care.
Medical emergencies at the Allegheny County Jail are climbing, and the jail is short on staff. On Sept. 8, three county council members proposed letting sheriff's deputies use leg shackles during medical transport and care. That would soften a 2021 ban on shackling people held at the jail. For now, the proposal sits with council's public safety committee.
Follow the issues:
Inside the Allegheny County JailCity Council
Love Your Block returns after a two-year pause with $20,000 for 17 neighborhood groups.
Neighborhood groups can again get paid back for projects that fight blight or create art. On Sept. 9, council advanced $20,000 for 17 groups through Love Your Block, which is back after a two-year pause. Still, two council districts got no money, one because no groups applied. A city official said his office is helping groups prepare for next year.
Follow the issues:
Caring for vacant lots and greenwaysCity Council
Verra Mobility’s red light cameras land on a list of 37 surveillance tools up for review.
As Pittsburgh readies more red light cameras, council wants to know more about their surveillance abilities. The city's transportation director said the cameras capture only license plates. He said the city owns the data and destroys it within 30 days after a case ends. On Sept. 9, council also advanced a bill letting drivers pay tickets online and request hearings by phone or internet.
Follow the issues:
Red light cameras come to PittsburghPolice surveillance tech under reviewCity Council
Permit change aims to end no parking signs that linger for weeks with no work.
Many no parking signs go up with no construction in sight. On Aug. 31, a city transportation official told council a 2025 permit process replaced a one-size-fits-all approach to no parking. She also said aging pipes can break from paving vibrations, so newly repaved streets sometimes get dug up again. Still, she said better coordinating street closures would take more staff.
Follow the issues:
Fixing streets, steps, and wallsCity Council
Projected year-end deficit grows to $30.2 million as revenues fall short.
Pittsburgh's finances slipped further in the second quarter. On Sept. 1, a budget official told council the projected year-end deficit has grown to $30.2 million from $24.4 million. Finance staff said the NFL Draft likely cost the city at least $1 million. Still, the budget official was more hesitant than in June to say the outlook would improve.
Follow the issues:
A deficit with State control on the horizonThe NFL Draft comes to PittsburghCity Council
Nearly $60,000 would buy a dozen trailers for snow and lawn crews.
A South Side council member said his district looks like a jungle this year, largely because crews lack trailers. On Sept. 2, council agreed to move forward with buying 12 new landscaping trailers for nearly $60,000. Crews have only two now to haul lawn and snow equipment. The acting fleet manager said a dozen is the minimum to work efficiently.
Follow the issues:
Pittsburgh's broken-down vehicle fleetClearing Pittsburgh's snowCounty Council
Proposed ban would keep data centers off county-owned property.
Most Allegheny County Council members don't want data centers on county-owned land. Legislation introduced Aug. 25 would ban them there, as members cite worries about soaring water and electricity use. However, it would cover only county property, since state law leaves zoning to municipalities. For now, the proposal sits with council's sustainability committee.
Follow the issues:
Data centers on county landCounty Council
Reports of deplorable apartments prompt a Sept. 24 hearing on senior housing.
Residents keep reporting unsafe, even deplorable, conditions in some of Allegheny County's federally assisted housing for seniors and disabled people. Now, a county council member has called for a public hearing on Sept. 24. He said county council can't fix it alone, and it will take city, county, state, and federal resources. Written testimony will be accepted through Oct. 1.
Follow the issues:
Tenants versus problem landlordsCounty Council
County banks $100,000 by switching to digital paystubs, part of a zero-carbon goal.
Allegheny County employees no longer get paper paystubs, and the switch saved $100,000 in the past year. On July 15, the sustainability director told a council committee it's part of the county's zero-carbon goal. Her other priorities include more efficient county buildings, park trees, greener employee commutes, and sustainable purchasing. Still, she said the work will need upfront funding.
Follow the issues:
Climate actionCity Council
Closing a bike lane loophole could also destroy the case for parking on sidewalks.
City rules let drivers park in bike lanes and other banned spots if it protects people and the vehicle. On July 29, council agreed to move forward with a bill dropping vehicle safety as an exception. That could also take away a justification drivers use to park on sidewalks. However, council remained conflicted about sidewalk parking.