City Council
Voters may decide on budget process and public notice requirements.
The city charter requires public hearing notices in a newspaper, but the Post-Gazette plans to stop publishing in May. On Jan. 13, council's president proposed May ballot questions to allow online notices and change the budget process. However, the Trib announced Jan. 14 that it will resume a weekend print edition in May. Both proposals go to public hearings Jan. 27.
Written by Amy Whipple
Council President R. Daniel Lavelle of the Upper Hill District introduced two possible referendums to be placed on the May primary election ballot during council’s first meeting of 2026.
The first would amend the Home Rule Charter to change the budget approval process to create a safeguard against mayor inaction.
Lavelle said at the Jan. 13 general meeting if the mayor neither signs nor vetoes council’s budget submission by the end of the year, the budget process must restart. The amendment would allow council’s budget to go into effect at the beginning of the year by default if the mayor doesn’t act on council’s submission within the allotted 10 days.
The second referendum would change public hearing notice requirements. Public hearings must be held for legislation involving budgets, land use control and tax increases, among others.
The home rule charter states that notices for public hearings must be published in a general circulation newspaper. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s announcement that it will cease publication in May would make that requirement impossible. The amendment would allow the city’s official website and digital news publications of general circulation to take the place of a newspaper.
However, the Trib announced on Jan. 14 that it will resume a weekend print edition in May.
That announcement came after council’s committee meeting; it does not meet again until Jan. 21.
Both referendums are scheduled for public hearings on Jan. 27.
Connections to this story
- Elected officials:
- R. Daniel Lavelle
- Local issues:
- Changing the city charter at the ballot box
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- City Council
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- City Council · January 13, 2026
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