Elected official
City Council · District 4
City Council
A proposed unearned income tax could raise $51 million a year for the city. Council members disagree on how to keep the city afloat during a difficult financial period. If passed, Pittsburgh would be the first municipality to enact such a tax. Council sent the bill to a public hearing.
City Council
The Food Justice Program selected 19 projects, spanning all nine council districts, to receive a portion of a $250,000 grant. The grants aim to bolster community organizations that address food insecurity and lack of access to fresh food through production or distribution. Federal funding cuts spur continued interest in investing in local food networks.
City Council
Today, the city can sign some big contracts without a council vote. That's how a $6.5 million deal with ShotSpotter went through last year. On Oct. 21, a bill requiring council approval for such multi-year contracts over $30,000 failed. It advanced, however, after the limit was raised to $1 million.
City Council
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.
City Council
A proposed city tax on amusement devices, such as poker machines and claw machines, would exempt Rivers Casino. It could bring in $2 million to $3 million a year. On May 27, a council member said the city ran a deficit last year and may run another this year. A public hearing hasn't been scheduled yet.
City Council
Stories have been circulating about immigration agents detaining people in Pittsburgh. On April 1, council weighed writing into city code that city workers, including police, won't cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. That proposal faces a final vote next week. Meanwhile, two others would bar leasing or lending city property for enforcement staging, and they're on hold a week for legal review.
City Council
Council members say outreach for Pittsburgh's comprehensive plan has favored some neighborhoods over others. Now a $750,000 grant from The Heinz Endowments means the city won't have to cancel the plan. The mayor's chief of staff shared that concern and said the city plans one meeting per council district. The plan is projected to be done by summer's end.
City Council
Pittsburgh police use license plate software that can track a car's travel history and routes. On March 18, a council member flagged an invoice for it, calling its data-sharing policy possibly too vague. That policy lets the city share data with outside agencies, which the administration told her excludes the federal government. Still, council approved paying the invoice.
City Council
Homeowners may see city property taxes rise 20%, or $161 a year per $100,000 in value. Council voted six to three for the increase, the city's first since 2014. It would mostly cover expected shortfalls in utility costs, overtime pay, and fleet maintenance. Now, the mayor has until Dec. 30 to veto it, and council needs only six votes to override.
City Council
Out-of-state companies can buy city property at auction, and council wants a way to stop that. On Dec. 17, council denied four tax sales to buyers from Florida, Virginia, and Texas. A council member called mass buying by such companies the biggest threat to affordable housing. Bidding has no residency limits, but council can reject any sale for any reason.
City Council
So far, $4 million of $6 million in consulting contracts for the city's comprehensive plan has been spent. Now, council has given preliminary approval to end them, which the bill says would save more than $2 million. However, the Planning Department disputed council's authority, saying termination rests with the mayor. The final vote is set for Dec. 22.
City Council
The city needs $400,000 to cover six months of vehicle repairs it didn't expect. It can't do the repairs in-house because the vehicles are modified for Pittsburgh's narrow roads and terrain. Council has placed the request on its legislative agenda. A fleet manager said expected savings on fuel and fees will cover the cost.
City Council
Street vendors are a step closer to selling on city sidewalks. After a two-week hold, council members added limits, including keeping vendors 150 feet from competing storefront businesses. The bill also allows vending in parks, though specific spots will need a separate public process. Next week, council will take a final vote.
City Council
Small vendors might get to sell on sidewalks and in parking spaces, if they pay the meter. City departments have now proposed looser rules, including a $135 annual permit to sell on private property. Some council members, however, said they didn't want the change to hurt storefront businesses. For now, the bill is on hold in committee for two more weeks.
City Council
Brookline Memorial Park's busy playground has broken equipment, some of it roped off, a council member said. Now, he wants to spend $415,000 in interest savings on playground upgrades and a garbage truck. Still, a 2023 controller's analysis ranked the park near the bottom of the priority list. Another council member said her district needs playground upgrades too.
City Council
To replace its older, high-mileage vehicles, the city would need about $22 million a year, according to its fleet manager. An Oct. 15 report, the first of its kind, found police, EMS, and trash vehicles are the most overused. The fleet manager recommended speeding up their replacement. Council's budget director suggested a dedicated fleet fund, but council didn't plan any immediate action.
City Council
An effort to require affordable units in large new or renovated developments has stalled again. Council voted 5-4 for an amendment that would instead offer developers tax breaks and faster approvals to include them voluntarily. That sent the bill back to the Planning Commission, which has 90 days to review it. After that, council has 120 days to hold a public hearing before its vote.
City Council
Snow removal is a long-standing frustration across the city. On Oct. 8, a council member proposed exploring a services swap so Munhall could help plow three harder-to-serve neighborhoods. Another member said the plan threatened the jobs of union workers who plow city streets. In the end, a majority voted against advancing it.
City Council
Landlords increasingly ask for a housing history, and some reject applicants with gaps or past shelter addresses, a city official said. The city's human relations commission wants to make housing status a protected status in city code. However, two council members worried about an undue burden on landlords and the city. The final vote is set for Sept. 30.
City Council
Employers often require a driver's license, even for jobs that don't involve driving. Now, a council member has proposed reviving a workforce program dormant for six years. She said its unused $300,000 could fund a pilot helping people in workforce programs get or reinstate licenses. The plan would also create a driver's ed program, which could include commercial license courses.