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102 issues
Last updated October 5, 2026
Property reassessment and tax relief
The coming countywide reassessment and tax breaks for longtime homeowners.
Last updated October 5, 2026
The county pension shortfall
The $1.5 billion gap in the county employees' pension fund.
Last updated October 2, 2026
Shelter and outreach for unhoused residents
Shelters, tiny house communities, street outreach, and counts of people without housing.
Last updated September 25, 2026
Fixing streets, steps, and walls
Paving, city steps, retaining walls, streetlights, and the coordination behind them.
Last updated September 25, 2026
Police surveillance tech under review
License plate readers, phone tracking software, and cameras, plus the push to disclose and limit them.
Last updated September 25, 2026
Use it or lose it: unspent public money
Pandemic aid, block grants, and dormant capital funds the city has to spend before they expire or disappear.
Last updated September 25, 2026
Who gets a say in neighborhood development
Rezonings, transit-oriented plans, and the rules for community meetings on development.
Last updated September 17, 2026
AI in campaign ads
A disclosure rule for campaign materials made with generative AI.
Last updated September 17, 2026
Inside the Allegheny County Jail
Deaths, leadership, pay, protections, and oversight at the county jail.
Last updated September 11, 2026
Caring for vacant lots and greenways
Programs that let residents adopt, garden, and protect vacant lots and hillsides.
Last updated September 11, 2026
Red light cameras come to Pittsburgh
The rollout of automated red light enforcement at city intersections.
Last updated September 5, 2026
Clearing Pittsburgh's snow
Plows, contractors, sidewalks, and the money to keep streets passable in winter.
Last updated September 5, 2026
The NFL Draft comes to Pittsburgh
Preparing for, policing, and paying for the 2026 NFL Draft.
Last updated September 3, 2026
Climate action
City and county steps toward clean energy and climate goals.
Last updated September 3, 2026
Data centers on county land
A proposed ban on data centers on county-owned property.
Last updated September 3, 2026
Tenants versus problem landlords
Unsafe apartments, retaliation protections, and government takeovers of neglected buildings.
Last updated July 31, 2026
After school at city rec centers
Funding and staffing for afterschool programs in city rec centers, including Glen Hazel's fight to keep Burgwin open for kids.
Last updated July 31, 2026
Bikes and bike lanes
Bike share expansion and the rules that keep bike lanes clear.
Last updated July 31, 2026
Fixing up city parks
Playgrounds, pools, ballfields, restrooms, and grant-funded park projects.
Last updated July 31, 2026
Where the Stop the Violence money goes
How the city's Stop the Violence Fund is spent, who gets it, and the push to use it for other needs.
345 stories
City Council
A $20.1 million financing plan would bring in 13 new fire trucks.
The $20 million donation from Highmark Health will cover purchasing 13 new fire trucks. Because the donation will be split over five years, the Equipment Leasing Authority requested council’s approval to enter into a financing agreement for the trucks. Buying them all at one time allows for a price discount, though the city will have to pay a little more than $2 million in interest on the financing.Survey
Council has agreed to buy all 13 fire trucks now and pay for them over five years with Highmark's gift. What should the city report back on as the trucks arrive? Pick up to three.
City Council
New zoning code’s affordable housing bonus program would get regular progress reports.
Council may track how developers use the affordable housing bonus available in the new zoning code. Proposed legislation would require the Department of City Planning to send a semiannual report to council. The department will also issue any recommendations for changes to the program in two years.Survey
What should the city's twice-yearly reports on the affordable housing bonus show?
City Council
A 2% tax on unearned income could raise $51 million a year.
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.Survey
If Pittsburgh adopts a 2% tax on investment income, what should the money go to first?
County Council
Paid sick leave rules reach businesses with fewer than 15 employees for the first time.
Council also amended its 2021 Paid Sick Leave Act. Employers with 15 or more employees must provide one hour of paid sick time off for every 30 hours worked for up to 72 paid hours per year. Employers with fewer than 15 employees are required to provide the same with a cap at 48 paid hours per year.Survey
Should the county offer financial help to small businesses to cover the cost of paid sick time?
County Council
43 of 49 speakers urged support for paid parental leave.
Forty-nine people spoke during public comment with 43 being in favor of paid leave. Many cited the need for birth mothers to physically heal and for both parents to bond with the baby. Some of those who spoke in favor recalled painful experiences during and after childbirth. Opponents cited financial concerns for small businesses.Survey
Do you support the county's new rule requiring businesses with 15 or more employees to offer 12 weeks of paid parental leave?
County Council
County becomes first in the country to require 12 weeks of paid parental leave.
Allegheny County Council voted 11-4 in favor of implementing paid parental leave. All businesses with 15 or more employees must provide 12 weeks’ paid parental leave following the birth, adoption, foster care placement or stillbirth of a child. Businesses have 180 days to implement the policy with a potential 180-day extension to account for differences in fiscal calendars.Survey
What should the county track and share publicly to show how paid parental leave affects local businesses? Select all that apply.
City Council
Side yard sales could return after a year on hold.
Pittsburgh may reinstate side yard sales. The program allows residents to purchase abandoned lots adjacent to their homes at a reduced rate. Lot prices will increase to $1,500. An online calculator will show the total cost, which includes fees such as the deed transfer tax, which is based on the land’s assessed value.Survey
The price of a side yard lot should depend on the lot’s size or value.
City Council
Nineteen food justice projects chosen to split a $250,000 grant.
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.Survey
What is the biggest barrier to getting fresh food in your neighborhood?
City Council
Proposed budget schedule aims to avoid a New Year with no budget.
Pittsburgh City Council is considering a plan to codify a Dec. 20 deadline for passing the annual budget. The date gives the mayor 10 days to act with a one-day cushion for council to override a veto or for the budget to automatically become law if it remained unreturned. No one knows what happens if the budget isn’t passed by Dec. 31.Survey
Which of these makes it easier for you to weigh in on the city budget?
City Council
The $6.5 million ShotSpotter contract sparks a fix for a purchasing loophole.
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.Survey
Council should be notified when the city signs a contract through another government’s agreement, even if council does not have to approve it.
City Council
Vibrant Pgh’s $50,000 membership gets a second chance.
Young college graduates leave Pittsburgh for more diverse cities, a council member said. In a 5-4 vote on Oct. 21, council reversed course and advanced renewing the city's $50,000 yearly Vibrant Pgh membership. Last month, the committee had recommended against it. The council president said a diverse workforce is vital to the city's success.Survey
Which one of these should the city focus on to attract and keep workers?
City Council
The long-running zoning rewrite moves to the finish line.
New developments in Pittsburgh still have to meet parking requirements. On Oct. 21, council agreed to move forward with a zoning package that would drop them. It would also ease building backyard houses and basement or attic suites, and let developers build higher with affordable units. Council is expected to cast its final vote next week.Survey
If new buildings have fewer parking spaces, which steps should the city take on your street?
City Council
First phase of the permitting overhaul is held at the administration’s request.
Early this year, the mayor ordered a review of the city's permitting process to make it more predictable and efficient. On Oct. 14, council held the first step at the administration's request. That bill fixes typos, simplifies height rules, and removes outdated sections of the zoning code. The council member who relayed the request didn't say why the administration wanted the hold.Survey
If you’ve applied for a city permit in the past few years, what was the biggest problem?
City Council
Proposed bills would offer council budget training and put quarterly finance sessions into law.
Last November, council learned of $13 million in unaccounted-for city water bills. In April, it heard the city had pulled $10 million from two trust funds for general expenses. On Oct. 13, two council members introduced five finance reform bills to end such surprises. One would train members to read a budget, and another would put quarterly finance meetings into law.Survey
Which changes would most improve your trust in how the city manages money?
City Council
Residents petition for a hearing to replace a missing workplace safety marker in Market Square.
City code requires council to hold a public hearing on replacing a missing Market Square marker about workplace accidents. On Oct. 13, council received a petition from 26 residents asking for that hearing. According to the marker's text, the research it honored led to workers' compensation laws. The hearing isn't scheduled yet, and it doesn't guarantee the marker will be replaced.Survey
What makes it easier for you to take part in a public hearing?
City Council
A half mile of trees illegally cut down along the Ohio Riverfront Trail leads to a two-year tree study.
About a half mile of trees along the Ohio Riverfront Trail were cut down without permission. A city arborist said a neighboring property owner did it and dumped much of the wood into the river. On Oct. 7, council advanced paying for an independent tree count there. The city forester said that's needed to seek restitution.Survey
What should the city do first to protect trees on public land?
City Council
$340 million in contracts for 96 vendors moves forward without department details.
The city wants 96 vendors on call through $340 million in service contracts. On Oct. 7, council advanced them, though they don't say which departments will use them or why. A budget staffer said she could provide those details, and a final vote is set for Oct. 13. However, extra details sent to council typically don't make the public record.Survey
Before council approves a contract, details on which departments will use it and why should be part of the public record.
City Council
A new review system might help the city weigh past performance before renewing a contract.
Right now, the city has no uniform way to weigh poor vendor work before renewing a contract. For example, a council member said one contractor installed the wrong door at the Oliver Bath House. Council advanced a no-cost agreement with a nonprofit to help build a review system for city vendors. A budget official said clear performance criteria would tell vendors what's expected.Survey
It should be standard practice to perform performance reviewsof vendorsproviding services to the city before additional contracts are approved.
County Council
Council asks to sit in on the court fight over its $1.5 billion-short pension fund 🔗.
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.Survey
Which approaches should the county consider to close the pension shortfall?
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.Survey
Which concerns about the coming reassessment matter most to you?