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  • City Council

    Vehicle repair bills on track to reach $5.3 million this year.

    City outreach workers could soon get a wheelchair van to help residents with disabilities. Council moved forward with the request on July 1. Meanwhile, unexpected repairs to the city's aging fleet are on track to cost almost $5.3 million this year, against $3.9 million budgeted. The acting fleet manager said new vehicles should help bring those costs down.

    Survey

    The city should add more accessible vehicles, like the wheelchair van for OCHS, to better reach residents with disabilities.

  • City Council

    After running Glen Hazel’s youth programs for free, volunteers say they can’t continue.

    Council is weighing whether the Stop the Violence fund should pay for youth programs at Glen Hazel's Burgwin Recreation Center. Until recently, volunteers ran afterschool and summer programs there, but that's no longer sustainable. Some council members were uneasy using the fund without following its guidelines. For now, council has held the request for two weeks.

    Survey

    How should the city's Stop the Violence fund be used?

  • City Council

    A projected $24 million shortfall in 2026 could leave one year before state financial control.

    City income from permits, licenses, and investment interest is already falling short this year. The acting budget director said the 2026 deficit could top $24 million. If so, the city would have one more year to turn things around before falling under state financial control. Still, she said the city will have a better picture in about a month.

    Survey

    Which one decisive action would most increase your confidence that the city can avoid state control of its budget?

  • City Council

    With ARPA aid gone, 2025 closed with a $44.6 million deficit.

    Pittsburgh is spending the last of its American Rescue Plan Act aid, which the controller said masked the city's spending problems. On June 24, she reported a $44.6 million operating deficit for 2025, the first year since 2020 without that aid. The city pulled $33.8 million from rainy-day savings to cover it. Still, state law limits how the city can raise revenue.

    Survey

    Which approach should the city take to balance its budget?

  • City Council

    A $1 million Mellon grant could turn Learn and Earn into a year-round program.

    Learn and Earn, the city's youth jobs program, has run only in summers. A $1 million Richard King Mellon Foundation grant will fund a year-round pilot starting this fall. Younger teens would get work exposure, and 18- to 23-year-olds would get hands-on job training. On June 24, council advanced using the Stop the Violence fund for the required $1 million match.

    Survey

    What do you most hope young people gain from a year-round work program? Select up to three.

  • County Council

    $5 million in unspent bond interest will help buy a long-leased medical examiner’s building.

    Allegheny County has about $7.5 million in unassigned interest from its capital bonds. On June 4, the budget director asked council to put $5 million of it toward buying the medical examiner's Strip District building. The county has rented that building for 20 years. Council approved the purchase on June 9, and the county manager said owning it will save money each year.

    Survey

    Which capital projects should the county prioritize when it has unallocated bond interest?

  • County Council

    November ballot questions could expand county lawmakers’ budget and benefits.

    Allegheny County Council members pay into the pension fund but can't draw one. On June 9, a council committee voted to move forward with two charter amendments for the November ballot. One would add pensions, health and life insurance, and staffed district offices, while the other would lift council's budget cap. A final vote is set for council's June 23 meeting.

    Survey

    Which of the following do you think are reasonable for county lawmakers to receive?

  • City Council

    Street outreach program looks at an $800,000 boost to reach more homeless residents.

    ROOTS, a city outreach team, connects homeless residents with shelters and medical and mental health care. On June 17, council advanced an $800,000, one-year county contract to expand it. Currently, it runs weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. with 16 staff. The money would add 10 staff and extend hours to 11 p.m. on weeknights, plus some weekend daytime coverage.

    Survey

    If you saw someone on the street who seemed to need help, like medical care or a place to stay, would you know how to reach an outreach team like ROOTS instead of calling the police?

  • City Council

    Nine people hurt in the Fern Hollow Bridge collapse may share $445,000.

    The Fern Hollow Bridge had been federally listed in poor condition since 2011 before it collapsed in January 2022. Now, nine people who sued the city over the collapse may share $445,000 in settlements. Resolutions to approve the payments, from $40,000 to $90,000 each, were introduced in council June 16. A preliminary vote is scheduled for next week's committee meeting.

    Survey

    The city should put more money toward fixing aging bridges and roads before they fail, even if that means fewer dollars for new projects.

  • City Council

    Road scans save money on projects, but using the data costs $1,300 a month.

    After paying nearly $770,000 to have its streets photographed and measured, the city still relies on the company to host the data. On June 17, council agreed to move forward with a three-year, $46,590 extension to keep access. The mobility director said the data lets some projects be done in-house. Still, a council member questioned paying for continued access.

    Survey

    When the city pays a company to collect data like street images, which approach should it favor going forward?

  • City Council

    City Farms Garden Program would let residents grow food in parks and greenways.

    Five years ago, the city supported only four gardens, and in 2025 it was about 60, a council member said. A proposed program would let residents and community groups garden and farm on underused city land like parks and greenways. Participants could sell up to $25,000 a year of unprocessed food or flowers off-site. Still, the package has to pass council first.

    Survey

    Which aspect of urban agriculture programming is most important to you?

  • City Council

    Neglected hillsides may become permanently protected open spaces.

    Neglected hillside lots could become permanently protected open space under a $25,000 grant to buy tax-delinquent land. However, a council member asked how the city would prevent dumping, which is common at some sites. A city planner said departments are looking to build a long-term maintenance plan. For now, council has held the related bills for one week.

    Survey

    I would be willing to regularly volunteer to help maintain a protected natural area near my home.

  • City Council

    The Department of City Planning (DCP) wants residents to dig into caring for Pittsburgh’s green spaces.

    Adopt a Lot, which leases vacant city lots to residents, started with gardening. A proposed bill would expand it to uses like public art, which a planning official said residents had asked for. The bill also calls the program temporary, since lots are meant to be sold. Still, the council president asked how that squares with gardens serving the community.

    Survey

    Do you support expanding the Adopt a Lot program to allow uses beyond gardening, such as public art displays and community gathering spaces?

  • City Council

    Six neighborhood organizations selected to receive $210,000 in job placement support.

    Neighborhood employment centers offer residents job placement help, educational referrals, and employment counseling. On June 3, council gave preliminary approval to $210,000 for the city's Neighborhood Employment Program. Six centers were selected, and they'll also work as a network for job fairs and other opportunities. The money can go toward needs such as staff salaries, computers, and software.

    Survey

    If you or someone in your household were looking for work, which kinds of support would help most? (Select all that apply.)

  • City Council

    Downtown’s Golden Triangle could see $50 million redevelopment investment by the end of the year.

    Offices make up about 66% of Downtown real estate, an Urban Redevelopment Authority official said. On June 3, the authority asked council to approve a 40-year Downtown investment district. Future real estate taxes would repay loans for projects like turning vacant offices into housing. Still, only the city would pay the interest, and council held the plan a week.

    Survey

    Which of these best describes how you feel about the Downtown redevelopment plan?

  • City Council

    $750,000 approved to redesign Beaver Avenue for the Esplanade project.

    Route 65, built in the 1960s, divides Manchester and Chateau and gutted the commercial core along Beaver Avenue. On June 3, council advanced $750,000 more for study and early design work on the avenue. Part of the Esplanade development's effort to reconnect the neighborhoods, the redesign would make the road two-way. The full $1 million is reimbursable with federal funds.

    Survey

    As Beaver Avenue is redesigned, which of these should the design prioritize?

  • School Board

    PPS approves closures of 12 schools.

    Twelve Pittsburgh Public Schools are set to close as the district reorganizes grade levels. On May 27, the board approved the plan 6-2, with one abstention. Before the vote, most of the 91 people who signed up to speak opposed it, and many cited a lack of communication. The board president said nothing will change until after the 2026-27 school year.

    Survey

    As these changes are put in place, which types of updates would be most useful for the district to share regularly?

  • School Board

    Directors accept over $8 million in Early-Intervention grant funding.

    Up to 1,600 preschoolers get therapy, hearing and vision services, and developmental support through Pittsburgh Public Schools' Early Intervention program. Now, directors unanimously accepted over $8 million in state grants for it, without discussion. That's about 1% of the district's $731 million budget, which carries a $6 million deficit. The flat-funded grants will be distributed during the 2026-27 school year.

    Survey

    How should the district prioritize spending money freed up from the school closure plan?

  • County Council

    Allegheny County Council gets its first woman president.

    After calls to leave the post over a campaign mailer, Pat Catena stepped down as Allegheny County Council president on May 22. On May 26, council unanimously elected Michelle Naccarati-Chapkis of Plum as the first woman president in its 26-year history. She named a balanced budget, property reassessment, and housing among the challenges ahead. Catena will remain a member of council.

    Survey

    What quality matters most to you in an Allegheny County Council president? (Choose one)

  • County Council

    Proposed ballot question would give council a say on contracts over $30,000.

    For 26 years, Allegheny County's executive has had sole authority over county contracts that don't involve property. On May 26, a council member introduced legislation to put a question about changing that on the Nov. 3 ballot. Voters would decide whether council must approve contracts over $30,000, except in emergencies. For now, council has referred the proposal to its government reform committee.

    Survey

    If County Council were given approval authority over county contracts, at what dollar amount should that requirement begin?