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  • City Council

    East Carson St. business owners ask to pay taxes for neighborhood improvements.

    Business and property owners on East Carson Street have asked to pay extra property tax for neighborhood improvements. The proposed improvement district would raise an estimated $500,000 in its first year for public spaces, filling storefronts, and branding. It would start Jan. 1, 2027, and last five years. Still, council must authorize it, and a public hearing hasn't been scheduled yet.

    Survey

    If the East Carson St. Neighborhood Improvement District is approved, how should it prioritize spending its first-year budget?

  • City Council

    Proposed tax on amusement devices advances to public hearing.

    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.

    Survey

    Rivers Casino should be exempt from the proposed amusement device tax

  • City Council

    A $50K Bloomberg grant puts climate problem-solving in young people’s hands.

    Later this summer, Pittsburgh's young people could help develop local climate solutions. On May 27, council gave preliminary approval to a $50,000 Bloomberg Philanthropies grant for the effort. City staff said it would become microgrants of up to $5,000, with local youth organizations as partners. If the city moves quickly, Bloomberg may double the amount, a city manager said.

    Survey

    The city is planning to award microgrants up to $5,000 for youth-led climate projects. Which types of projects should be the highest priority for funding?

  • City Council

    RK Mellon grant could quadruple Fourth of July fireworks budget.

    Pittsburgh's Fourth of July celebration could get bigger with a $630,000 foundation grant. On May 18, council voted to move forward with accepting it. Part of the grant would go to fireworks, raising the display budget to $350,000. So far, council hasn't discussed how the rest of the money will be spent.

    Survey

    If additional grant funds are available for the Fourth of July celebration beyond fireworks, which types of activities would you most like to see included? (Select all that apply)

  • City Council

    Records rules are being considered after years of operating on the honor system.

    City departments follow state records laws through only an informal system, a clerk's office manager said. On May 18, council gave preliminary approval to the office's request to formalize it. Each department would have to list its records and how long to keep them. A council member said poor records caused problems during the 2016 lead pipe crisis.

    Survey

    Which types of city records would be most useful for you to be able to access online?

  • City Council

    $4 million to fuel the next phase of Pittsburgh’s bike share expansion.

    POGOH, the city's bike share program, has 60 stations, mostly in the East End and North Side. Now, council has advanced a $4 million agreement with the state to add 40 stations and over 400 bikes. A federal grant covers $3.2 million of the cost. Still, locations for the new stations haven't been released to the public.

    Survey

    Which of the following best describes where you would most like to see new POGOH bike share stations added?

  • County Council

    Proposed ordinance would keep sexual abuse protections for trans county inmates.

    Federal protections against sexual abuse cover transgender people in jails, but an Allegheny County Council member said they may be removed. Her proposed ordinance would write those protections into county law for the jail and juvenile detention center. It would also set a zero-tolerance standard for rape. On May 14, a council committee unanimously recommended it for a final vote.

    Survey

    How important is it to you that the county establish its own protections for transgender individuals in local jails and juvenile facilities, independent of what federal law requires?

  • County Council

    Council president removal vote expected May 26.

    Pat Catena's campaign mailer tied his state House primary rival to a group advocating for transgender athletes. Now, Allegheny County Council is preparing to remove him as president. Sixteen residents spoke against the mailer on May 12, and seven members urged him to step down the next morning. State law barred a vote that night, and council next meets May 26.

    Survey

    When a county council member in a leadership role takes a public position that many residents disagree with, what do you think should happen?

  • County Council

    Bill to unmask federal agents in the county hits a legal wall.

    Federal law blocks most of a county bill to bar officers from hiding their identity, council's lawyer said May 14. Still, he said it could likely be enforced with county police. The chief clerk said the two models for the bill, in Philadelphia and California, no longer stand. So a committee held the bill to let its sponsor amend it to fit the county's authority.

    Survey

    If a revised version of the bill only applied to county police—and could not legally cover federal agents—would you still want the county to pass it?

  • City Council

    University partnership aims to take the guesswork out of the building permit process.

    Permit burdens fall hardest on people without the means to get through the system, a city manager said. In low-income communities, it takes a week longer to start applications for single-family home projects. On May 13, council advanced a free, three-year data partnership with Johns Hopkins University. If approved, researchers would look for common causes of incomplete applications and review delays.

    Survey

    Have you ever started or considered a home improvement or small business permit application in Pittsburgh?

  • City Council

    City renews tools that let residents tinker with the budget.

    A city website lets residents set budget priorities and see what their taxes pay for. On May 11, council advanced a $13,000 request to extend the tool, Balancing Act, by a year. A city official said how much residents use it depends on promotion. Meanwhile, the acting budget director said the city is building its own version to save money.

    Survey

    Which of the following would make you more likely to use an online tool that lets residents explore the city budget? Select all that apply.

  • City Council

    Documenting Pittsburgh's LGBTQIA+ history with a $25K state grant.

    A bid last year to make Donny's Place, a Polish Hill gay bar, the city's first gay historic landmark failed. Now, council has advanced city planners' request for a $25,000 state grant to study Pittsburgh's LGBTQ+ history. A planning official said the bar's nomination lacked the kind of study historic nominations typically include. The grant requires a $7,500 city match.

    Survey

    How important is it to you that Pittsburgh formally recognizes and preserves the history of LGBTQIA+ people and places in the city?

  • County Council

    Proposed property reassessment public hearings skip Pittsburgh.

    None of the hearings on a proposal to reassess property every three years are in Pittsburgh. On April 28, a county council member pointed that out and urged holding one within city limits. Another member asked for an online session, saying the evening schedule would be prohibitive for some. Still, council's chief clerk said any added hearings would need council approval.

    Survey

    The public hearings on property reassessment are being held at CCAC campuses on weekday evenings. How would you most likely participate in a public hearing on this topic?

  • County Council

    Council accepts $1.8M from dissolved health nonprofit to shore up mental health and social services.

    A 2025 memo said Allegheny County's mental health and substance use treatment program faced a $20 million deficit for 2026. Now, county council has voted to accept $1.8 million from the dissolution of HealthChoices, Inc. The human services department will use it for mental health, intellectual disability, and social services, among other things. There's no set deadline for spending it.

    Survey

    If you—or someone in your household—needed mental health or substance use services from Allegheny County in the last year, select all of the following that apply:

  • County Council

    County exec uses quarterly address to highlight residents’ benefits from NFL Draft prep.

    Downtown Pittsburgh now has its first playground and public restrooms, County Executive Sara Innamorato told council on April 28. In her quarterly address, she said NFL Draft prep gave the region a deadline for permanent projects. She named Arts Landing and the renovated Market Square among them. A countywide cleanup also removed 7.3 million pounds of debris, she said.

    Survey

    Which of the following improvements to public spaces would most benefit your neighborhood going forward?

  • School Board

    District approves just over $1 million for Grandview elementary roof replacement.

    The city halted a roofing project at Westwood Elementary because its contractor lacked proper permits. About six months later, the Pittsburgh Public Schools board approved a roof replacement of just over $1 million for Grandview PreK-5. This time, it chose an Ohio firm that picked the lowest bidder as subcontractor. Work starts this month and should wrap by 2028.

    Survey

    How confident are you that the district's current process for selecting and overseeing construction contractors will prevent problems on future building projects?

  • School Board

    PPS Board revises religious exemptions to include “moral beliefs.”

    Since 2009, Pittsburgh Public Schools has let parents excuse children from lessons that conflict with religious beliefs. In April, the board voted 6-2 to add sincerely held moral beliefs. Requests now need a specific written reason, and families get at least three weeks' notice of possibly controversial lessons. But a director who voted no worried the notice rule could burden teachers.

    Survey

    How much do you agree or disagree with the following statement: Parents should be able to opt their children out of school lessons based on sincerely held moral beliefs, in addition to religious beliefs.

  • City Council

    Two more bills aim to limit where immigration enforcement can operate in Pittsburgh.

    Under two proposed bills, immigration agents couldn't use city property such as parks and libraries as staging areas. On May 6, council advanced the bills, which the mayor's office would enforce. Consequences could include a $2,000 fine per violation or firing from city jobs. Council is scheduled to take its final vote next week.

    Survey

    The mayor's office would be responsible for enforcing the new immigration enforcement rules. How confident are you that violations would be consistently reported and acted on?

  • City Council

    New software will replace the paper binders guiding Pittsburgh’s recycling trucks since 2008.

    Pittsburgh's recycling and trash crews still follow routes printed in paper binders. Now, council has agreed to move forward with software to replace them. The routes were last updated in 2008, and the longest recycling route runs about 10 hours. Still, in-vehicle navigation isn't part of the deal and needs a separate contract.

    Survey

    What problem with Pittsburgh's recycling service would you most like the new routing software to fix?

  • City Council

    Council pushes for quarterly crime data amid Market Square teen restrictions.

    Anyone under 18 is now barred from Market Square from 3 pm to midnight, Thursday to Sunday, without someone 21 or older. In response, council advanced a bill to get quarterly violent crime data by age and location. The sponsor said that aside from two recent incidents, she found only anecdotal reports of disruptive teens. Council is scheduled to meet on the subject May 20.

    Survey

    What do you think are the most important factors the city should consider when deciding whether to keep, change or remove restrictions for teens in public spaces?