Topic
City Council
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.
City Council
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.
City Council
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.
County Council
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.
County Council
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.
County Council
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.
County Council
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.
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
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.
County Council
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.
County Council
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.
County Council
Until this month, Allegheny County Jail workers weren't paid at all. Now, they earn $5 a day, and those in educational programs earn $2 per class. A council member said 377 workers got their first payments in early April. Still, people doing custodial work on their own pod won't be paid until a second phase, which has no start date.
City Council
Snow removal contractor A. Folino Construction still hasn't detailed its $481,320 bill to the city. On April 15, council put off approving the invoice for another week. A council member said the public should know what the bill covered, since it's one of the larger ones. The acting public works director said he'd seek details, but Folino hadn't responded.
City Council
The city's healthcare trust fund is insolvent, the budget director said. Three months into his term, Mayor Corey O'Connor wants $28 million more in 2026 spending, partly to restore it. On April 8, council rejected a member's amendments to keep $4 million for new emergency medical vehicles. Next, a public hearing is set for Tuesday, with a final vote Wednesday.
County Council
Allegheny County's ethics commission could only act when someone filed a complaint. Now council has sent the county executive an amended ethics code, its first overhaul in almost 20 years. A member who said the commission hadn't been functioning proposed an amendment letting it act on publicly identified issues. However, another member said the commission does function.
County Council
Allegheny County Council members, the sheriff, and other row officers have no term limits. On March 24, council amended a proposed November ballot question to give them the executive's limit of three straight terms. Two council members, however, want a public hearing before the final vote. The ordinance is back in committee for more discussion.
City Council
Residents may soon learn what surveillance technology Pittsburgh uses and what it can do. Now council has advanced a request for a city report on 18 types of tools, including license plate readers and biometric software. It would also cover data protection and how civil rights harms are prevented. The report is due July 1, with a public hearing to follow.
Westmoreland County
Residents urged Westmoreland County Commissioners to add ballot drop boxes during public comment at the March 5 meeting, as officials approved contracts in advance of the May 19 primary.
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
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.