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City Council Approves 2015 Budget

After approving a few last minute amendments, Pittsburgh City Council on Monday approved a $507.8 million operating budget, up from $487.1 million in 2014, as well as a $76.6 million capital budget and a five-year capital plan.

“This is a banner day for Pittsburgh,” Mayor Bill Peduto said. “With the help of City Council and our financial overseers — and especially our residents and employees — this budget clears a path to fix our financial problems for good over the next five years.”

Councilwoman Darlene Harris, who has repeatedly voiced her opposition to a 0.5 mill property tax rate increase, cast the sole no vote on the group of five bills that makes up the 2015 budget legislation.

The Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority, one of the bodies charged with helping the city emerge from Act 47 status, has yet to approve the budget. The ICA has said it is still reviewing the nearly 1,000 pages of financial documents submitted by Peduto after the body rejected his budget for the second time in mid-November.

Key components of the mayor’s solution to Pittsburgh’s distressed financial status include a “correction” to the property tax rate, meant to fill a $7.5 million budget gap. The city also plans to introduce dynamic parking pricing in some of its business districts, such as Shadyside and the South Side, eliminate dozens of vacant positions and reduce non-personnel expenditures.

Correction: After sending a statement that the budget total was $516.6 million, the mayor's office has now corrected that figure to $507.8 million. The post has been updated.