Julia Zenkevich
County Government ReporterJulia Zenkevich reports on Allegheny County government for 90.5 WESA. She first joined the station as a production assistant on The Confluence, and more recently served as a fill-in producer for The Confluence and Morning Edition. She’s a life-long Pittsburgher, and attended the University of Pittsburgh. She can be reached at jzenkevich@wesa.fm.
-
In two municipalities, Allegheny County is sending behavioral health first responders instead of police.to answer human service and behavioral health 911 calls -
The cost of the permits, which must be renewed every five years, could increase by roughly 50% to as much as 600%. -
Zappala called the situation “one of the most serious unfunded pension crises in the history of the Commonwealth.” -
The agreement raises the county’s property tax rate to 6.43 mils — 1.7 mils more than residents currently pay, or a roughly 36% increase. -
Social service providers say potential budget cuts to the county’s Department of Human Services could require them to layoff employees and cut programs. -
Councilor Dan Grzybek’s proposal includes a smaller property tax increase than County Executive Sara Innamorato proposed last month, but asks for a higher rate than a separate council proposal made last week. -
Allegheny County Council introduced a counterproposal to County Executive Sara Innamorato’s 2025 spending plan Tuesday. Council’s plan would cost the median homeowner roughly $10 more in property taxes each month. -
A state Supreme Court decision issued earlier this week upheld the legislature’s exclusive right to regulate firearms, which could have ramifications on local governments. -
At a meeting Tuesday, Allegheny County Council heard comments from social service providers on the budget and introduced an ordinance that supporters say could make property taxes more transparent. -
Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato argued Monday that despite a property tax increase, her proposed 2025 budget would include investments in social services that would pay off in the long run.
