Members of Pittsburgh City Council are planning to give themselves a raise next year. During a discussion about budget amendments Tuesday, council discussed a proposal for a roughly 7% salary increase next year— much larger than the hike that was previously on the table.
Mayor Ed Gainey’s 2024 budget proposal afforded members a 3% increase next year, in line with the increase given to other non-union city employees. That would bring council salaries from $81,137 to $83,571. Council’s amendment would more than double that increase, setting their salaries at $86,970.
“Members are deserving of comparable and competitive salaries,” said District 3 Councilor Bruce Kraus.
There was confusion at the table about which members would be allowed to vote on the increase. But all nine members voted in favor of it after a recommendation from council's solicitor, Dan Friedson, that they each disclose that they would personally benefit from it. Members will vote again as part of the city budget process Wednesday, with a final vote slated for next week.
Council members sought to preempt criticism about the move, with several members arguing that it was warranted. Kraus — who would leave office shortly after the new rate takes effect — played down the move during council’s discussion Tuesday.
“The story today is that this body will allocate close to $700 million … of publicly collected tax dollars,” Kraus said. “The responsibility of the members here is to manage that kind of a budget and to do it in the best interest of the residents of the city.”
Other members argued the pay hike could help the city diversify the pool of future candidates for office.
“I have spoken with young people and they say … ‘That salary, you just you can't live on that,’” said District 5 Councilor Barb Warwick. “Not paying elected officials [enough]… what you end up having is [only] people who are independently wealthy or have the means running for office.”
There was no shortage of criticism the last time council members proposed a salary increase. Members approved a 22% pay boost in 2022, but later scaled it back to 6% amid concerns it would violate the city’s home rule charter.
The charter limits salary increases for elected officials to “the average percentage increase in salaries and wages paid to all city employees as based on the previous year’s salary.”
The proposal was the result of conversations with Pittsburgh’s Office of Management and Budget, which provided data about city employee raises from 2022 to 2023, according to City Council budget director Peter McDevitt. He told members the 7 percent figure was the average amount of raises that all city employees — union and non-union — received in 2023.
Friedson contended a similar 7% hike in the year to come would get members closer to the salary they'd have if council hadn't foregone increases when the city was under state financial oversight, which ended in 2018.
“This is just trying to get caught up on the cost-of-living omissions that did diminish your salary for 13 straight years,” Friedson said. Council members earn less than "any other director or any other elected official," he added.
Council members also proposed raises for several members of their staff and the City Clerk’s office.
It’s unclear whether Gainey will support council’s proposal. "It’s far too soon for us to entertain anything at this point," said Gainey’s communications director Maria Montano.
"City council voted to give themselves the largest raise possible as allowed under city law and any questions about why they chose to do so should be directed to them," she said.
She noted that a public meeting on the budget as a whole is scheduled for next week and “nothing is actually final,” as of Tuesday.
Discussion is set to continue tomorrow during a meeting when members will take preliminary votes on the 2024 budget.
