Though concerns remain about the details, Pittsburgh City Council seems poised to take the next steps on approving Mayor Ed Gainey’s 2025 budget proposal.
Councilmembers took an initial vote Tuesday to make a number of line-item changes to the budget. But the changes were minor, and even as some critics have suggested the city faces a difficult fiscal reckoning in the near future, budget deliberations have gone smoothly.
“Obviously, there's never enough money to do all the things that we need to do,” said Councilor Barb Warwick. She, for one, said she thinks the city should still push for large tax-exempt nonprofits to contribute to the city coffers, a goal long sought by city officials.
Still, she said, “We have known for a number of years now that we have two lean years ahead of us, and I think that our budget office has done a very good job.”
Gainey’s proposed 2025 fiscal plan envisions a leaner operating budget as compared to last year, as city officials brace for a couple of lean budget years due to the end of federal COVID aid and a scheduled spike in debt payments.
The changes council members introduced Tuesday included a $16,200 decrease in the salary of the acting Police Chief, a nearly $10,000 increase in salary for the EMS chief, and a reallocation of funding to DOMI which will start the process of phasing out the Bureau of Police’s horse-mounted unit.
The $657 million spending plan does not contain a tax increase and also sets staffing levels for the city’s police bureau at 800 officers. That’s a decline from the 850 budgeted for the current year, which itself was a reduction from the 900 officers previously regarded as the city’s ideal force size. But the city has been running well below the budgeted staff anyway, so the budget reduction will not impact the number of officers on the streets.
Councilor Erika Strassburger said not everything has been satisfactorily wrapped up, and noted she’s glad the city has already had some of its difficult conversations through its Financial Task Force.
“Even if I don't agree with everything that's in the budget, I have a better understanding of the thought process and the levers that could be pulled to get us out of a difficult budgetary situation next year,” she said. “I can understand that a little bit better.”
Strassburger said she was still concerned about a proposed reduction in police overtime spending, which she worries may understate the amount the city is likely to have to pay out given its reduced staff.
“I remain incredibly concerned about both police and fire overtime in the 2025 budget and whether we're going to blow right past that,” she said.
But it remains to be seen, she said, whether planned efforts to "civilianize" some administrative positions will free up enough officers for street duty to reduce overtime demands.
“I think that the civilian model is exactly the model that we want to be continuing to push for and hiring for those positions may be the challenging part, but I hope that we have a robust recruitment effort and are able to hire for civilian officer positions in the Bureau of Police.”
Councilor Theresa Kail-Smith described the budget as “challenging at best,” and said she’s unsure whether she’ll vote for the final budget proposal. A general frequent critic of Gainey’s administration decisions, she says she’s still gathering information, and abstained from a vote on some of the line-item changes because she is still looking things over.
“I think it's always been a challenge in the city of Pittsburgh and beyond, when you're running a government, and the expectations of people are increasing to do more social services and more things that cost money,” she said. “But yet, at the same time, they want us to maintain the same level of services. The budget and the people and the city of Pittsburgh can only handle so much.”
One step toward reallocating police resources was proposed by Warwick Tuesday: She and other council members pushed to remove funding from the police horse-mounted unit to fund positions in other departments. Warwick argued that the program cost half a million dollars each year, and required the efforts of officers that could be used elsewhere.
“I love horses, I grew up with horses, my kids love to see them at National Night Out and things like that. But it is a really huge expense,” Warwick said. “And with the need for more officers on the street, it seems prudent to reevaluate that program.”
The amendment would reduce the program’s budget by half for the year. The savings, along with zeroing out funds for several unfilled jobs, would be dedicated to paying for two code-enforcement inspectors, one inspection supervisor, and one senior planner.
Public Information Officer Cara Cruz confirmed the department has one full-time rider, ten part-time riders, and six horses. The police department, she said, will evaluate as Council makes its amendments and determine operational impact at that time. She noted the amendment would be a reduction “to operational costs only — not personnel.”
The reduction to the police chief salary reflects the fact that the position is currently being held by an interim chief, Chris Ragland, following the departure of Larry Scirotto. Kail-Smith opposed the reduction, arguing that “We just lost one chief, and so I think that it's important to make sure we're compensating them correctly in the right way.”
Strassburger described the decrease as “rightsizing” the role. The salary of whoever is hired after Ragland may change during the hiring process, she said.
Council will vote formally on the amendments Wednesday. A final spending plan must be ratified by the end of the year.
