After Mayor Ed Gainey introduced a preliminary budget proposing no layoffs and no tax increase, some Pittsburgh City Council members and the city controller said both may be needed to fund essential services.
The budget, released on Tuesday, came amid concerns over the city’s aging fleet of vehicles and drastic understaffing, resulting in burnout and runaway overtime. The city also faces the end of federal COVID-19 relief funding and a drop in tax assessments on Downtown buildings.
“Though the circumstances we were facing did require some adjustments, it wasn’t a big enough shift needed to necessitate a tax increase,” Deputy Mayor Jake Pawlak said…