Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey expanded the mayor’s office staff throughout his four years in office, growing it from around 13 employees to almost 40 by creating new roles and moving other city teams into the department. Now, months before he leaves, Gainey wants to shrink the mayor’s office back down.
His 2026 budget proposal, released late Tuesday, includes some tough choices to keep the budget balanced despite stagnant revenue and rising costs. The mayor recommends eliminating some civilian police roles and cutting back on capital projects.
One of the most striking proposals: Drastic cuts in the overall funding and the number of staff allocated to the mayor’s office — cuts that would affect Gainey’s successor from day one in office…