11 Investigates Exclusive: Council finance chair defends budget

PITTSBURGH — A member of the Mayor’s City Financial Task Force is speaking out about the budget approved by Pittsburgh City Council Tuesday.

The budget passed by a vote of 8-1.

Council member Theresa Kail-Smith said she couldn’t support the budget partly because of drastic cuts to overtime for police officers and the declining number of budgeted officers.

Chief Investigator Rick Earle sat down with Council member Erika Strassburger a day after the budget passed.

Strassburger told Earle she’s proud of the new budget and what they accomplished given the precarious financial situation.

>> Pittsburgh City Council passes 2025 budget; some councilmembers concerned about public safety cuts

But Strassburger acknowledged there are likely some lean years ahead.

“I feel like it’s a responsible spending document. Of course, there are some elements I’m concerned about,” aid Strassburger.

While pleased with the 2025 budget, Strassburger, who’s on the Mayor’s Budget Task Force and Chair of Council’s Finance Committee, expressed concerns about drastic cuts to public safety overtime, and a lack of money for new city vehicles, specifically police cars and ambulances that are in bad shape.

“We need a plan to get through this year and then purchase a whole lot of vehicles the following year,” said Strassburger.

Strassburger didn’t rule out using money from the Stop The Violence Fund to purchase public safety vehicles.

“To the extent that there’s money left over, I would not be opposed to spending some of that on vehicles, personally. I’m not going to speak for other council members,” said Strassburger.

Strassburger even suggested the non-profits, some who are being sued by the city in a dispute over paying taxes, like UPMC, might be willing to chip in for ambulances.

Without millions of dollars from the American Rescue Plan, Strassburger said the city needs to come up with other revenue streams, whether it’s from those nonprofits, or downtown revitalization.

“We don’t have the population growth that’s keeping pace with what we need to be able to have additional tax income to really grow our city, to really be able to pave the roads, to have the parks and the world class amenities that we all expect in all of our neighborhoods,” said Strassburger.

While the five-year forecast is bleak and there’s little wiggle room, Strassburger said there will likely be some increases to things like the paving budget.

Allegheny County recently approved a controversial tax hike, and Earle asked Strassburger if that’s something the city will consider in the future.

“I don’t know. I hope not, but those are the tradeoffs, those are the hard decisions we have to make and it’s certainly not of the table in the future but I certainly hope not,” said Strassburger.

After spending 15 years as a financially distressed city suffering through layoffs and cutbacks, Pittsburgh finally emerged from state oversight under the Peduto administration in 2018.

While some have suggested the city is on a collision course again, Strassburger said today they are nowhere close, and she doesn’t think that will happen.

Strassburger also said there’s light at the end of the tunnel.

In two years, the city will retire some old debt and there will likely be an infusion of cash.

But there are also some unknowns.

The city has filed a lawsuit against some of the nonprofits, challenging their nonprofit status and arguing that they should be forced to pay taxes.

They are still awaiting a court ruling on that effort.

And the city is also waiting on another key court ruling that could impact revenue as well.

The State Supreme Court has yet to issue a decision on the non-resident facility usage fee, or the so-called “Jock Tax” that levies a three percent tax on athletes visiting the city of Pittsburgh.

The city has accounted for revenue from the “Jock Tas” in the 2025 budget, but it could be struck down by the courts, and that would leave a gapping hole in the budget.

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