Pittsburgh City Council Standing Committee Meeting: December 21, 2025

The finance and law committee of the Pittsburgh City Council convened on Sunday, December 21, 2025, to address a severe fiscal gap in the 2026 budget, resulting in a contentious debate and vote to increase the property tax millage rate. Public testimony highlighted concerns regarding neighborhood inequities and the need for economic growth, while council members were sharply divided between those advocating for immediate tax increases to fund essential services, particularly public safety and fleet maintenance, and those demanding further cost-cutting, revenue diversification, and a delay until the new administration takes office.

Consent Calendar

• Routine administrative resolutions authorizing cooperative purchasing agreements, facility rentals, and contract letting for the 2026 fiscal year were approved without discussion.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Dr. Ronald Miller: Expressed strong support for shifting fiscal resources from high-density tax-exempt neighborhoods (Oakland, Squirrel Hill) to the East vs. West Pittsburgh "beehive" neighborhoods, arguing that the current tax structure has led to the decimation of West Pittsburgh neighborhoods, citing a 50% population loss (14,000 to 7,000) in the Beachview area between 1970 and 2020.
• Kahana How Malkina: Stated full support for addressing tax disparities and urged the council to stop subjugating the American way of life, specifically condemning a prior proposal to increase the tax rate that would add $242 annually to homeowner costs.
• Patrick Solomon: Expressed a position that economic growth, not austerity, is the solution; advocated for cutting red tape, incentivizing business, and implementing a voluntary "pilot program" for major downtown property owners (including U.S. Steel Tower) to stabilize the tax base, arguing that the current system allows revenue to escape through appeals.

Discussion Items

• Bill 2632 (Millage Increase): Councilwoman Warwick originally proposed raising the millage rate from 8.06 to 10.48 (a 30% increase) to fill a $30 million gap in utility costs, overtime, and fleet replacements. She argued the city cannot safely operate without this revenue to maintain core services.
• Amendment to Bill 2632: Councilman Mosley and Councilman Charland proposed an amendment to lower the proposed rate to 9.67 (approx. 20% increase), which would result in an additional $161 per year for a median assessed property value ($77,000). Councilwoman Warwick described this as a necessary compromise.
• Opposition to Tax Hikes: Councilman Wilson, Councilman Coggill, and Councilwoman Smith expressed opposition to an emergency increase, citing different calculated gap figures (suggesting the gap was overestimated), pointing to historical wasteful spending (e.g., a $62M bond for affordable housing while the fleet deteriorated), and arguing that more revenue could be generated through vacancies, negotiations with nonprofits, or cost-saving measures before taxing residents.
• Service Delivery vs. Cuts: Councilwoman Gross and Councilman Wilson highlighted that the city has already reduced its staff by nearly 700 employees since the millage was last raised, arguing that further cuts would compromise essential services like garbage collection and pool operations, whereas the current budget does not cover the true cost of operations.
• Legality of the Vote: A motion to hold the vote pending a legal opinion on the legality of the percentage increase was made by Councilwoman Smith but failed on a roll call vote (6 Ayes, 3 Noes, 2 Abstentions). The Acting Solicitor later confirmed the council has the legal authority to propose the hike under the Home Rule Charter.
• Budget Amendments (Bill 2454): Numerous amendments were debated, including funding for the mounted police unit (stricken from cuts to maintain for crowd control during the NFL Draft), seasonal laborers (kept due to community needs), and reorganizations of the Mayor's Office based on requests from the incoming O'Connor administration.

Key Outcomes

• Millage Rate Approved: The bill was amended to fix the real estate taxation rate at 9.67 mills for 2026, representing a 20% increase from the previous 8.06 mills. The vote tallied 6 in favor, 3 against, and 2 abstentions.
• Budget Appropriations: The General Budget (Bill 2454) was approved as amended, reflecting the increased revenue and incorporating specific line item adjustments for fleet funding, utility costs, and police overtime.
• Personnel & Structure: The 2026 Personnel Budget (Bill 2455) and Capital Budget (Bill 2453) were approved, including the approval of 11 new positions and the creation of a new operations coordinator, while striking cuts to seasonal labor and the mounted unit funding.
• Next Steps: The budget remains open for the incoming administration to amend in January. Council members committed to further negotiations on a nonprofit "pilot program" and city reassessment.
• Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned following the final approvals.