Pittsburgh Republican leader calls for transparency on $12 million donation spending

The chairman of Pittsburgh’s Republican Party has sent a letter to City Controller Rachael Heisler, urging her to publicly disclose how $12 million donated by UPMC and PNC Financial to replace the city’s aging ambulances and plows is being spent.”I’m not speaking just for Republicans. This is for anybody who thinks that fiscal responsibility in city government is important,” Todd McCollum said.McCollum explained why he thinks this move is important.”Because this is special money falling outside the normal order of business, we think that the controller owes it to the taxpayer and the people who donated that money, that they’re up front and show the people of Pittsburgh what they’re getting for that gift,” he said.Despite sending the letter on Feb. 4, McCollum said he has not received a response from Heisler. Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 also reached out but has yet to hear back.Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 asked Mayor Corey O’Connor about McCollum’s request.”Not to get political, but to just say we said when we made the announcement that this money is going specifically to those things, we’re going to work with the city controller, that this money is audited. And if there are future gifts or community benefits, that it’s audited, and it goes specifically to where we wanted it to go to. That was the whole purpose,” O’Connor said.McCollum’s letter calls for detailed transparency, including how the money was allocated, the vendors selected, and the delivery status of each piece of equipment.He remains committed to pushing for this information, asserting, “It’s not a one party issue. We want our government money spent wisely.”Full text of letter from Pittsburgh Republican Committee chairman to city controller:I am writing regarding the recently announced $12 million in private gifts to the City of Pittsburgh from UPMC and PNC Bank, intended to support public safety and the purchase of much-needed city vehicles and equipment. At the outset, I want to be clear: this is a good deal for the City. The ability to acquire critical vehicles and resources without directly increasing the burden on taxpayers is a positive outcome, and the willingness of private institutions to step up in support of public safety and essential services should be welcomed.With that said, the size of this gift – and the current state of the City’s finances – demands clear guardrails, transparency, and accountability from the moment these funds are received through their final use.When private institutions contribute $12 million for designated public purposes, the City has a responsibility to meet that generosity with good faith stewardship. Taxpayers and donors alike deserve assurance that these funds are not only promised, but actually received, tracked, and spent exactly as designated – without reallocation, substitution, or quiet redirection to unrelated purposes.Specifically, I urge your office to establish and publicly maintain a clear, itemized ledger for these funds that includes: The date and amount of each donation as it is receivedHow and when the funds are allocatedThe vendors selected for purchases and the rationale for those selectionsThe cost, purpose, and delivery status of every vehicle or piece of equipment purchasedAny remaining balances, delays, or proposed reallocationsThis information should be easily accessible to the public and updated regularly.To clarify, this request is not about adding unnecessary bureaucracy. It is about restoring and maintaining public trust at a time when confidence in the City’s financial management has been deeply strained. The reality is that Pittsburgh’s finances are widely understood to be in disarray, and past experience has shown that simply trusting that funds will be used as intended is not sufficient.Transparency ensures confidence. Accountability ensures results. And when millions of private dollars are entrusted to the City of Pittsburgh for specific purposes, the standard should be nothing less than full public visibility – dollar for dollar.As the City’s independently elected fiscal watchdog, your office is uniquely positioned to provide that assurance to the public. I respectfully ask that you outline what safeguards and reporting mechanisms will be put in place to ensure these funds are received, tracked, and spent exactly as promised.I would welcome the opportunity to discuss this further with you or your team, if helpful. I appreciate the important role your office plays in ensuring transparency and public trust, and I would be glad to collaborate in support of that shared goal.Thank you for your attention to this matter and for your continued commitment to transparency and accountability.

PITTSBURGH —

The chairman of Pittsburgh’s Republican Party has sent a letter to City Controller Rachael Heisler, urging her to publicly disclose how $12 million donated by UPMC and PNC Financial to replace the city’s aging ambulances and plows is being spent.

“I’m not speaking just for Republicans. This is for anybody who thinks that fiscal responsibility in city government is important,” Todd McCollum said.

McCollum explained why he thinks this move is important.

“Because this is special money falling outside the normal order of business, we think that the controller owes it to the taxpayer and the people who donated that money, that they’re up front and show the people of Pittsburgh what they’re getting for that gift,” he said.

Despite sending the letter on Feb. 4, McCollum said he has not received a response from Heisler. Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 also reached out but has yet to hear back.

Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 asked Mayor Corey O’Connor about McCollum’s request.

“Not to get political, but to just say we said when we made the announcement that this money is going specifically to those things, we’re going to work with the city controller, that this money is audited. And if there are future gifts or community benefits, that it’s audited, and it goes specifically to where we wanted it to go to. That was the whole purpose,” O’Connor said.

McCollum’s letter calls for detailed transparency, including how the money was allocated, the vendors selected, and the delivery status of each piece of equipment.

He remains committed to pushing for this information, asserting, “It’s not a one party issue. We want our government money spent wisely.”

Full text of letter from Pittsburgh Republican Committee chairman to city controller:

I am writing regarding the recently announced $12 million in private gifts to the City of Pittsburgh from UPMC and PNC Bank, intended to support public safety and the purchase of much-needed city vehicles and equipment. At the outset, I want to be clear: this is a good deal for the City. The ability to acquire critical vehicles and resources without directly increasing the burden on taxpayers is a positive outcome, and the willingness of private institutions to step up in support of public safety and essential services should be welcomed.

With that said, the size of this gift – and the current state of the City’s finances – demands clear guardrails, transparency, and accountability from the moment these funds are received through their final use.

When private institutions contribute $12 million for designated public purposes, the City has a responsibility to meet that generosity with good faith stewardship. Taxpayers and donors alike deserve assurance that these funds are not only promised, but actually received, tracked, and spent exactly as designated – without reallocation, substitution, or quiet redirection to unrelated purposes.

Specifically, I urge your office to establish and publicly maintain a clear, itemized ledger for these funds that includes:

The date and amount of each donation as it is receivedHow and when the funds are allocatedThe vendors selected for purchases and the rationale for those selectionsThe cost, purpose, and delivery status of every vehicle or piece of equipment purchasedAny remaining balances, delays, or proposed reallocations

This information should be easily accessible to the public and updated regularly.

To clarify, this request is not about adding unnecessary bureaucracy. It is about restoring and maintaining public trust at a time when confidence in the City’s financial management has been deeply strained. The reality is that Pittsburgh’s finances are widely understood to be in disarray, and past experience has shown that simply trusting that funds will be used as intended is not sufficient.

Transparency ensures confidence. Accountability ensures results. And when millions of private dollars are entrusted to the City of Pittsburgh for specific purposes, the standard should be nothing less than full public visibility – dollar for dollar.

As the City’s independently elected fiscal watchdog, your office is uniquely positioned to provide that assurance to the public. I respectfully ask that you outline what safeguards and reporting mechanisms will be put in place to ensure these funds are received, tracked, and spent exactly as promised.

I would welcome the opportunity to discuss this further with you or your team, if helpful. I appreciate the important role your office plays in ensuring transparency and public trust, and I would be glad to collaborate in support of that shared goal.

Thank you for your attention to this matter and for your continued commitment to transparency and accountability.