A GAP IN THE BUDGET. NEW LEGISLATION BROUGHT TO THE TABLE TODAY THAT COMES UP WITH THE REVENUE NEEDED TO FILL A $30 MILLION GAP IN THE BUDGET FOR 2026, BUT IT WOULD RAISE PROPERTY TAXES FOR PITTSBURGHERS. WE CANNOT HAVE AMBULANCES BREAKING DOWN ON THE WAY TO THE HOSPITAL. WE CANNOT HAVE FIRE STATIONS WITHOUT ENGINES IN THEM, AND WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO GET THE SNOW UP IN THE WINTER. ALL SCENARIOS. COUNCIL MEMBER BARB WARRICK FEARS WILL HAPPEN IF THE CITY DOESN’T COME UP WITH MILLIONS IN EXTRA REVENUE. SHE PROPOSED LEGISLATION TO INCREASE PROPERTY TAXES BY 30% TO FILL AN ESTIMATED $30 MILLION BUDGET DEFICIT AND PROVIDE ADDITIONAL MONEY TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS, FOR EXAMPLE, TO THE CITY’S EMERGENCY VEHICLE FLEET. NOBODY WANTS TO SEE A TAX INCREASE, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, RESIDENTS REALLY NEED TO BE ASKING THEMSELVES, WHAT IS IT WORTH, RIGHT? IS IT WORTH GARBAGE PICKUP EVERY TWO WEEKS INSTEAD OF EVERY ONE WEEK? IS IT WORTH NOT GETTING STREETS PAVED? IS IT WORTH HAVING NO ONE TO STAFF OUR SENIOR CENTERS, OR HAVING OUR POOLS NOT BE OPEN OR NOT BE FREE FOR KIDS IN THE SUMMER, RIGHT? THESE ARE THE HARD QUESTIONS THAT THAT WE ARE DEALING WITH HERE AT COUNCIL. THE TAX INCREASE WOULD ADD AROUND $20 MORE PER MONTH FOR $100,000 OF PROPERTY VALUE. COUNCIL MEMBER TERESA SMITH HOPEFUL THERE WILL BE ANOTHER SOLUTION PRESENTED. I THINK IT’S THE WRONG TIME, WRONG AMOUNT. OUR RESIDENTS ARE STRUGGLING WITH DAY TO DAY, YOU KNOW, FINANCES WITH PAYING THEIR BILLS, THEIR CURRENT TAXES. THEY HAD AN INCREASE ON THE COUNTY, INCREASE THE POSSIBLE INCREASE THAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OR PROBABLE INCREASE IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. AND NOW THIS. AND I JUST FEEL LIKE OUR RESIDENTS ARE STRUGGLING AND WE NEED TO DO THE BEST WE CAN TO SHOW THAT WE’VE DONE OUR DUE DILIGENCE BEFORE WE EVER ENTER INTO SOMETHING LIKE THAT. AND COUNCIL IS ALSO REPORTEDLY TAKING A LOOK AT A 5% COULD BE CUT FROM THE SPENDING PLAN FOR EACH DEPARTMENT. WE’LL KEEP YOU UPDATED AS TALKS CONTINUE. COVERING ALLEGHENY COUNTY TONIGHT I
Pittsburgh councilmember proposes real estate tax increase: 30% hike announced
Updated: 7:38 PM EST Dec 9, 2025
Legislation was proposed in Pittsburgh City Council on Tuesday to increase real estate taxes by 30%.The proposed tax increase would come up with the revenue needed to fill a $30 million budget gap and supply enough funding to make improvements to the city’s fleet of emergency response vehicles, Councilmember Bark Warwick said.“We cannot have ambulances breaking down on the way to the hospital. We cannot have fire stations without engines in them, and we need to be able to get the snow up in the winter,” Warwick said.The tax increase would add around $20 more per month, for $100,000 of property value.“Nobody wants to see a tax increase. But at the same time, residents really need to be asking themselves, what is it worth? Right? Is it worth garbage pickup every two weeks instead of every one week? Is it worth not getting streets paved? Is it worth having no one to staff our senior centers or having our pools not be open or not be free for kids in the summer? Right? These are the hard questions that we are dealing with here at council,” Warwick said.Councilmember Theresa Kail-Smith said she is hopeful there will be another solution presented.“I think it’s the wrong time, wrong amount. Our residents are struggling with day-to-day, you know, finances, with paying their bills, their current taxes. They’ve had an increase on the county, an increase, the possible increase at the school district, and now this,” Kail-Smith said. “I just feel like our residents are struggling, and we need to do the best we can to show that we’ve done our due diligence before we ever enter into something like that.”Council is also reportedly taking a look at whether 5% could be cut from the spending plan for each department.
PITTSBURGH —
Legislation was proposed in Pittsburgh City Council on Tuesday to increase real estate taxes by 30%.
The proposed tax increase would come up with the revenue needed to fill a $30 million budget gap and supply enough funding to make improvements to the city’s fleet of emergency response vehicles, Councilmember Bark Warwick said.
“We cannot have ambulances breaking down on the way to the hospital. We cannot have fire stations without engines in them, and we need to be able to get the snow up in the winter,” Warwick said.
The tax increase would add around $20 more per month, for $100,000 of property value.
“Nobody wants to see a tax increase. But at the same time, residents really need to be asking themselves, what is it worth? Right? Is it worth garbage pickup every two weeks instead of every one week? Is it worth not getting streets paved? Is it worth having no one to staff our senior centers or having our pools not be open or not be free for kids in the summer? Right? These are the hard questions that we are dealing with here at council,” Warwick said.
Councilmember Theresa Kail-Smith said she is hopeful there will be another solution presented.
“I think it’s the wrong time, wrong amount. Our residents are struggling with day-to-day, you know, finances, with paying their bills, their current taxes. They’ve had an increase on the county, an increase, the possible increase at the school district, and now this,” Kail-Smith said. “I just feel like our residents are struggling, and we need to do the best we can to show that we’ve done our due diligence before we ever enter into something like that.”
Council is also reportedly taking a look at whether 5% could be cut from the spending plan for each department.