Pittsburgh City Council is working through the weekend, trying to get a budget passed before the end of the year.Councilmembers said the impasse could hinge on either cutting services or raising property taxes.“This is probably a time in government here, maybe the only time I remember where the nine different members kind of have nine different ideas of how this should end and where they’re comfortable,” Councilperson Bob Charland said.All are aiming to get a budget passed and make up for millions of dollars, which some members say weren’t accounted for in the mayor’s original budget proposal.“I believe that city council is daylighting what might have been happening sort of below the line, as they say in accounting terms, in the mayor’s budget,” Councilperson Erika Strassburger said.Strassburger said after several preliminary votes to amend the budget this week, the alleged deficit is around $17 million, and millions in excess is needed to improve the city’s aging fleet.Strassburger said she’s hoping a previously proposed 30% property tax millage increase won’t be necessary.“I believe something a little bit more moderate than that is likely to be what council members can get on board with, understanding so very well that this is a difficult time for individuals,” Strassburger said.Deputy Mayor Jake Pawlak defended the mayor’s budget proposal Friday, saying that an increase in taxes was avoidable from the start.“We did not propose a tax increase because we proposed a budget that was balanced with the tax rates that we had,” Pawlak said.“We heard loud and clear from council that they frankly were struggling to understand the way in which we were accounting for wages and overtime, and the way that that calculus and that accounting works. So we sent over to council yesterday an amendment that, without increasing spending or taxes, could have shown how there’s $11 million in additional flexibility available for overtime and would have accounted for that in the way that they had asked for in our hearing,” Pawlak said.He said they declined to discuss that amendment.“They did a partial version of that, but only for about $5 million in the Bureau of Police and then advanced several cuts, the most significant of which would be the elimination of almost half a million dollars in funding for part-time seasonal employees in the Department of Public Works,” Pawlak said.Strassburger elaborated on what the council proposed.“The other thing that we were able to do is instead of $10 million being transferred into the Stop the Violence trust fund for next year, $5 million is proposed to be transferred. That will not interrupt any services that will allow for unspent funds in that fund to be able to be used for next year and starting to be used into 2027,” Strassburger said.A public hearing will be held Saturday, ahead of a double council meeting on Sunday and Monday, when council members hope to vote on the budget.

PITTSBURGH —

Pittsburgh City Council is working through the weekend, trying to get a budget passed before the end of the year.

Councilmembers said the impasse could hinge on either cutting services or raising property taxes.

“This is probably a time in government here, maybe the only time I remember where the nine different members kind of have nine different ideas of how this should end and where they’re comfortable,” Councilperson Bob Charland said.

All are aiming to get a budget passed and make up for millions of dollars, which some members say weren’t accounted for in the mayor’s original budget proposal.

“I believe that city council is daylighting what might have been happening sort of below the line, as they say in accounting terms, in the mayor’s budget,” Councilperson Erika Strassburger said.

Strassburger said after several preliminary votes to amend the budget this week, the alleged deficit is around $17 million, and millions in excess is needed to improve the city’s aging fleet.

Strassburger said she’s hoping a previously proposed 30% property tax millage increase won’t be necessary.

“I believe something a little bit more moderate than that is likely to be what council members can get on board with, understanding so very well that this is a difficult time for individuals,” Strassburger said.

Deputy Mayor Jake Pawlak defended the mayor’s budget proposal Friday, saying that an increase in taxes was avoidable from the start.

“We did not propose a tax increase because we proposed a budget that was balanced with the tax rates that we had,” Pawlak said.

“We heard loud and clear from council that they frankly were struggling to understand the way in which we were accounting for wages and overtime, and the way that that calculus and that accounting works. So we sent over to council yesterday an amendment that, without increasing spending or taxes, could have shown how there’s $11 million in additional flexibility available for overtime and would have accounted for that in the way that they had asked for in our hearing,” Pawlak said.

He said they declined to discuss that amendment.

“They did a partial version of that, but only for about $5 million in the Bureau of Police and then advanced several cuts, the most significant of which would be the elimination of almost half a million dollars in funding for part-time seasonal employees in the Department of Public Works,” Pawlak said.

Strassburger elaborated on what the council proposed.

“The other thing that we were able to do is instead of $10 million being transferred into the Stop the Violence trust fund for next year, $5 million is proposed to be transferred. That will not interrupt any services that will allow for unspent funds in that fund to be able to be used for next year and starting to be used into 2027,” Strassburger said.

A public hearing will be held Saturday, ahead of a double council meeting on Sunday and Monday, when council members hope to vote on the budget.