PITTSBURGH \u2014 It\u2019s been a couple of very difficult years that led to a tax increase late last year.<\/p>\n
Chief Investigator Rick Earle questioned the city controller about the budget. <\/p>\n
PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> Mayor O\u2019Connor\u2019s administration will reopen Pittsburgh\u2019s 2026 budget to address \u2018serious concerns\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n City Controller Rachael Heisler said the city is in a better financial footing now, but it\u2019s still not great.<\/p>\n She doesn\u2019t seem as concerned as she did this time last year because she is seeing some improvements, and she praised the new administration for addressing the problems head-on.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re in a very delicate position. There\u2019s not a lot of room for error,\u201d Heisler said.<\/p>\n While still expressing concern about the city\u2019s precarious financial situation, City Controller Rachael Heisler acknowledged some improvements, saying the forecast isn\u2019t as bad as it was a year ago. <\/p>\n One of the big reasons, she says, is new Mayor Corey O\u2019Connor securing $70 million in donations from private companies, foundations and nonprofits earmarked to buy emergency vehicles, snow plows and improve infrastructure. <\/p>\n \u201cThese figures are a huge, huge win for the city. The voluntary payments that Mayor O\u2019Connor negotiated reflect an acknowledgment of the city\u2019s financial situation and a renewed interest in partnership and cooperation with our large institutions across the city,\u201d Heisler said.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a much different approach from the previous administration that was often at odds with the big nonprofits and took them to court in an unsuccessful bid to force them to pay. <\/p>\n The controller says there are other positive signs as well when it comes to revenue: the real estate, earned income and deed transfer tax are all up. <\/p>\n Heisler also praised the administration for reining in overtime. By the end of June, the city spent 55% of its overtime budget for the year compared to 76% at the same time last year. <\/p>\n Heisler admits it\u2019s a delicate balance, especially when it comes to public safety. <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a thing that we\u2019re going to continue to monitor because again, there\u2019s a financial impact, but there\u2019s also a people impact, and we need to make sure that we are adequately staffed in the bureaus where there is a high utilization of overtime,\u201d Heisler said.<\/p>\n She cautions that any downturn in the economy could throw a wrench into the budget plans and says the city needs to do three critical things: control spending, maximize revenue and prioritize growth. <\/p>\n Download the FREE WPXI News app<\/a> for breaking news alerts.<\/p>\n Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook<\/a> and Twitter<\/a>. | Watch WPXI NOW<\/a><\/p>\n TOP STORIES FROM CHANNEL 11 NEWS <\/p>\n \u00a92026 Cox Media Group<\/p>\n