Weeks after revealing the city was five years away from running out of reserve funding, Pittsburgh leaders announced a series of reforms Tuesday aimed at increasing transparency and cracking down on a mayor’s ability to spend money without the council’s authorization.<\/p>\n
PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> Pittsburgh mayor submits 2027 preliminary budget, 5-year plan to City Council<\/a><\/p>\n The reforms, supported by current Mayor Corey O’Connor, also begin to tackle issues that were exposed by the growing investigation into former Mayor Ed Gainey’s practices.<\/a><\/p>\n Among the reforms are items that increased the council’s ability to act as a check on the mayor’s office, including additional mandatory meetings to discuss the budget and training for new council members.<\/p>\n There will also be a dashboard for the public to track spending on employee credit cards and tighter rules about spending on those cards.<\/p>\n More people, including Controller Rachael Heisler<\/a>, will also get access to the city’s budgeting software so they can examine spending in real time.<\/p>\n Investigators are looking into whether Gainey used his spending authority to funnel money to allies using “no-bid” contracts, including money that was intended to address violence and poverty within the city.<\/p>\n He left the city with at least a $20 million deficit instead of the small surplus he projected to have, O’Connor and Heisler previously reported.<\/p>\n “The information that this will provide our office will allow us to see problems more quickly,” Heisler said.<\/p>\n The hope, leaders added, was that a tax increase could be avoided as the city worked its way out of the financial mess, though O’Connor did not make any promises.<\/p>\n He pointed to major development projects, like the Station Square overhaul, as opportunities for the city to raise more money.<\/p>\n “[If] we can put more money in the coffers, then we don’t have to do something like [raise taxes],” he said.<\/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