Pittsburgh's 2025 preliminary budget trims $70 million and includes police cuts but no tax increases
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey has released his preliminary budget for 2025 and is looking to trim $70 million in spending.
Between American Rescue Plan money running out and a bleak financial future, the city is tightening its belt. This includes police getting less money in 2025 than in 2024.
Gainey says this major cut from last year's budget is to focus on "maintaining funding for vital city services." Overall, the Gainey administration is proposing a $774.3 million budget with $657 million in operating and $117 million in capital.
The preliminary budget doesn't include any tax increases or what leadership in Gainey's office called "any reductions to funding for critical services."
One big part that Gainey is proposing is to cut the number of police officers budgeted for from 850 to 800. At the end of the summer, the police bureau was staffed with a little more than 750 officers, including primary leadership.
With this proposed budget, the police officer's union says this is the equivalent of putting cardboard cutouts of officers on the streets to keep people safe.
According to the Fraternal Order of Police, there are currently 759 total officers between recruits, commanders and police on the street. That number goes down with 52 on some form of leave. The union is concerned because the city still has three sporting venues to cover, large city events and the draft is around the corner. The mayor's office looks to move more people into roles where they feel full-time officers may not be needed.
"There is a lot of work being done in the police bureau in the evidence room, in the real-time crime center, in the police zones conducting administrative tasks that don't need to be done by police officers," Deputy Mayor Pawlak said.
The union argues that's only 26 roles at the most and says the people working in these roles need to be trained and cleared, as they will be working with confidential information.
"We know that we need to continue to recruit, train officers and put them in the police bureau both to grow the overall number and to prepare as folks retire," Pawlak told reporters.
This year, the mayor is not starting any new capital projects, instead focusing on finishing what are already in the works. Street paving, demolition, and bridge maintenance did receive a rise in funding under the capital budget.
This will also mark the first year the city will not have federal pandemic relief funding to support the operating budget.
Gainey said he looks forward to engaging with communities to make a case for his proposal and will officially present the budget in mid-November.
City Controller Rachel Heisler issued this statement:
"I appreciate that Mayor Gainey and his administration recognize the tight financial situation we're facing in the years ahead and are setting realistic revenue expectations accordingly. As the administration and Council discuss future spending in the weeks ahead, it is important to acknowledge ongoing questions about future revenues, particularly for real estate taxes and pending litigation over the Facility Usage Fee. The City's spending decisions must reflect this uncertainty. We need to be prepared for all scenarios, from the best case to the worst. We will continue to review this proposal, and I look forward to hearing Council's discussions with the administration as they evaluate these proposed expenditures.
"One thing is always true when we're talking about the financial health of the City of Pittsburgh: we need to grow. We need more people to come to the city, to work and live here. We must attract new residents, including students and immigrants. Growth would solve many of the budgetary concerns we face today, and it starts with keeping people safe and keeping the city clean even in difficult financial circumstances. I look forward to learning more about how we will do that in the years ahead and how this budget will continue to invest in our city's future."
The next step for the budget is going through city council to be approved.