SOFI Disclosures

Local Filing Instructions for City of Pittsburgh Public Officials, Public Employees, and Nominees for Appointed Office:

 For filing by computer (preferred): Website *plus* email

• NOTE: USING THE STATE’S WEBSITE IS ONLY STEP ONE OF FILING!

  • Step one: Complete the form online and, enter your email address at the end. Entering your email is important for step two! Pro tip: review the "caution and common errors" FAQ below. Find the online form here: Online Filing.

  • Step two: FORWARD THE EMAIL you'll receive with the attached pdf of your completed form to sofi@pittsburghpa.gov in order to satisfy local filing requirements. Once processed, the City Clerk staff will reply to your email to confirm receipt.

Local Filing Instructions for Candidates for Elected Office:

• Filing by traditional paper filing is recommended for candidates and may be required per election laws administered by other agencies. Unlike the online option, you must handwrite your signature on paper filings. You may print a copy at this link: Statement of Financial Interests.pdf(PDF, 475KB). Instructions on how to complete the form are included throughout the four-page document, mostly on page two. Add additional pages if your information does not fit in the space provided in the form. Please give yourself extra time to comply with deadlines. File with the City Clerk during their open office hours, you may wish to call ahead to ensure the staff aren’t busy attending to a Council meeting or other obligations. The Office of the City Clerk is located on the 5th floor on the Grant-Street side of the City-County Building, 414 Grant St., Pittsburgh PA 15219.

Local Filing instructions for Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh (URA) Officials and Employees

Complete an online form or a paper copy to be filed at the URA's offices. Please submit the completed form to the URA's Legal Department either by email at legalnotices@ura.org or by mail at 412 Boulevard of the Allies, Suite 901, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, to the attention of the Legal Department.

Local Filing instructions for Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority (PWSA) Officials and Employees

Complete the state online form to be filed with the PWSA. Please submit the completed form to PWSA’s Chief Environmental Compliance and Ethics Officer by email to fsidari@pgh2o.com.

Caution:

• The SOFI is a public record for five (5) years.
• It is highly recommended that you request ethics advice to complete the form with Ethics staff at least once to review the defined terms within the form and to review any questions you may have. If our staff is unavailable, you can also contact the State Ethics Commission for help.
• Note that filed SOFIs can only be amended through additional filings, the original filing cannot be redacted or modified after filing.
• Back dating is a violation of law and could result in civil, administrative and/or criminal penalties.

Common Errors:

• Remember to list your work address and phone rather than personal.
• The legal name of our local government is "City of Pittsburgh" not "Pittsburgh," so the State Ethics Commission's web form lists us under "C" not "P."
• For this year's filing (due May 1, 2026), Block 7 should read "2025" (your SOFI looks back a year and should reflect all financial interests from the calendar year of 2025).
• You must check the “None” box if a section is unapplicable.
• Regarding income, in block 10, list all sources of income over $1,300. List City of Pittsburgh salary, if applicable. List outside employment and other sources of income such as rental properties. You do not list income, only the source of the income.
• In block 9, creditors, only report debts of $6,500 or more. Do not list the amount of the loan, merely the source and interest rate. Student debt and car loans are commonly listed. Note, do not list mortgages or equity loans on your home. You don’t need to list credit cards unless they held a $6,500+ debt for you from one month to the next. You also don’t need to list loans between you and a spouse, parent, child, or sibling. On the other hand, loans you co-sign for family do need to be listed.
• In Block 13, a “business” includes any form of association or organization, including non-profits.  

The filing deadline for public officials and public employees is May 1.

• It is much better to file late than not at all. The goal is for honesty and transparency.

Nominees (for Board, Authority, Commission members, and for other bureau and departmental appointments) and candidates for elected office are subject to different filing deadlines.

• Nominees must file at least 10 days before the official or body approves or rejects the nomination.
• Candidates should contact the Bureau of Elections for filing deadlines.

New Hires/Appointments:

• Anyone who meets the definition of a public employee or public official and whose service began or before May 1, 2025, must file this year, even if they did not work for the City last year.

File Each Year

• Public employees and public officials must file annually, for every year of service.

Multiple Filings?

• You can file for missed prior years by changing the year in block 7. You cannot file early. Timely filing is between January 1 and May 1. The form is issued by the State Ethics Commission and changes each year!
• Nominees who timely filed 10 days before their vote of appointment do not need to file again in the same year, after they have been sworn in.
• If you have changed jobs or hold multiple positions, please ensure a copy is filed locally with each governmental body listed in block 5.

Post-Employment:

• Former public officials and public employees must file the year their service ends as well as the year after service ends.
• For example: if you retire December 31, 2025, then file your 2025 form due May 1, 2026. But if you retire January 1, 2026, then you'd need to file by May 1, 2026, and again in 2027.

“Public employees” required to file can take or recommend official action that involves:

• Contracting or procurement
• Administering or monitoring grants or subsidies
• Planning or zoning;
• Inspecting, investigating, licensing, regulating or auditing any person or entity
• Any other action that creates an economic impact on the interest of any person/entity (To find out if your position is legally defined as a “public employee,” please request ethics advice.)

Those who do need to file generally include:

• Attorneys
• Engineers
• Supervisors (depending on role)
• Assistants in fiscal affairs
• Purchasing agents
• Grant and contract managers
• Administrative officers
• Building inspectors
• Investigators
• Auditors
• Those who interact with vendors or recommend how public funds should be spent
• Zoning
• Planning
• Permits and Licenses
• Contracts, grants, or procurement
• Job duties that can financially impact the community or businesses
• Job duties that involve public funds

Those who do not need to file generally include:

• Note - this is general information; if these positions can make economic impacts (such as performing or recommending supervisory or financial duties) then they may be public employees who need to file.
• Police Officers generally do not need to file
  • unless their primary assignment is civil code enforcement (as opposed to patrol duty or criminal enforcement) and
  • until appointment to a higher rank, such as Lieutenant and above.
• Clerical staff who are purely internal-facing, and do not work with vendors, monitoring funds, or budget recommendations.
• Road masters
• Maintenance workers
• Construction workers
• Equipment operators
• Law Clerks
• Computer Help Desk
• Animal Control
• Cashiers
• Lifeguards 

To find out if your position is legally defined as a “public employee,” please request ethics advice.

To find out if your position is legally defined as a “public official,” please request ethics advice.)

Summary coming soon – for now, here is the legal definition from Title 51, Part 1 of the Pennsylvania Code (51 Pa. Code § 11.1, et seq.):

Public official—A person elected by the public or elected or appointed by a governmental body, or an appointed official in the Executive, Legislative or Judicial Branch of the Commonwealth or a political subdivision thereof. The term does not include members of advisory boards that have no authority to expend public funds other than reimbursement for personal expense, or to exercise otherwise the power of the Commonwealth or a political subdivision thereof.

(i) The following criteria will be used to determine if the exception in this paragraph is applicable:

(A) The body will be deemed to have the power to expend public funds if the body may commit funds or may otherwise make payment of monies, enter int o contracts, invest funds held in reserves, make loans or grants, borrow money, issue bonds, employ staff, purchase, lease, acquire or sell real or personal property without the consent or approval of the governing body and the effect of the power to expend public funds has a greater than de minimis economic impact on the interest of a person.

(B) The body will be deemed to have the authority to otherwise exercise the power of the Commonwealth or a political subdivision if one of the following exists:

(I) The body makes binding decisions or orders adjudicating substantive issues which are appealable to a body or person other than the governing authority.

(II)The body exercises a basic power of government and performs essential governmental functions.

(III) The governing authority is bound by statute or ordinance to accept and enforce the rulings of the body.

(IV) The body may compel the governing authority to act in accordance with the body's decisions or restrain the governing authority from acting contrary to the body's decisions.

(V) The body makes independent decisions which are effective without approval of the governing authority.

(VI) The body may adopt, amend and repeal resolutions, rules, regulations or ordinances.

(VII) The body has the power of eminent domain or condemnation.

(VIII) The enabling legislation of the body indicates that the body is established for exercising public powers of the Commonwealth or a political subdivision.