Councilperson Strassburger on the Proposed 2027 Operating Budget

PITTSBURGH, PA – Councilperson Erika Strassburger, Chair of the Committee on Finance and Law, today expressed her appreciation for Mayor O’Connor’s transparency in the proposed 2027 operating budget.  

The proposed budget does not raise taxes or lay off City staff. Importantly, it clearly articulates the City of Pittsburgh’s financial obligations over the next five years, and accounts for every expenditure and source of revenue.  

“The financial challenges facing Pittsburgh are real and are serious,” said the Councilperson. “Costs for every good and service the City relies on have skyrocketed recently. When our revenues don’t grow as quickly as we would like them to, but our expenditures continue to increase year-over-year, we as Council and the Mayor’s Office are faced with hard choices to keep the budget balanced.” 

Councilperson Strassburger stressed that, “The City’s support for critical programs which rely on Stop the Violence (STV) Funding and the Housing Opportunity Fund are essential. We need to ensure that the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) can continue supporting residents through their housing stabilization, eviction prevention, and rental gap programs. Additionally, STV has been instrumental in creating programs to support violence interruption, mediating conflict in schools, and assisting those neighbors experiencing homelessness. The budget process is a give-and-take, and Council will carefully review and modify the Administration’s proposal as needed in the coming weeks.”