Mayor Ed Gainey Delivers 2024 State of the City Address

Published on November 12, 2024

Providing an update on the State of the City, Mayor Gainey highlighted his administration’s efforts to trim spending, while improving core services 

Pittsburgh, PA – On Tuesday, November 12, Mayor Ed Gainey presented his 2025 Budget Proposal to the City of Pittsburgh.  The budget details his vision to protect and build on his administration’s work to restore core services for residents, increase the availability of affordable housing, and revitalize Downtown Pittsburgh, to name a few key areas of interest.  By utilizing the two strategies of 1) making government work well and 2) making it work for every Pittsburgher, his plan continues investments into maintaining critical infrastructure and ensuring public safety. 

The proposed budget shows that the administration is prepared for the city’s fiscal future through preparation and foresight of the two upcoming lean years when the city cannot rely on American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars.  

The budget proposal continues the necessary investment in the city’s Bridge Asset Management Program, traffic calming projects to further the Mayor’s “Vision Zero” strategy, and street paving. It also builds upon the administration’s investments in a wholistic vision for public safety with increased staffing for additional social workers in the Office of Community Health and Safety as well as continued investment into civilianizing roles in the Bureau of Police to allow more officers to return to patrol or investigation duties in the community.  The 2025 budget also includes commitments to recruiting and training candidates for all three Public Safety Bureaus - Police, Fire, and EMS. 

The proposed budget reflects the Gainey Administration’s core belief to center the daily lives of Pittsburgh residents in the work of city government. 

“This budget demonstrates that my administration continues to hear the needs of our residents and how they want the government to work for them,” said Mayor Ed Gainey. “We always knew the next two years would be financially difficult, but through smart and deliberate planning, we’re able to provide a balance budget without any tax increases or reduction in core services.” 

One way the City has been able to find additional revenue and protect the bottom line is through the direct collection of delinquent real estate taxes. The move to self-perform this work in the Finance Department has increased prior year real state revenue by 83-percent this year, largely offsetting income refunded as a result of real estate tax appeals.  

“We’ve presented a fiscal plan that is honest about the financial challenges in 2025 and 2026, while ensuring that we continue delivering a high level of service for our residents, focus on completing capital projects that have long been stalled, and responsibly plan for our city’s future,” said Deputy Mayor Jake Pawlak. 

During his budget address, Mayor Gainey noted important investments proposed in the 2025 budget as well as the impact work of his administration has had since 2022.  Some of the investments and impacts include:  

Department Public Works 

• Addition of a new plumbing foreman: Certified, master plumber will train and certify new plumbing apprentices to increase capacity to address plumbing needs in our parks and facilities 
• Combat illegal dumping and blight: addition of eight Anti-Litter Inspectors and three lot coordinators  

Public Safety 

• Addition of new police civilian positions: to allow sworn officers to return to patrol and investigations work in the community 
• Expansion of the Violence Interruption Program: to connect residents at risk to resources before they become victims to gun violence 
• Funding allocated to Automated Red Light Enforcement Program: this includes funding for the program itself and a new position that will oversee the city’s transition to a smart traffic management program 
• Vision Zero: continued funding for the Neighborhood Traffic Calming Program 
• Expansion of Office of Community Health & Safety Co-response Program: to all zones and shifts 
• Continuation of the Freedom House EMT Academy: allows EMS to train its own EMTs, this budget makes this program permanent.  

Housing 

• Zoning Amendments: market-based reforms to eliminate barriers to housing production, and Inclusionary Zoning 
• Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grant: to preserve and expand affordable housing options in the Hill District  
• Affordable Housing Bond: that will allow investment of more than $30 million in affordable housing construction and preservation projects over the next three years 
• Downtown conversion investments: that will create approximately 1,000 new units of housing 
• OwnPGH Program: that has allowed 150 low-and moderate-income residents to purchase homes for the first time 

Development Plans 

• Launch of the new Building and Development Application: to simplify the application process for construction and development projects 
• Opening of One Stop PGH Counter: the brand new in-person permitting counter that will accept permit applications 
• Proposed Caps on PLI fees: with $8,000 for residential projects and $80,000 commercial projects 
• Support for a pilot program in City Planning: that will provide concierge-type service on certain projects 

Economic Development 

• Downtown Pittsburgh: 600-million-dollars of reinvestment that will create and preserve nearly 1,000 units of housing, remake critical public spaces, and increase resources for public safety and supportive services. 
• New Disparity Study: to fulfill the promise of the City’s procurement practices and D-B-E program 
• Regional Workforce Equity Agreement: in partnership with the Housing Authority of Pittsburgh and Urban Redevelopment Authority commits the agencies to utilize projects to make good jobs for residents who need them the most 
• LiveNation and Intro to the Trades’ 4Construction program: ensure continuation of building a pipeline of a skilled and diverse workforce with paid training opportunities
• Pittsburgh Prosperity Project: workers receive coordinated help clearing employment hurdles like finding childcare or securing transportation. 

Environmental Plan 

• Purchasing 40-percent of energy consumption: energy to be purchased from a wind farm in Ohio that reduces the city’s carbon footprint 
• Funding work to develop a Solar Farm: the solar farm will be developed on top of a slag heap, repurposing a literal mountain of industrial waste 
• Creating a Hazard Mitigation Plan: the plan will address the City’s flooding and landslide concerns 

Read Mayor Ed Gainey’s full 2025 Budget Address to Pittsburgh City Council here. 

Read the Mayor’s 2025 Capital Budget here and read the Mayor’s 2025 Operating Budget here. 

Mayor Ed Gainey will host a special Virtual Town Hall Meeting where he will break down his speech highlights and his proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year on Wednesday, November 13, 2024 at 6pm on Zoom.