Mayor Ed Gainey Issues Statement On Comprehensive Plan Contract

The separation of powers between the Mayor and City Council on entering into contracts is clear. Section 510 of the Home Rule Charter vests the City Council with the power to authorize a contract before the Mayor and city departments are able to enter into one. Once authorized by Council, the Mayor and the executive branch have sole authority to negotiate, execute, and carry out the terms of a contract, including terms relating to termination.  

Council Bills 2482 and 2483 purport to “authorize and direct” the Mayor to terminate contracts associated with the completion of the Comprehensive Plan. These contracts were duly authorized by Council in 2024. Under the terms of the Home Rule Charter, the Mayor does not require Council’s authorization to terminate a contract, nor does Council have the authority to compel the Mayor to terminate a contract. Accordingly, Mayor Gainey is not bound by Council Bills 2482 and 2483 to take any actions relating to the Comprehensive Plan contracts and does not plan to do so. These bills reflect a legislative overreach that is at odds with the legal foundation of Pittsburgh’s City Government.  ~Mayor Ed Gainey