PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl addressed The Pittsburgh City Council for perhaps the last time on Tuesday, outlining his proposed $480 million budget and $52.5 million capital spending plan for next year.
(This article was written by Bob Bauder, who is a staff writer for Channel 11’s news exchange partners at TribLIVE.)
In a presentation that lasted less than five minutes, Ravenstahl said the budget includes $25 million for “pay-as-you-go” capital spending and $5 million more than the city's required payment for employee pensions. It does not raise taxes.
The capital budget includes $7 million for street paving, $6.2 million for new city vehicles and $30 million on an array of quality-of-life projects, including spray parks, senior centers and ball fields.
“We have brought financial stability back to city government,” Ravenstahl said. “We have taken the city from the brink of bankruptcy to financial recovery and we have done it together. We made a promise to the people of Pittsburgh seven years ago and we have kept that promise.”
Council, city managers and Ravenstahl's closest advisers applauded the mayor as he entered council's chambers escorted by council President Darlene Harris and Councilman Ricky Burgess, who chairs council's Finance Committee, gave him a longer round of applause as he exited.
WPXI
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