Pittsburgh City Council approved a budget for 2026. Here's what's in it.
For many Pittsburgh City Council members, the budget battle for 2026 was hardly a joy to work out.
"I don't think anybody is happy, right? You got to do what you got to do," Councilperson Deb Gross said.
On Sunday, the council approved a 20% tax increase as part of the city's 2026 budget, sending it to Mayor Ed Gainey's desk. The council voted to increase the city's property tax rate from 8.06 mills to 9.67 mills, which equals about $164 more a year for a home assessed at $100,000.
All told, the proposal is hoped to bring in about $28 million a year. Councilperson Barb Warwick said the council dug deep into the numbers, telling KDKA, "I would say we are now stable. There's not too much wiggle room, but we are in a much better place."
The new budget puts $10 million into the city's aging emergency and public works vehicles, $6.5 million toward utilities, and $8 million toward fire and EMS overtime.
Councilperson Bobby Wilson, one of three council members who voted against the budget, said there are ways to increase the revenue stream, including parking. Wilson believes, as he put it, "We're not charging for certain hours of parking. We could increase the amount of revenue that we get from parking."
With the possibility of increased property tax rates for city residents, Warwick said she wants residents to check out the county's property assessment web page because there could be ways to bring down their bill.
"If you live in the home that you are looking up, take $15,000 off of that assessed value. If you are a senior or a low-income senior, you get 40 percent off your taxes. It's important for folks to understand that and to make sure they're doing that when they do pay their taxes," she said.