Presenter
Presented by Mr. Motznik
Title
Resolution Amending the City Council and City Clerk's Office 2008 operating budgets to comply with the Act 47 Plan of 2004.
Body
WHEREAS, on November 7, 2003, the City filed an application to be declared a distressed municipality pursuant to the authority of the Municipalities Financial Recovery Act, Act of July 10, 1987, P.L. 246, No. 47, Section 101 et seq., as amended, 53 P.S. 11701.101 et seq. ("Act 47").
WHEREAS, on December 29, 2003, the Secretary of the Commonwealth's Department of Community and Economic Development (the "Secretary") declared the City to be a distressed municipality and in due course appointed a Coordinator to oversee the City's economic recovery; and
WHEREAS, after receiving comments from the public as well as City officials on a preliminary Financial Recovery Plan, on June 11, 2004, the Coordinator filed a final Act 47 Recovery Plan for the City's review and approval; and
WHEREAS, on June 29, 2004, City Council enacted Ordinance 10 of 2004 adopting the Act 47 Recovery Plan (the "Plan") proposed by the Coordinator; and
WHEREAS, Ordinance No. 10 of 2004 authorized and instructed the City Clerk and City Solicitor to prepare for adoption any necessary related ordinances, resolutions, agreements and other documents and revisions to ordinances, resolutions, agreements and other documents necessary to implement the Recovery Plan; and
WHEREAS, the Recovery Plan required that the City enact such new ordinances and adopt such new resolutions and other official actions, and repeal, amend or interpret such current ordinances, resolutions or other official actions, and take all other actions required, to accomplish the initiatives set forth in the Recovery Plan; and
WHEREAS, certain revisions to certain City ordinances were prepared by the City and subsequently enacted by City Council through the enactment of Ordinance No. 21 of 2004, effective December 13, 2004; and
WHEREAS, in discussions and preliminary voting pertaining to Bill 2008-0154, the Council of the City of Pittsburgh has indicated an interest in adhering to the Act 47 Plan in as many instances as possible; and
WHEREAS, the City Administration has treated the Act 47 Plan as a "financial roadmap" and enacted the recommendations that have best served the City of Pittsburgh; and
WHEREAS, this approach has resulted in a structurally balanced budget, a healthy fund balance, a Pay-as-you-go Capital budget, no new debt issuance, and expenditure reduction by $150 million more than called for in the original Act 47 Recovery Plan; and
WHEREAS, despite these obvious successes, as well as the reality that many of the original recommendations could not and should not be implemented, as well as the fact that the original plan has not been updated in four years, City Council continues to reference the Act 47 Plan as a mandatory document and should therefore fully implement those recommendations in the Act 47 Plan regarding the City Council and the City Clerk's Office; and
WHEREAS, while the Act 47 Plan recommended at EL 02 that the City combine the budgets of the City Council and the City Clerk beginning in FY2005, beginning with 2007, the City Clerk's Office and City Council are budgeted separately; and
WHEREAS, while the Act 47 Plan recommended at EL 03 that Council reduce to no more than $65,000 the amount budgeted to each Council member for "administration/research", the current Council District allotment is $82,872; and
WHEREAS, the Act 47 Plan recommended at EL 03 that Council consider further reductions in the amount allocated to each member and review whether a small pool of these administrative positions could jointly serve all of Council.
Be it resolved by the Council of the City of Pittsburgh as follows:
Section 1. The City Controller is hereby directed to combine the 2008 operating budgets for City Council and the City Clerks Office within the same Organization Code (Org 101100) as specified in Act 47 Recommendation EL02. With the exception of Subclass 010 - Salaries, which is detailed in Section 2 of this resolution, funding allocated to each sub-class shall remain the same.
Section 2. The Council of the City of Pittsburgh shall reorganize its staffing consistent with Act 47 Recommendation EL03, which reduces the amount for administrative staff to $65,000 per Council Member. This action would reduce the total staff costs for aides to City Council by district from $745,851 to $585,000. The budgetary savings of $160,851 from this reduction should be transferred to the Department of Public Safety - Bureau of Police, Equipment subclass (Org 230000, Sub 120, Account 543000, Budget Year 2008).