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Resolution implementing a spending freeze on non-essential City of Pittsburgh expenditures and obligations.
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WHEREAS, to preserve the basics that keep the City of Pittsburgh functioning and to protect payroll to the greatest extent possible, while accounting foreseeable overages and unplanned emergencies or litigation, City Council has determined that austerity requires hard decisions need to be made about discretionary spending; and
WHEREAS, the current proposed budget makes unclear the gap between City revenues and likely, foreseeable City expenditures, such as but not limited to overtime, fleet maintenance and the new cost of water to the City, and it further is unclear what if any reliable set aside is available for unplanned emergencies or litigation; and
WHEREAS, until City Council is satisfied that the budget proposed for 2026 is clear and certifiable pursuant to local and State laws, a spending freeze on non-essential City of Pittsburgh expenditures and obligations is in the best interests of the people of Pittsburgh.
Be it resolved by the Council of the City of Pittsburgh as follows:
Section 1. The City of Pittsburgh hereby resolves to ensure the core work of City services and public safety continues; therefore, the following changes will go into effect October 23, 2025:
• A freeze on the hiring of all currently vacant and any newly vacated positions except Department Directorships or Bureau Chiefs, and those essential positions directly serving within the Office of the Mayor (OMB is not exempted as it is a Department), and except those essential positions directly serving City Council, the Department of Public Works and the Department of Public Safety.
• A freeze on the use of City procurement cards except for City Council, the Department of Parks & Recreation, the Department of Public Works and the Department of Public Safety.
• A freeze on non-essential purchases. If a City officer or employee is unsure whether or not a purchase is essential or non-essential, they shall submit the question for the potential purchases to the City’s Chief Financial Officer, who in turn will review and either approve or reject said purchase in writing.
• A freeze on non-essential City travels out of the City limits, except for travel that is mandated.
• A freeze on non-essential overtime, except for the Department of Parks & Recreation, the Department of Public Works and the Department of Public Safety.
• A freeze on all non-city personnel transactions from The Stop The Violence Fund; The Office of Community Health and the City’s Recreation Centers will continue to get their allotted funding during this freeze.
• A freeze on the execution of new or renewed contractual agreements, except for the Department of Parks & Recreation, the Department of Public Works and the Department of Public Safety.
• A freeze on the execution of new or renewed grant awards from the Mayor’s Office and from City Departments to individuals, nonprofit organizations or other organizations that are not political subdivisions.
Section 2. The City of Pittsburgh hereby resolves to ensure the core work of City services and public safety continues; therefore, the following changes will go into effect October 23, 2025:
• The City’s Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer are hereby authorized and directed to collect all revenue due and owing to the City of Pittsburgh including but not limited to City income tax owed by new property owners in the City of Pittsburgh, fees associated with fire alarms, bus shelters, billboards and telecommunication assets.
• The City’s Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer shall submit to City Council via the Clerk’s Office, a summary of collection efforts itemized by receivable, indicating amounts collected, amounts owed, and amounts from accounts in on-going collection efforts within 30 days within the enactment of this resolution and then quarterly until this resolution is repealed.