Title
REPORT
HOMELAND SECURITY
FUNDING FOR THE
CITY OF PITTSBURGH
Report by the
Office of City Controller
TOM FLAHERTY
CITY CONTROLLER
Anthony Pokora, Deputy Controller
Anabell Kinney, Esq., Management Auditor
Gloria Novak, MED, Assistant Management Auditor
PERFORMANCE AUDITORS:
Trudy Hoover, MIR
Bette Ann Puharic
Mike Turpin, Support Staff
January, 2005
January 31, 2005
To the Honorables: Mayor Tom Murphy
and Members of Pittsburgh City Council:
The Office of City Controller is pleased to present this report on the City's Homeland Security Funding. The report examines whether the City has maximized available federal funding for homeland security.
Federal homeland security funds became available after the September 11 attacks to increase local preparedness and ability to deal with terrorist attacks. The Department of Homeland Security issues grants to the states which then are responsible for distributing funds through application requests. Pittsburgh, along with 13 surrounding counties, comprises Pennsylvania Region 13. The Region 13 Task Force is responsible for assessing the needs of its region and submitting approved equipment and training applications to the State for reimbursement.
The City requested $3.8 million for equipment and training in 2003 and $4.5 million in 2004. To date, the City has not yet received any of its 2003 and 2004 funding requests.
A federal Task Force on State and Local Homeland Security Funding identified obstacles that have caused delays in federal funds reaching local government. These factors are outside the City's control. However, it also appears that untimely submissions by the City may also be a factor in the delayed funding.
The City's 2003 application for equipment was submitted to the State in March 2004 and its 2004 application was just submitted on November 5, 2004. City officials state tha...
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