Mayor Bill Peduto submits preliminary 2022 city budget with no tax hike

Mayor Bill Peduto on Thursday submitted his preliminary 2022 city budget to City Council that does not propose any tax increases.

The budget includes a proposed $611.75 million operating budget and capital budget of nearly $159 million the Mayor’s Office said in a statement.

The preliminary budget includes continued record investments in infrastructure improvements including paving, bridges and landslide repairs. It also for record spending on the city’s parks, including the first year of citywide parks tax revenue and paying for free park programs.

It also grants funding to initiatives like the city’s 2030 Climate Action goals, including the citywide deployment of LED street lights and expansion of the city’s electric vehicle fleet. Others are Avenues of Hope, small businesses and affordable housing initiatives in partnership with the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh. The budget aims to address the needs of underserved communities in the city through the Office of Community Health and Safety and the Office of Community Services and Violence Prevention.

The city implemented a new tool this year, called ResourceX, which allowed for a data-driven approach to budget decisions centered around equity and climate. Budget requests from city staff created insights on how their requests could help the city achieve its climate action goals and reduce costs citywide.

“We’ve worked hard over the past seven years to develop and institutionalize a city that works for you, and this preliminary budget builds off the promises I made to our residents as mayor,” Peduto said. “Because of our years of financial management, we were able to withstand the pandemic without laying off city workers who provide front line, essential services to all residents.

”The reality is that we all took a hit, and just as our communities are still recovering from the beginning of the pandemic, our budgets are, too. These budgets do not have frills, but they do reinforce my commitment to delivering relief and services that improve our city’s people, performance, place and planet so that our residents have a strong and sustainable city.”

The budget includes federal American Rescue Plan pandemic relief funding.

The Peduto administration will collaborate with City Council and other city leaders to make adjustments to the preliminary budget before formally submitting it to City Council on Nov. 8.

Changes to the budgets can be made after that date at the discretion of City Council.