Mayor Ed Gainey to hold town hall meetings to gather feedback on proposed budgets

Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey has scheduled a series of town hall meetings and is offering online tools to help city residents provide feedback on his proposed 2023 capital and operating budgets.

The Mayor’s Office will host three in-person town hall meetings. Each meeting will include a brief explanation of the budgets and officials will highlight some of the mayor’s major initiatives. Residents will then have an opportunity to ask questions and offer feedback.

The meetings will be held:

• 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 19 at the Homewood-Brushton YMCA at 7140 Bennett St.
• 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22 at West End Healthy Active Living Center at 80 Wabash St.
• 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 23 at Ebenezer Baptist Church at 2001 Wylie Ave.

The city also launched an online tax receipt tool, which estimates how much of a person’s 2023 property and income tax would go to specific departments and projects.

Another online tool allows people to submit their own ideas for the operating and capital budgets through an online budget simulation. The simulations allow residents to craft their own budgets and explain their decisions.

Surveys, links and other tools regarding the 2023 budgets are available on the city’s EngagePGH platform.

Gainey released his preliminary budgets late last month. They do not include a tax increase.

“Our budget is a reflection of our values as a city,” Gainey said. “I tasked my administration to propose a budget centered on our core values of safe neighborhoods, welcoming communities and thriving people.”

Related:

• Mayor Ed Gainey releases preliminary 2023 Pittsburgh budget with no tax increase

All feedback gathered from residents will be directed to the appropriate city departments, as well as the Mayor’s Office and City Council.

“This is an important opportunity to make your voice heard, and I hope you join us,” Gainey said.

The mayor began gathering community input regarding the 2023 budgets in May.

Anyone with questions regarding the operating budget is asked to send them to OMBoperating@pittsburghpa.gov. Questions regarding the capital budget should be directed to cip@pittsburghpa.gov.

Anyone who needs accommodations to participate in one of the city’s budget events should contact the city’s ADA coordinator at least two business days before the event at ada@pittsburghpa.gov.