Pittsburgh enacts hiring freeze as tax revenues dry up during pandemic

Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto, faced with evaporating tax revenue caused by the coronavirus pandemic, on Monday announced a halt on filling 64 vacant positions across city government.

The hiring freeze will save approximately $3 million in budgeted salaries, according to the Mayor’s Office.

Peduto lauded city employees for their work during the pandemic, particularly those in the field.

“We have to put on hold these new hires, however, to help fill the ever-widening holes showing up in our budget due to this crisis,” the mayor said in a statement.

Peduto has said the city faces a $127 million deficit in 2020 and the loss of $239 million from 2020-24. He’s pleaded repeatedly for federal aid.

Last week, city Controller Michael Lamb said the city could be heading toward mass layoffs in 2021 without financial assistance from Congress and the Trump administration.

Congressional leaders have promised funding for municipalities in its next round of covid-19 subsidies.

Lamb said he supports the hiring freeze.

“I think there’s one simple rule: When you’re in a hole the first thing you do is stop digging,” he said. “It think it’s a good first step in starting to consider what our financial future is going to be.”

The hiring freeze includes a reduction in the number of police recruit classes from three to two, firefighter candidates in an upcoming recruit class from 32 to 24 and a hold on a new class of paramedics scheduled for October.

Hiring a chief financial officer also is on hold.

The Mayor’s Office also is seeking a 10% cut in departmental budgets, but is not considering layoffs or other downsizing at this point.