Pittsburgh City Council defends proposed 15% pay raise

Pittsburgh City Council members on Tuesday defended a proposed pay raise for themselves, but froze the proposed increase until they could further consult with the city’s legal department and other officials.

Council President Theresa Kail-Smith said former Mayor Bill Peduto’s administration proposed boosting council members’ pay from $72,000 to $83,000 — more than 15%. The pay increases were included in the 2022 budget.

There was opportunity for public comment and discussion during the budget process. Kail-Smith said council members never heard any concerns about the proposed pay raise.

City Council Budget Manager Michael Strelic said council has had the authority to authorize pay increases for several years, though it hasn’t done so. He estimated that council members could be making up to $150,000 today if council had taken the maximum allowed salary increases over the years.

Despite freezing the pay increase, Kail-Smith and other members of council defended the measure, saying it was necessary and done publicly.

Councilwoman Deb Gross said the average salary for a city employee in 2020 was around $76,470 — more than what council members made.

“More than half of city employees were bringing home more money than City Council members — some 1,500 city employees, in fact, were bringing home more money that City Council members,” she said.

Kail-Smith said a pay raise could help ensure that qualified people want to run for City Council. If the salary is too low, she said, talented people may pass on running for council.

Kail-Smith said she and other council members would not have any further discussions on the matter publicly until they conferred with the city’s legal department and other officials.

“We’re trying to be responsible,” she said. “But we are still working with our controller, with our budget office (and) with the mayor’s office.”