Pittsburgh City Council moves ahead with effort to create Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs

Pittsburgh City Council on Wednesday advanced legislation that would create an office dedicated to supporting immigrants and refugees, despite concerns about creating a new city office only weeks before Mayor-elect Ed Gainey’s administration takes office.

The Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs would help connect immigrants and refugees with resources and benefits offered throughout city, county, state and federal government and private organizations. It also would advise other city offices on engaging the immigrant and refugee population.

The city already offers such services through the Welcoming Pittsburgh Initiative, which was established in 2014. The initiative is currently housed in the Office of Equity.

City Council introduced the measure to expand the program into an independent office in early November. No council members objected to the concept, but some expressed concern about creating a new office during Mayor Bill Peduto’s last weeks in office.

Council put the effort on pause for nearly a month after Council members Ricky Burgess and Deb Gross voiced concerns about making a new office during a mayoral transition period. Burgess said the initiative could continue its work without becoming a separate office, at least until the new mayor was in office. Councilman R. Daniel Lavelle said he had questions about the potential office’s budgetary impacts.

The measure came back before City Council Wednesday for a preliminary vote.

Though he initially recommended holding the legislation until Gainey took office, Burgess on Wednesday said he felt City Council was within its rights to implement the new office before then.

“Council alone has the authority to organize government,” he said.

Gross, however, remained opposed.

“I’m not supportive of the timing,” she said.

There was no discussion regarding a potential budget for the new office.

Gross voted against the measure, but all other council members voted to recommend it in the preliminary vote. A final vote is expected next week.