Pittsburgh council members grant themselves 6.3% raise

Pittsburgh City Council members will earn more in 2022 than the year before but less than what was originally proposed by the outgoing mayor.

Council unanimously, by a 9-0 vote, approved a resolution during a special meeting Saturday afternoon that set the pay for city workers and ultimately raised the annual salaries for the nine council members.

Originally pitched by former Mayor Bill Peduto as part of the 2022 budget, council members would have received a 15% salary hike from $72,000 to $83,000 this year.

A revised plan to lower the raise to $74,377 was expected to be approved Saturday, but was altered following an hour-long executive session conducted by council behind closed doors. Council returned to public session and without comment approved an amended resolution that set their new salary at $76,544, a more than $4,500 increase from what they earned last year.

Council’s new salary represents a 6.3% increase.

“After speaking with our law department of the city of Pittsburgh this salary of $76,544 is within the home rule charter,” said Council President Theresa Kail-Smith.

Kail-Smith previously defended the pay hike, saying council needed to ensure the position was compensated well enough to entice talented people to run for office. Councilwoman Deb Gross last week said that about half of the city’s employees made more than council members, based on data from 2020.