There is something about a funeral that makes people want to give comfort with food. Showing up with a casserole or a cake is so common, it is the stereotypical expression of support.

But that is how neighbors grieve with neighbors. It is not what we expect from government.

Yet Pittsburgh city government stepped up that way when Councilman Khari Mosley’s father died. Thaddeus Mosley was a world-renowned sculptor whose work does not just pepper the Steel City; it has been showcased in Los Angeles, New York and Paris. He died in March at 99.

The city did not send a lasagna or a Bundt cake, however. Council President R. Daniel Lavelle authorized a $608 expenditure for catering, including chicken, wraps, deviled eggs, trays of nibbles, cookies and soda.

Is this a kind gesture? Absolutely. It is a generous and empathetic expression from colleagues upon the passing of not just a loved one but a local treasure.

The problem is that it wasn’t $76 from each of the other eight council members pitching in to cover a gift to a co-worker. The expense was made on a city purchasing card — a credit card used for authorized expenses.

If the purchasing card — or p-card — sounds familiar, it is because improper use of the cards to pay a vendor rather than going through proper channels created a problem in 2024. It was identified by the controller’s office. The funeral catering came to light the same way.

Let’s be clear: This does not seem to be an incident of abuse. It’s an example of a kind gesture that would be perfectly understandable and even laudable if Mosley worked for a law firm and the partners wanted to take such steps.

But we aren’t talking about a corporation or a partnership where the movers and shakers are within their authority to act with impunity.

Pittsburgh is a government entity where the money comes from taxpayers. More than that, the city is in a financial position the same controller’s office has identified as dire. On Monday, council unanimously approved a $28 million addition to the 2026 budget to cover shortfalls identified in former Mayor Ed Gainey’s plans and recommendations from new Mayor Corey O’Connor.

Perhaps $608 in chicken strips and deviled eggs sounds like a drop in the bucket compared with $28 million. It is, after all, just 0.002%.

But Pittsburgh is in a position where it cannot afford to ignore the pennies in its budget, let alone a few hundred dollars. City leaders have to recognize that. They should acknowledge that working for the city, even in an elected position, is not the same as working for a Fortune 500 company.

The easy fix here is for council members to chip in to cover the cost and perhaps create a policy to address how to approach these situations in the future.

It would not just correct the financial foible. It would correct the faux pas of a well-intentioned act that didn’t need to become a misstep.

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