City of Pittsburgh Residents Invited to Provide Input on the 2021 Operating Budget

PITTSBURGH, PA (September 10, 2020) The City of Pittsburgh is seeking input on the 2021 Operating Budget. Given projections of decreased revenue in 2020 and uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, input from residents is more important than ever before to ensure that the City can continue to provide critical services in an equitable manner.

Following three 2021 Capital Budget Forums hosted earlier this summer, the City of Pittsburgh is hosting an online 2021 Operating Budget Forum to discuss and collect input on the 2021 Operating Budget. The City is providing a survey through its EngagePGH Platform, and is highlighting several other ways to engage:

1. Understand the Operating Budget. The Budget Guide is the very first section of the full operating document and offers insight into how the City of Pittsburgh operates. Find it here.
2. Complete the 2021 Operating Budget public input survey, available on the City's new online engagement portal here. The surveys are due Friday, October 16th, 2020. Residents who do not have digital access or require language access can call 311 to complete the survey over the telephone.
3. Attend an education forum. The Operating Budget Public Forum will be held on September 16, 2020 at 6 p.m. via Zoom. The forum will include staff from the Office of Management and Budget, the Department of Finance, and the Department of Law. Sign up for the forum here. Those who do not wish to participate in the forum can view it live or view a recording later at youtube.com/citychannelpittsburgh.
4. Submit a draft budget through Balancing Act, the City of Pittsburgh's participatory budgeting tool. The tool can be found here. Balancing Act also allows residents to see an unofficial breakdown of how their tax dollars are spent each year through the Tax Receipt Tool. 
5. Watch City Council budget hearings. Residents can find the meeting schedule here.

The Operating Budget functions as the legal financial plan for the City of Pittsburgh. Expenditures are spread across all City Departments, Bureaus, and Elected Offices. These expenditures represent costs resulting from the administration and distribution of governmental services. These services include, but are not limited to:

• Public safety (police, fire, emergency medical services, animal care and control)
• Refuse collection
• Snow removal
• Issuance of permits and licenses
• Maintenance and programming for City of Pittsburgh parks and community recreation centers

In addition, the General Fund also supports the routine administration of local government that includes employee wages and health benefits, workers’ compensation benefits, utility and fuel usage, the funding of municipal pension plans, and debt service.

Recordings of Capital Budget Forums from earlier this year can be found at the City's Youtube page here. Residents are still able to provide input on the 2021 Capital Budget through Balancing Act here.

For more information on how to engage with the 2021 Operating Budget, please visit: https://pittsburghpa.gov/omb/operating-budget-engagement. Questions and comments can be directed to: OMBoperating@pittsburghpa.gov.