🏀 Why Pittsburgh's police chief is taking a pay cut

Larry Scirotto’s Salary Cut with Reffing Gig

In an exclusive one-on-one this week, Mayor Ed Gainey told City Cast Pittsburgh that the police chief’s $184,000 base salary will be trimmed. “There'll be a slight reduction,” Gainey said.

• Scirotto, who reportedly threatened to resign if he didn’t get to resume refereeing Big Ten college basketball games part-time, says he’ll work up to 64 games between now and March. [City of Pittsburgh]
• Gainey tells podcast host Megan Harris he’s “very confident” that policing, and particularly the city’s declining homicide rate, won’t be affected during Scirotto’s absence, but “if there's a situation where there's a spike for any reason… then we will make the necessary changes to address that.” [WPXI / City Cast Pittsburgh]
• Scirotto called it "an exciting first for our city and for Pittsburgh’s youth" and said he'll be able to "connect the city’s youth sports initiatives to sports programs in the city, and now college basketball." By this, Gainey says the city is looking at opportunities to take Pittsburgh kids to Big Ten games and introduce them to off-court sports careers. The nearest Big Ten schools include Penn State and The Ohio State. [WPXI / 🎧 City Cast Pittsburgh]

Gainey on City Finances, WNBA Chances & More

But like, is the city going broke again? Mayor Ed Gainey explains his 2025 budget; why he didn’t propose a tax increase like the county did; and why he stands by a provision that some say could negate his sweeping new zoning reform plan. Plus, Pittsburgh looks poised to shoot its shot toward a WNBA expansion team. [🎧 City Cast Pittsburgh]

Downtown Shelter To Reopen

Unhoused residents are expected to move back into Second Avenue Commons next week — five months after a fire forced it to close. This announcement comes right after city officials cleared a homeless encampment along Grant Street. [TribLive / KDKA]

• Allegheny County has a new winter shelter plan. It’s ditching the “code blue” system that opens shelters during extremely cold temps and instead increasing shelter space no matter the weather starting Nov. 15. [90.5 WESA]