💸 City passes 20% tax increase

City Passes Budget With 20% Tax Increase

In a rare Sunday session, Pittsburgh City Council passed a $693 million spending plan with a 20% property tax increase. Mayor Ed Gainey’s office said the administration is concerned about the increase and other changes to his original budget proposal but hasn’t said if he would veto the plan. If it goes into effect, annual taxes on a house assessed at $100,000 will go up by $105. [TribLIVE / Post-Gazette 🔒]

• The city is dealing with a precarious financial situation. [🎧 City Cast Pittsburgh]

Mayor Gainey Talks Budget & Accomplishments

Mayor Ed Gainey has two weeks left in office, and one of his final decisions will be whether to endorse the city’s first tax increase in over a decade. It's a dramatic end to his history-making turn as Pittsburgh's first Black mayor. City Cast Pittsburgh podcast host Megan Harris sits down with Gainey to talk about his legacy and his surprising pick for the city's biggest opportunity and challenge in 2026. [🎧 City Cast Pittsburgh]

ICE Violently Detains Man in Mt. Washington

Witnesses said they saw federal agents hit, tackle, pepper spray, and arrest a Latino man on Norton Street in Mount Washington. Local police responded to the scene, but the bureau says they were not cooperating with ICE. Immigration-related arrests are on the rise in the Pittsburgh region. [TribLive / Public Source]

Pittsburgh VA May Cut 10% of Jobs

The Department of Veterans Affairs could cut up to 35,000 health care jobs nationwide, including positions at the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, according to a memo. A local VA spokesperson says the information in the memo is inaccurate but did not clarify how many positions are being eliminated. [TribLIVE]