200 Pittsburgh Public Schools students participate in town hall meeting on city budget

About 200 high school students from Pittsburgh Public Schools participated in a town hall meeting Tuesday where Mayor Ed Gainey discussed his recent budget proposal and sought their questions and recommendations.

“I want you to understand how your government spends money on you. It’s important that you know what’s going on,” Gainey said during the town hall at the University of Pittsburgh.

The high schoolers have been studying the city’s budgeting process in their classes. On Tuesday, they got to hear first-hand about it from Gainey and other administration officials.

“This is your city, too,” Deputy Chief of Staff Felicity Williams told the students. “It’s a city we want you to grow up in and we want you to stay here and help make (it) the most welcoming city possible. You are our future.”

Gainey released his preliminary budget last month. His administration is gathering public feedback on the budget before he presents it to City Council for approval next month.

In creating the budget, the Gainey administration prioritized “safe neighborhoods, welcoming communities and thriving people,” said Jake Pawlak, director of the Office of Management and Budget.

Pawlak highlighted proposed safety investments ranging from new swift-water rescue equipment, upgraded in-vehicle cameras for police and new initiatives to focus on bridge repairs. The city also would create a new position to investigate allegations of harassment and discrimination and add 15 drivers and 41 laborers to improve its snow response during the winter and maintain lots in the summer.

The budget also would enable the city to hire six new paramedics to improve emergency response times, Pawlak said.

Pawlak said the proposed budget also would include money to study ways the city could expand contracting with minority- and women-owned businesses and remove barriers for women looking to become city firefighters who can’t pass the required physical test.

The proposed budget also includes money to hire more environmental services workers, increased investments in affordable housing and additional funding for the city’s Department of Parks and Recreation to place greater emphasis on youth sports and provide raises for department staff, Pawlak said.

Related:

• Mayor Ed Gainey releases preliminary 2023 Pittsburgh budget with no tax increase

• Mayor Ed Gainey to hold town hall meetings to gather feedback on proposed budgets

As for capital improvements, Pawlak said money would be available for new equipment for firefighters, expanded traffic-calming measures, renovations at ball fields and recreation centers, new park equipment and a new chilling unit to keep Schenley Park Ice Rink open.

Lawrence Lecote, a freshman at Pittsburgh Science & Technology Academy, said his class wanted to see more funding for affordable housing initiatives.

“In different communities, we see a lot of homeless people,” he said.

Other students called for affordable transportation, access to fresh foods, a cleaner Downtown, drug rehabilitation programs, improved water quality, safer sidewalks and infrastructure repairs.