City Council Give Preliminary Approval To 5 Year Plan

Pittsburgh City Council met today to discuss the city's 5 year financial recovery plan.Council eventually gave initial approval to the five year plan setting the stage for a final vote next week. Council gave initial approval only after approving multiple amendments to the plan. The proposed amendments now go the act 47 coordinators for approval. The act 47 team has the oversight power to decide what proposed amendments it wants to add. Some of the amendments proposed by City Council include urging the state to create enabling legislation for a payroll tax on non-profits, changes in pension plans for new city employee's, adding a 5th week of vacation time for city employee's who lost their 5th week in the initial 5 year plan, and exploring combining the city police homicide departments major crimes unit with the county's. Many council members expressed their intention on how they plan on voting for the final plan regardless of what proposed amendments are adopted. Councilman Reverend Ricky Burgess said he is voting to approve the plan no matter what and councilman Patrick Dowd said he is voting against it. Other members of council said they will decide how to vote only after seeing what amendments the act 47 team adds to the plan.