This week Pittsburgh City Council will consider extending the life of the Oakland Business Improvement District and to levy a special assessment on the property in the boundaries of the District. The assessment will be around 3.8 mills on land and buildings with specific dollar amounts that the levy is to raise for “…administrative services and improvements permitted by the Act and not essential government services provided by Pittsburgh City government.”
A 1996 state law permitted the creation of business improvement districts and that same year the Allegheny Institute produced an analysis of the Downtown Pittsburgh Improvement District. The state law empowers cities of the second class (Pittsburgh) to provide administrative services in addition to the powers granted to all other governing bodies in relation to their role in improvement districts (establishing boundaries, expend money for feasibility studies, carry out improvements in the district, and to accept or acquire property or rights of way for improvements).
The resolution under consideration describes the board of the Oakland District, auditing requirements, and sunset provisions.