Here is the cure for fatigue from the state’s budget impasse and all that goes with it, including a warning this week that from the Treasurer and Auditor General that the General Fund’s balance is expected to fall below zero tomorrow: let’s look at the City of Pittsburgh’s budget, which is now well into its 2017 fiscal year that began January 1st. It won’t be long before the 2018 budget process begins (based on the budget’s narrative, “the Mayor submits a preliminary budget to the Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority (ICA) for approval. This submission occurs 100 days prior to the end of the fiscal year”).
Through the end of July, using the City’s fiscal focus tool available through the Controller’s website, the City has collected $345 million of its $545 million budgeted revenue (66%), with 95% of its largest revenue source, the property tax collected. The City has budgeted $136 million from that revenue source this year. For all taxes (wage, parking, payroll prep, etc.) about 70% has been collected by the end of July ($295 million of $440 million).
On the expenditure side, the City spent $304.3 million through the end of July (the total budget is $541.7 million), and spent $51.5 million in the month of July. This includes the new Department of Mobility and Infrastructure that was created at the end of last year. The Department’s expenditures for 2017 was a total of $439,000 and through July $207,000 had been spent. As with most departments, the majority of that expenditure was for salaries and benefits.
