|
| | Should County Councilors Get More Resources? | Allegheny County council members serve part-time and receive an annual stipend of about $11,000 with no benefits, which means many members hold separate, full-time jobs. The intention was for county councilors to be “regular people,” not professional politicians. Yet they often spend 30-50 hours a week on county business. | | A new ballot measure could amend the home rule charter to allow members to hire staff, open district offices, and receive benefits such as pensions and healthcare. [WESA] | | Here’s the full text voters will see on their November ballots: | | Shall Article III, Subsection 7(c) of Allegheny County's Home Rule Charter be repealed in order to remove restrictions on County Council members' ability to receive County funding for personal staff, district offices, and fringe benefits? |
| | - Proponents of the measure say council would be more responsive to constituents and act more proactively if they had access to personal staff — right now, three full-time staffers serve all 15 members. [KDKA]
- Critics say the county is already struggling to balance its budget, and taxpayers shouldn’t subsidize council members’ personal benefits. They say that council is meant to act like a company’s board of directors — not full-time executives. [WESA]
- For comparison, the nine members of Pittsburgh’s city council are full-time city employees and receive a salary of almost $90,000. The county executive, controller, treasurer, district attorney, and sheriff are also full-time employees with six figure salaries. [League of Women Voters]
- TLDR: Voting “No” on the ballot measure means maintaining the status quo for county council members. Voting “Yes” opens the possibility of council members receiving more resources — though the total budget for council will remain the same and members will still receive $11,000 per year.
| | Council members themselves are mixed on this proposal. We discussed what the ballot measure means, along with other takes about the upcoming election, on a recent pod. [City Cast Pittsburgh] |
|
|
|
| What Else Pittsburgh's Talking About |
|  | The new Gateside program means you can also eat food and shop in the post-security restaurants and stores. (Mallory Falk / City Cast Pittsburgh) |
| Say Farewell To Loved Ones Gateside at PIT | Airport visitors can now access gates without a ticket — but only if you have TSA Precheck, which costs $85! There’s no additional cost to be gateside, but you must apply for a pass one to three days before your planned visit, and it's good for one day. [WPXI / TSA] | - Back in 2017, the airport had a program called myPITpass that also allowed non-ticketed visitors to go through security. It was paused during the pandemic. [Blue Sky News]
| | Already? City’s Christmas Tree Selected | A 38-foot tree from Brighton Heights will serve as Pittsburgh’s official Christmas tree this year. It will be decked out on the City-Council Building’s portico (the grand entrance on Grant Street) with all manner of decorations, including 90 unique ornaments that each represent one of the city’s 90 neighborhoods. [TribLive / City of Pittsburgh] | - The official tree lighting is Nov. 21, which is also Light Up Night Downtown.
- A giant, 12-foot menorah will also be placed in front of the City-County Building. The official menorah lighting will take place on Dec. 4, the first day of Hanukkah.
- Did you know there was a Supreme Court case about Pittsburgh's menorah display? [City Cast Pittsburgh]
| | $100 For Running Red Lights | Drivers at three busy intersections in Point Breeze, Beechview, and the North Shore will now receive a $100 citation if they blow through a red light. Traffic cameras will automatically record and identify any violators. [WPXI] | - More intersections are getting automated red-light cameras soon in Shadyside, Manchester, and Squirrel Hill South. [City of Pittsburgh]
|
|
|
|
|
| | | It’s time for recommendations from our City Cast Pittsburgh Neighbors 📣 This is a regular spot in the newsletter where members get to shine a light on their favorite local businesses, organizations, and events. | - 🥯 Ed H. wants to shout out Pigeon Bagels: “Best bagels, best people, best vibe.” And! You can enjoy your bagel at the nearby Davis Playground.
- 🛍️ Courtney C. wants to shout out a few small businesses before the holiday season. She recommends Happy Lil Canvases (a favorite among many of us here at City Cast Pittsburgh), and Zenspire Designs.
| | Want to share your own shoutout? Become a City Cast Pittsburgh Neighbor! Welcome to our new neighbors Ed H., Holly N., Jennifer W., Susan A., Kara C., Charlie D., Brooke P., Ozan O., Cassandra L., Kayleigh G., Kelly M., Phillip R., and Yang Z. | | Wow! So many new neighbors — don’t you feel peer pressure to join and share your own rec? You can too for just $10 a month or $100 a year. We still have a few parking chair hats from our fall membership campaign, so snag yours before they run out! | | |
|
|
|
|
Many of us here at City Cast Pittsburgh have backgrounds in radio, so it’s great to hear that the city’s only Spanish-language radio station, Radio Las Palmas, is still going strong. Its DJs broadcast everything from news, sports and commentary to a wide variety of music. Listen to Radio Las Palmas via its livestream or on the HD sub-channel of 92.9 WLTJ-FM. |
| |
|
|
|
