If income and spending stay on track the rest of the year, the city of Pittsburgh is expected to have an $11.8 million surplus, says Mayor Tom Murphy. Although Murphy said the surplus projected by the first-quarter budget figures was not an occasion to "break out the champagne bottles," the numbers demonstrate "that we are living within our means."
Murphy predicts $11.8 million city surplus
By By Tony LaRussa TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Saturday, May 14, 2005
If income and spending stay on track the rest of the year, the city of Pittsburgh is expected to have an $11.8 million surplus, Mayor Tom Murphy said Friday.
Murphy's prediction, based on a first-quarter fiscal report, is down slightly from the $12.3 million surplus predicted last month when only January and February budget figures were available.
It does not account for any new hiring by the Bureau of Police, which has 80 recruits who could join the force before the end of the year.
Although Murphy said the surplus projected by the first-quarter budget figures was not an occasion to "break out the champagne bottles," the numbers demonstrate "that we are living within our means."
"It's good news. It shows that city personnel are delivering services with far fewer people," he said. "It's a remarkable demonstration of how people can do more with less."
Deputy City Controller Tony Pokora said he is skeptical of the mayor's estimated surplus.
"I think he's painting a rosy picture," Pokora said. "Mayor Murphy does not have a good track record when it comes to accurately predicting the budget, including the surpluses."
The quarterly budget reports are required by the state-appointed financial oversight board.
Murphy said all city departments -- except for the controller -- are spending less than budgeted. The controller, however, is on tap to go over budget by about $476,000, the mayor said.
The 2005 budget includes 250 to 300 positions that are vacant -- 100 in the police bureau, about 100 in the fire bureau, and between 50 and 100 in other departments.
Those vacancies account for a significant part of the surplus Murphy projects. The mayor acknowledges that openings in the police bureau, the Bureau of Building Inspection and the Finance Department are expected to be filled by year's end. Any new hiring would cut into Murphy's projected surplus.
Pokora also questioned whether an anticipated $6.6 million contribution from nonprofit organizations will materialize. So far, only about $62,000 has been collected.
"By this point last year, we collected $90,000 -- and we were anticipating $1 million," he said. "Ultimately, we only collected about $600,000, so I think the mayor is being a little unrealistic about how much we'll take in."
Pokora defended the budget for the Controller's Office.
"We are the only city office whose duties are mandated," he said. "We have a court ruling that sets our staffing level at 73, and we're working with 61. Under the mayor's budget, we would have 45 people, which is not acceptable."
Murphy said he likely would not use this year's surplus to boost spending on things such as street paving or other capital projects.
"We have a capital budget -- though limited -- we're paving streets, we're tearing vacant houses down and buying some critical equipment, primarily in the fire bureau, that we need," Murphy said.
