Pittsburgh roundup: Council sells 23 tax-delinquent properties, passes Northside tax exemption and amusement device tax

Pittsburgh City Council approved the sale of 23 tax-delinquent properties and passed two ordinances creating a Northside real estate tax exemption and a mechanical amusement device tax framework. Standing committees also recommended over $553,000 in litigation settlements and a $400,000 library grant.

Property sales and proclamations

On June 23, City Council passed finally a resolution authorizing the sale of 23 tax-delinquent properties across multiple wards. The motion carried. Council also adopted three proclamations unanimously: June 23, 2026 as Aphasia Awareness Day, Ryan Lestitian Day, and Dravet Syndrome Awareness Day. On June 30, council declared July 5 as "Martyrs Day" and June 30 as "Idella L. Michaels Day" (6-0).

Ordinances passed

On June 24, council passed two ordinances on final reading, both by 8-0 votes. The first creates a real estate tax exemption for construction or adaptive reuse of buildings on Pittsburgh's Northside. The second establishes a tax and licensing framework for mechanical amusement devices.

Settlements and financial actions

On June 24, the Finance and Law Committee recommended approval of eight litigation settlements totaling $553,296.64. These included $108,296.64 for Mahouski, $70,000 for Bench, $60,000 for Engelmeier, $90,000 for Luciani, $40,000 for Nichols, $60,000 for Runco, and $125,000 total for T. Perry and V. Perry estate settlements. The committee also recommended a $400,000 Keystone grant cooperation agreement for Carnegie Library HVAC and roof replacement.

On June 30, council passed several of these settlements: $108,296.64 for Robert Mahouski (6-0), $70,000 for Thomas and Sarah Bench (6-0), $60,000 for Joseph Engelmeier (6-0), and $90,000 for Daryl and Karen Luciani (6-0). Council also passed a $31,508.90 transfer to the Slope Failure Remediation fund (6-0).

Appointments and committee actions

On June 30, council approved the appointment of Lori McCartney as Assistant Chief of Police (6-0) and a 90-day term extension for the Acting Director of Innovation and Performance (6-0).

On June 24, the Public Safety Committee recommended acceptance of a $10,190.95 office furniture donation, while the Public Works Committee held a railroad crossing agreement for further review.

On July 1, the Finance and Law Committee held a budget approval referendum question in committee until July 29, 2026, and held a $60,000 play area and public safety equipment transfer. The committee affirmatively recommended increasing McArdle Bridge design funding by $500,000, decreasing vehicle fleet management spend by $988,402.29, and re-allocating 2025 and 2026 capital budget funds. It also recommended a Safe Passages youth violence prevention agreement, expansion of Residential Parking Permit Area HH, and Macedonia FACE facility usage at Ammon Recreation Center.

Public hearings and discussions

The Committee on Hearings and Policy held public hearings on June 22 for Bill 2026-0426 (Northside tax exemptions) and June 23 for Bill 2026-0544 (mechanical amusement devices). On June 25, the committee held a hearing on Bill 531, the Downtown Pittsburgh Transit Revitalization Investment District Implementation Plan. A July 1 Post Agenda discussion on Bill 2026-0531 (Downtown TRID plan) resulted in no vote. On June 24, a Post Agenda discussed the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report and the first quarterly report for 2026.

Coming up

• **July 7, City Council:** Agenda includes a $1.25M PennDOT reimbursement agreement and a $997,407.91 STV engineering contract for the McArdle Bridge over Hillside project. Also scheduled: a TransDev fleet management contract amendment to $78,260,941.46 over six years, a $250,000 Operation Better Block Safe Passages contract, and Pittsburgh Land Bank acquisition of three vacant properties at 0 Kelly St, 0 Lincoln Ave, and 169 Auburn St.
• **July 8, Committee on Hearings and Policy:** Public hearing on Bill 2026-0518 to establish the East Carson Street Improvement District.
• **July 8, Standing Committees:** Review of up to $250,000 for Burgwin Recreation Center programming, IT support capped at $95,440 annually, and state legislative consulting up to $264,000 over four years.
• **July 9, Committee on Hearings and Policy:** Public hearing on Bill 513 to rezone parcels 125-G-13, 125-G-14, and 125-G-15 on Kelly Street from Residential Single Unit Detached (R1D-L) to Urban Industrial (UI) in Homewood West.

Earlier weeks

• week of 2026-06-29 — Pittsburgh council OKs $553K in settlements, $400K library grant

Generated from official meeting agendas and minutes — every underlying document is linked from the city page. Read the primary source before you rely on a detail.