After a lengthy meeting on Thursday that followed a year of lengthy meetings surrounding the topic, Pittsburgh City Council members voted for a pension bailout proposal that would devote the city's commuter tax to the existing fund so the city can avoid the December 31st deadline for a state takeover. The city will not be able to touch $13 million dollars they make from a commuter tax annually for the next 31 years and will have to raise that money from parking increases.
Ravenstahl said the plan was slated to fail and would only lead to higher taxes and service reductions and repeatedly stated that he would not approve it. In an effort to work along with city council, he agreed to veto the proposal so council could override it and meet the deadline. All council members voted in favor of the plan except for Ricky Burgess who abstained from voting.
"I don't want state takeover but council has put us in this position by not doing the plans that are workable. At the ninth hour without any due diligence, without any research, plans we are putting something to the wind that we don't even know will work. Its jumping off the cliff blindfolded with the hands tied behind the back. I don't like state takeover but at least I want to protect the city's resources," he said to reporters after the vote.
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