# Pittsburgh City Council Budget Hearing - 11/13/26


**Body:** City Channel Pittsburgh
**Date:** November 12, 2026
**Jurisdiction:** SLED

**Tags:** Grants & Funding


Pittsburgh City Council’s Committee on Human Resources held a budget hearing on November 13, 2026, reviewing proposed 2027 budgets for Human Resources, the Commission on Human Relations (CHR), and the Office of Municipal Investigations (OMI). Human Resources’ proposed budget includes a $2.2 million increase in employee benefits, including retiree health insurance, workers’ compensation, and funding to restore the VIBA trust fund. The department also described position reorganizations and two CDBG-funded capital projects: neighborhood employment centers and the Pittsburgh Employment Program. CHR reported a proposed budget increase of 4.5% and a total budget of about $1.5 million across its funding sources. It requested a dedicated community liaison, citing increased caseloads and reduced federal work-sharing support; no approval or vote on that request was recorded. OMI’s proposed budget is unchanged from 2026, with no capital projects or trust funds.

CHR also described legal costs, including an approximately $30,000 annual general-solicitor contract and a historically $25,000 housing-solicitor contract, while estimating an average cost of about $20,000 per public hearing and more than $35,000 for a housing court case. The commission reported securing $221,128 in monetary relief for complainants this year. The hearing included discussion of five vacant commissioner seats and the effect of reduced federal support on CHR’s services and training. No procurement awards, bids, contract approvals, or spending-related votes were identified.

**Source:** City Channel Pittsburgh