Issues

Do more with fewer tax dollars.
Streamline government services.
Solve today’s problems with tomorrow’s technologies.
Actively seek out input from all Pittsburghers.
Encourage development throughout the city.
Preserve what makes Pittsburgh great.
Clean up our neighborhoods as we clean up government.

1. Do more with fewer tax dollars.

PROVEN LEADERSHIP:
Bill Peduto was the first elected official to call on the city to seek Act 47 status and was criticized for his stance at the time. Bill understood that the only way to balance the budget was a complete restructuring of city government. In 2003 Bill proposed a series of cost-saving measures to the city budget aimed at restructuring how the city spends money — although these measures were rejected by other city leaders at that time, these amendments eventually became part of the City’s Act 47 Recovery Plan. Showing true leadership, Bill cut his salary and unilaterally reduced his office expenses by 10%.

VISION:
After years of living beyond its means, Pittsburgh was nearly $1 billion in debt and had the lowest bond rating in the nation. As the District 8 City Councilman, Bill Peduto will streamline government services to save taxpayer dollars. Bill Peduto believes balancing a budget with tax increases on the backs of City residents cannot be the foundation on which we build a New Pittsburgh.

2. Streamline government services.

PROVEN LEADERSHIP:
During his 2001 city council campaign, Bill spoke repeatedly about the need for regional government consolidation. At the time such opinions were unpopular, but in the past four years the concept has gained momentum. In October of 2003, Bill published the first public document on city-county consolidation through shared services. He then chaired an Intergovernmental Committee that recommended cost saving measures, many of which are now being implemented under Act 47.

VISION:
As the City Councilman for District 8, Bill will make significant changes to streamline City Government. These changes will allow various communities to save taxpayer dollars by eliminating overlapping government services — mainly in land use, zoning, planning, transportation and workforce development. Councilman Peduto’s ability to explore and implement tough cost-saving measures will give Pittsburgh the competitive edge it’s lacking today.

3. Solve today’s problems with tomorrow’s technologies.

PROVEN LEADERSHIP:
In response to the need to make government services such as road repairs and refuse collection more responsive and cost effective, Bill advocated for Pittsburgh to begin using a system of tracking and analyzing city services (CITSTAT). The CITISTAT system has slashed the budgets of cities similar in size to Pittsburgh by more than $13 Million. Due to Bill’s tireless efforts to combat graffiti, the city has implemented a region-wide graffiti tracking website for use by all law enforcement agencies. Additionally, in order to promote cost savings by coordinating the use of our existing buildings and community programs, Bill has worked with Carnegie Mellon University to create a map of all City, County and School District owned property.

VISION:
Whether it’s serious public safety issues such as crime and fire fighting, or more mundane ones such as traffic jams and garbage collection, Peduto will implement modern technologies that will revolutionize how things get done in city government — saving millions of your tax dollars.

4. Actively seek out input from all Pittsburghers.

PROVEN LEADERSHIP:
Councilman Peduto recently created a citizen panel to examine how Pittsburgh can become a leader in Information Technology. Pittsburgh’s emergence as a leader in this field will help to attract good, high paying jobs to our city. Bill also established the Guyasuta Fellowship, in which young Pittsburghers are given the opportunity to work on solutions to important challenges facing our city, such as public transportation and streamlining government services.

VISION:
Councilman Peduto believes that by listening to the wants and needs of the community, government can better serve. The model of successful regions is one where public opinion is used to build consensus. Bill will continue to reach out to all facets of our city because he knows that for Pittsburgh to succeed, our diverse community must work together to create a New Pittsburgh.

5. Encourage development throughout the city.

PROVEN LEADERSHIP:
Bill championed the community driven Baum-Centre Initiative in the East End. This new plan calls for a complete rezoning of this important corridor and the creation of a community committee to guide future growth according to community principles. In all aspects of real estate development in his City Council district, Bill has created a system where neighborhood residents and community-based organizations are brought together to create a common vision for their neighborhood.

VISION:
Councilman Peduto believes that Community Based Development is about creating a common vision for how we grow as a city, and as a region, while preserving and protecting what makes Pittsburgh special — our 88 unique residential neighborhoods. As the representative for City Council District 8, Bill will create a citywide Community Based Development system that will allow all Pittsburgh residents to have a say in the future of their neighborhood and our city.

6. Preserve what makes Pittsburgh great.

PROVEN LEADERSHIP:
During his first term in office, Councilman Peduto empowered a panel to both study Pittsburgh’s hillsides and explore ways to conserve our natural heritage. Working with The Heinz Endowments, the committee created a detailed report of our treasured hillsides and is in the process of making
recommendations on how to best preserve, conserve, and allow for limited development throughout the city. In 2002, Pittsburgh was planning mass demolitions in targeted neighborhoods. Similar polices in Philadelphia and Baltimore have created vast urban wastelands — not the anticipated economic development these neighborhoods so desperately need. In 2003, Councilman Peduto authored the Demolition Preservation Bill that stopped unnecessary demolition allowing community plans for development to outweigh the wrecking ball.

VISION:
Pittsburgh is blessed with amazing architecture, ethnic traditions and history in all of its 88 neighborhoods. Councilman Peduto will continue to be a vocal leader for the preservation of Pittsburgh’s natural beauty and heritage by preserving green space and opposing unnecessary demolition.

7. Clean up our neighborhoods as we clean up government.

PROVEN LEADERSHIP:
As Councilman, Bill created the “Can It” Program to reduce litter and clean up our city streets. Councilman Peduto has also called for all uniformed police officers doing civilian work to be put back onto our city streets. Additionally, Bill has cracked down on graffiti and nuisance properties by toughening laws and personally confronting offenders face-to-face.

VISION:
Dirty streets are a direct reflection of ineffective government. Bill will take back our streets by reinstituting the Community Oriented Policing Program throughout the city and cracking down on crime in all of our neighborhoods. Studies have shown that nuisance crimes such as graffiti, vandalism and vagrancy often lead to more serious offenses. Nuisance crimes will not be tolerated by Councilman Peduto.