Allegheny County Council passes amended budget with increase in community college funding

Allegheny County is a step closer to finalizing its 2024 budget after the council passed an amended budget that includes large increases for the Community College of Allegheny County.

Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald proposed a budget of just over $3 billion in October, and council proposed an amended version of the budget in November.

One of the biggest differences between council’s and Fitzgerald’s version was $3.6 million more for the Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC).

Allegheny County Council’s amended budget included $35.3 million for CCAC.

That amended budget passed by a 10-5 vote.

It’s unclear if the amended budget will receive support from Fitzgerald, but council appears to have support to clear a potential veto. Allegheny County Council can override a veto with 10 or more votes.

Fitzgerald spokeswoman Amie Downs said the executive will review the budget before commenting on his support.

“Like we do with all legislation, we’ll review what council has passed when it is received in the office for consideration,” she said.

Last year, the county passed about a $3 million increase for CCAC in this year’s budget, but that money was still below state law proportions for local community colleges.

The community college had been calling on council to increase funding to help cover programs like aviation and nursing.

Council President Pat Catena, D-Carnegie, said the increase was a bit lower than what was requested by CCAC President Quintin Bullock, but he said he was proud council was able to provide more funding.

“CCAC is the best value in Allegheny County, and we want to continue supporting the good work it accomplishes,” said Catena.

The union representing faculty at CCAC, the American Federation of Teachers Local 2067, celebrated the increased funding.

“This constitutes a huge victory for CCAC students and their parents,” reads a statement from the union.

Council members also included several amendments to the proposed budget, including money for surveillance cameras, funding to study how to improve the county’s 911 call center, and increased allocations for the Pittsburgh Food Policy Council.

Other amendments, like those introduced by Councilwoman Bethany Hallam, D-Marshall-Shadeland, were more contentious.

Inmate pay approved

Her amendments included: $1 million to be allocated to a fund with a goal of paying inmates at the Allegheny County Jail $10 a day for work completed inside the jail; $500,000 to change inmates’ uniforms away from a red to a more neutral color; $50,000 to create a solicitor position for the Jail Oversight Board, and $125,000 to fund the liaison on the Jail Oversight Board.

Five council members were opposed to the budget because of Hallam’s amendments. Some said they believed the funding increases for the jail could be better used on homeless services or for the county’s 911 center.

Councilman Sam DeMarco, R-North Fayette, attempted to pull Hallam’s amendments out of the proposal and vote on them individually, but that effort failed by a 6-9 vote.

DeMarco ended up voting against the amended budget. He said incarcerated individuals that perform work at the jail do so on a voluntary basis, and that they receive perks in return.

“I am concerned that we don’t know how to treat these folks if we are paying them with county money,” he said. “Are we treating them as employees?”

Councilman Nick Futules, D-Oakmont, said “council has lost its way” in providing the funding for incarcerated people’s pay or change in uniforms. He said he would rather see that money be used for homeless services.

Ultimately, those opposed were easily outvoted by the remaining 10 council members.

Hallam said she has been working on getting pay for incarcerated workers for some time and was happy to see the effort cross the finish line. The effort failed last month when brought up during a Jail Oversight Board meeting.

“The opposition doesn’t understand how important this is to people who are incarcerated and their loved ones,” said Hallam.