In a budget speech to Pittsburgh City Council that lasted more than an hour and a half, Mayor Ed Gainey spent little time talking about the proposed 2025 budget itself.

Instead, Gainey, who faces re-election next year, used much of the speech to highlight his accomplishments during the nearly three years he has been in office. He highlighted his administration’s priorities, focusing on issues such as downtown revitalization, the Public Works and Public Safety departments, and investments in infrastructure and transportation.

And while he acknowledged toward the end of the speech that the city would face a tough couple of years in the near future, he said he would build on those earlier efforts.

“Two difficult years will not stop us from continuing our mission to rebuild your government and meet your expectations,” Gainey said.

The proposed 2025 budget includes planned increases in anti-litter inspector positions, the rollout of the automated red light enforcement program and continued investment in bridge repair.

The mayor spent only a small portion of the speech talking about the city’s expected financial strain over the next two years, a period in which finances will be constrained by an increase in debt payments and the end of federal relief. due to COVID-19. He also said little about the question marks surrounding the city’s police office, which has faced long-term staff declines and, more recently, the sudden departure of its police chief, Larry Scirotto.

“Despite the recent retirement of our outstanding former chief, I remain confident in the office,” Gainey said. “I know that under the leadership of Interim Chief Chris Ragland, we will continue to work together and complete the work we have started.”

Gainey said he would continue his efforts to “civilize” some administrative positions in the office, a move that would free up more officers to work the streets. And he focused on the improvements that have been made in public safety and anti-violence intervention since he took office. He noted that homicides and fatal shootings are 43% lower than at the same time in 2021, the year before he became mayor.

During a press conference after the speech, Vice Mayor Jake Pawlak noted that the budget currently does not have money set aside for another national police search, as was done to find Scirotto. cirotto resigned at the beginning of the month after initially announcing a return to NCAA college basketball officiating in his off hours.

“The decision on the police chief is up to the mayor, and he hasn’t made it yet,” Pawlak said. “There are no resources in today’s proposed budget plan for a search like the one we did last time.”

Pawlak said the budget proposal discussed Tuesday contains some adjustments to revenue projections. which he said were related to changes in the city’s permit fees. But he said the numbers are otherwise largely the same as those of a preliminary draft budget that was published in September.

“The core of the mayor’s proposal, which is to preserve the investments he proposed in the last two budgets and build on that work to the extent possible under these circumstances, is really what you heard the mayor say today,” Pawlak said.

Gainey’s speech touted affordable housing initiatives, including a set of zoning amendments, to be discussed by the Council in the coming months, that would remove some obstacles to new housing construction, while raising requirements for affordable housing to through inclusive zoning.

Not all council members were enthusiastic. Councilman Bob Charland was particularly unhappy with the lack of discussion on “how we are going to clean up the city or find solutions for homelessness in 2025.”

“Mayor Gainey must have thought his campaign announcement didn’t get enough attention, because that’s the only reason we hear about years-old initiatives in an annual budget speech,” Charland said.

Councilwoman Theresa Kail Smith said she looks forward to asking questions during upcoming budget hearings. He is concerned about public safety and capital projects.

“All public safety concerns me right now, even with fewer EMS and police, and where we are with the fire. And the equipment is also always a cause for concern,” he said. She said she hopes to hear more about how the budget will benefit the city’s West End, which she represents.