Pittsburgh council creates new fund for festivals ... but without any money

Pittsburgh City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a fund to support festivals and events that were disrupted by the covid-19 pandemic — but they don’t have any money for it.

Councilwoman Theresa Kail-Smith, D-West End, last month introduced legislation to create a fund from the city’s allotment of federal pandemic relief money to benefit organizers whose events were impacted by the pandemic.

The city had allocated $2 million from its $335 million pot of American Rescue Plan Act dollars for the arts — but it’s all been earmarked for other initiatives.

That leaves nothing for the new fund.

Kail-Smith last week said she hoped to find “different funds” ahead of Tuesday’s final vote, but she couldn’t.

On Tuesday, she said she was still working on “identifying the dollars that should be used.”

The city has nearly 100 funds earmarked for specific uses, including more than a dozen that were created since 2020, Controller Rachael Heisler said.

“With anticipated budget deficits over the next five years and the plan to spend nearly $100 million from our rainy day fund, I believe the city’s spending priorities should be focused on public safety and public works,” Heisler said.

“Robust programming for city residents is essential, and I would hope conversations with our large nonprofit (institutions) would yield support for community initiatives, like festivals (and) parades.”