Getting shipshape

The city budget has the right priorities

Pittsburgh’s proposed 2018 operating and capital budgets hit all of the right notes, with more money earmarked for the public safety and public works services needed to support a dynamic city vying to land Amazon’s second headquarters. Despite projected spending increases, there are no plans for a tax hike — a welcome sign of financial stewardship.

Mayor Bill Peduto’s spending plans, which must be approved by city council and state-appointed financial overseers, would put more police and firefighters on the streets. That is a good idea, especially if it means expanding the number of officers assigned to walk neighborhood beats. Sixteen now do so in as many neighborhoods through a pilot project.

But Mr. Peduto also wants to install more security cameras and expand the gunshot detection system, high-tech tools that underscore the city’s commitment to protecting the investments of those who live and do business here. Amazon, prepared to pump billions of dollars into its HQ2 project, should be happy to hear that. In addition, Mr. Peduto has announced plans to open a police substation Downtown, a responsible solution to chronic reports about drug activity and other crime in busy Market Square.

The proposed operating budget totals $555 million, up about 5 percent from this year. The capital budget, totaling about $104 million, calls for paving 65 miles of streets, five more miles than this year. Pothole-scarred streets send a terrible message to would-be residents and prospective employers, so paving is about more than what meets the eye. The city should pay attention to high-profile but neglected stretches of street, especially Downtown.

Other plans call for hiring of additional inspectors for the Department of Permits, Licenses and Inspections — the less red tape and fewer delays businesses face, the better; $600,000 on bridge repairs, up from $150,000 this year; and $575,000, up from $385,000 this year, to maintain Pittsburgh’s 700 or so sets of city-owned steps. These steps are a uniquely Pittsburgh feature, worth preserving and advertising to visitors.

Any mention of infrastructure would not be complete without underscoring the need to fix the broken Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority and cease sewer and stormwater overflows that contribute to flooding and send sewage into homes, businesses and the rivers. Bold, decisive action is needed on both fronts. The future of the PWSA is under review, and the elimination of stormwater and sewer overflows is a regional issue in which the city will be an important player.

The city went into state financial oversight in 2003 amid financial problems that led to job and service cuts. The city has come roaring back since then — with a better quality of life and a more vibrant economy that is creating spaces for all kinds of new-age companies. Like Amazon.