The Pittsburgh Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority has a new chairman.
The resignation of former chair, Dana Yealy, was announced at the group’s October meeting. The board appointed member Nicholas D. Varischetti as the new chair.
“I think you’re going to see the ICA working very closely with all the city stakeholders to come up with smart solutions on how we can be an asset and not a hindrance to helping the city,” Varischetti said.
In addition to appointing a new chair, the ICA, which oversees the city’s finances, approved a 2014-2015 request for appropriation to the secretary of the budget in the amount of $550,000.
In regard to the city budget, the ICA will ask city of Pittsburgh officials to respond to various requests for information. In order to avoid the city having to answer to numerous entities, the ICA and the Act 47 team will compile a list of questions and concerns before approving the budget.
“We need much more feedback in regard to some of the details regarding the budget, how we can move forward to approve it,” Varischetti said, “but we’re looking forward to working with the city to get that done. We’re keeping in mind that we’re going to work with both the current administration and the new administration, whoever that’s going to be, to get this done.”
Mayor Luke Ravenstahl has proposed a $479 million operating budget for 2014.
