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Pittsburgh Mayor Disputes Audit Showing Office Cost $283K

Deanna Garcia
/
90.5 WESA

Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto is disputing an audit that says it cost $283,000 to renovate his office after his 2014 inauguration.

City Controller Michael Lamb is standing by the audit, saying it's based on the best calculations his office could make because he claims Peduto's office didn't provide some requested information.

But Peduto's chief of staff, Kevin Acklin, says some of the conclusions are obviously flawed.

(Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto is in studio with WESA's Paul Guggenheimer for Essential Pittsburgh at noon.)

Among other things, the audit says city works spent 1,734 hours painting the office a number Acklin says is "not physically possible." That would be equal to one full-time employee painting the office for 10-and-a-half months.

The report says carpenters spent 4,928 hours.

Acklin says that's more than two-and-a-half years of work.

Peduto's office says the real cost was about $43,000.

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