For Winner Of Mayoral Election, Pittsburgh's Issues Will Be All About MoneyIncumbent Luke Ravenstahl Faces Independent ChallengersPOSTED: 3:02 pm EST November 3,
2009 PITTSBURGH -- Regardless of who emerges victorious in Tuesday’s mayoral election, the challenges and issues Pittsburgh's leader faces will ultimately be all about the money."I think it all begins and ends with one thing and that's the budget -- making sure that we continue to be financially responsible and continue to finish our recovery," said Mayor Luke Ravenstahl.Video:
 For Winner Of Mayoral Election, Pittsburgh's Issues Will Be All About MoneyThe city’s financial overseers have warned of threats to future financial stability and caution against slipping back into the red.Pittsburgh’s $1.2 billion in unfunded legacy costs include debt that account for 20 percent of the budget and pensions that are only 29 percent funded and have more retirees drawing benefits than current employees paying in.Like Ravenstahl, challengers Kevin Acklin and Franco Dok Harris must also figure how to deal with those facts and other ongoing issues, including improving neighborhoods and fighting crime."Fiscal responsibility is absolutely crucial. We have a mentality of an absentee landlord in some ways downtown right now, someone who let the roof cave-in instead of patching it when they first spotted a leak," said Harris.Acklin said the key to the city’s revitalization lies within its neighborhoods."Our neighborhoods are crumbling. They're being overrun by crime and drugs. Businesses have been closing. The only way that we're ever going to grow this city and make it more competitive is to reinvest in our neighborhoods," said Acklin.Dealing with big nonprofits also poses a challenge.Major city employers and landowners pay no property or payroll prep taxes.The city’s recovery plan hopes they’ll volunteer $6 million per year to the city.Ravenstahl has to reveal his new budget for the city on Monday.Should Acklin or Harris pull an upset in the election, they’ll have a chance to make changes in the New Year.
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