Pittsburgh mayor to ask for delay on tuition tax vote after meeting with university officials

Pittsburgh mayor seeks to delay tuition tax vote

PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl says he will ask city council to again delay a vote on a first-of-its-kind 1 percent tax on college tuition.

Ravenstahl met with university officials on Monday to discuss ways to fill a $15 million budget gap. Last month he proposed the tax, which is supported by a slim 5-4 margin by the council.

But the so-called “fair share tax” faces obstacles. State Rep. Paul Costa introduced a bill Monday that would outlaw local tuition taxes.

Ravenstahl says the city needs to find a way to increase contributions from large, nonprofit, tax-exempt institutions, most notably the universities, to help bolster the city’s pension system.

The council had been scheduled to vote on the measure Wednesday.