Allegheny County Holds the Line on Taxes, Punts on Pension Deficit

Pennsylvania data center moratorium rally, a skill games deadline of Oct. 13, a Duquesne Light strike resolution in Pittsburgh, and Allegheny County's 2027 budget with no tax increase and no layoffs. Data center moratorium push: Advocates rallied in the Capitol Rotunda in Harrisburg, calling on the legislature to put a moratorium on data centers. Both chambers were in session, but data center bills haven't advanced much despite many being filed. Gov. Josh Shapiro, criticized at the rally for embracing the industry before changing course, issued an executive order in August creating guardrails around data centers. One bill would let local officials impose a moratorium of up to six months. Another, a three-year statewide moratorium, sits in the Senate Local Government Committee awaiting action. Skill games deadline Oct. 13: The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled in two separate cases that skill games are illegal slot machines, then issued a 120-day stay to give lawmakers time to clarify how the devices are defined and regulated. That stay expires Oct. 13, but lawmakers don't return to Harrisburg until Oct. 19. T.J. Grewal, a 60-year-old Cumberland County resident who ran a small market in Harrisburg, says his distributor removed his seven machines last week, cutting revenue that helped cover overhead. Pittsburgh and Allegheny County back striking workers: Pittsburgh City Council passed a resolution supporting IBEW Local 29 workers on strike against Duquesne Light Company since the start of the month, urging the company to return to the bargaining table in good faith. Allegheny County Council passed a similar resolution. Critics of the company say it has brought in outside contractors to cross picket lines and have raised safety, wage, and retirement concerns. The segment notes that no council member questioned the effect a prolonged strike could have on ratepayers or service quality. Allegheny County 2027 budget: County Executive Sara Innamorato says her proposed budget asks for no tax increase and no layoffs. The operating budget rises 4.7%, or about 2% after excluding a one-time $10 million payment on a 2010 bond issuance and $21 million to draw down state DHS and juvenile probation funding. Most departments receive flat funding or a slight decrease. On the county's pension shortfall, which is roughly $100 million a year and $1.4 billion in total, Innamorato says the county can't solve it without action from Harrisburg and has no final plan yet. Host Greg Bishop notes sales tax increases could come later to cover the gap. Innamorato also urged council to pass a paid parental leave ordinance introduced this week. Should Pennsylvania impose a statewide data center moratorium? Should Pittsburgh weigh in on the Duquesne Light labor dispute? How should Allegheny County tackle its pension gap? Leave your thoughts in the comments. #Pennsylvania #DataCenters #SkillGames #AlleghenyCounty #CenterSquare #TheStates