Allegheny County 2027 Budget: What To Know

PITTSBURGH, PA — County Executive Sara Innamorato introduced a 2027 balanced budget Tuesday in her budget presentation Tuesday to county council. The $1.25 billion budget includes no tax increases of layoffs to county staff.

The operating budget will increase by 4.7 percent and include a one-time $10 million payment on a 2010 bond issuance, and $21 million spent to draw down state Department of Human Services and juvenile Probation funding. Without those expenditures, the operating budget increase would be 2 percent, which means the majority of departments will operate with a smaller budget in 2027 than in 2026.

The capital budget will be $160 million and the grants and special accounts budget will be $1.7 billion.

“Just like families across Allegheny County, at the county government we are being asked to do more with less," Innamorato said in a statement.

"State and federal cuts to important human services programs will take a toll on our budget next year. And while we have worked hard to find significant cost savings everywhere we can without reducing services, inflation and other cost drivers are still applying upward pressure on our expenditures."

According to a release from the county, here are the budget highlights:

INITIATIVES

• Housing and Eviction Prevention: $4 million from capital and funding rental assistance with $7 million from operating and grant funds.
• Forward with Families, Childcare Expansion: $5 million (offset with foundation support).
• Highlands Juvenile Detention Center: $33 million (capital improvements).
• Kane facilities: $3.5 million (capital improvements).
• Main Streets Allegheny: $3 million .
• Police and Fire Training Academy: $1 million (capital improvements.)
• Targeted Site Development for Economic Development: $2 million.
• Trail Development: $2.4 million.

COST SAVINGS

• For the 2026 budget, 35 vacant positions were closed to save $2 million; for 2027 we are closing 150 vacant positions to save $9 million.
• Anticipated savings of more than $30 million over the next four years due to various initiatives like ending the county's reliance on agency nurses and healthcare changes.
• Refinanced outstanding debt to save $12 Million in 2028; and rebidding contracts and insurance to save another million.
• Centralizing some operations in information technologies, human resources and budget for long-term efficiencies and improvements.
• Jail population has stabilized, which was driving unanticipated costs at the end of 2025.