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Pittsburgh City Council

Vibrant Pgh’s $50,000 membership gets a second chance.

Written by Amy Whipple

In a 5-4 vote, council reversed course and agreed to move forward with renewing a $50,000 annual membership to Vibrant Pgh. The committee initially gave the legislation a negative recommendation during its Sept. 23 committee meeting and tabled the matter until after meeting with the organization.

Council President R. Daniel Lavelle of the Upper Hill District, who was not present for the initial discussion last month, said the expense is a needed 0.0075% of the annual operating budget. He allowed that the city may not have been using the organization as much as it should be, but that recruiting, retaining and growing a diverse workforce talent pool is imperative to the city’s success. 

Council Member Khari Mosley of Point Breeze North, who abstained from the first committee vote, said Pittsburgh loses young college graduates to more diverse cities. He said meeting the goals of the comprehensive plan is directly tied to the city’s growth.

“There is no city in America that is growing simply because white men are doing well there. In order for this city to grow, we have to have a diverse pool of citizens,” said Lavelle. “A $50,000 investment into the growth of our city is well needed and well spent.”

Connections to this story

Elected officials:
R. Daniel LavelleKhari Mosley
Governments:
Pittsburgh City Council
Public meetings:
City Council · October 20, 2026
Sources:
Resolution 2026-0847 — authorizing the issuance of a warrant payable in favor of Vibrant Pittsburgh for one year membership dues in an amount…

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