Department of Finance

Mission

The Finance Department provides fiscal leadership for the City, focusing on long-term financial health while respecting the interests of its residents. The Department also plays a vital role in ensuring that entrepreneurs, visionaries, and community leaders have access to the services and infrastructure necessary to thrive. As the City of Pittsburgh's primary revenue-generating department, Finance is committed to excellence in financial management for the City, its residents, and its business community.

Departmental/Bureau Overview

The Finance Department is responsible for the collection, deposit, and investment of all funds received by the City from any source. The Department bills and collects tax and fee revenue, intergovernmental payments, grant reimbursements, lease payments, and other monies owed to the City. It also administers tax abatements, including homestead and senior citizen exemptions, tracks tax increment financing districts, and conducts tax audits to promote timely filing and compliance with City tax laws. In addition, the Department serves as the designated tax collector for the Pittsburgh School District and Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. Beyond revenue collection, the Department performs a variety of additional functions. These include administering Treasurer's Sales of tax-delinquent properties, managing the sale of City-owned property, coordinating tax assessment appeals, and overseeing citywide cash management activities. The Department manages the City's debt portfolio, including bond issuances and other borrowing activities, and administers the Comprehensive Municipal Pension Trust Fund. To ensure financial transparency and accountability, the Department also coordinates the City's annual Single Audit and pension audits. The Finance Department is organized into five major divisions, each consisting of multiple functional areas under the leadership of the Director of Finance, the Treasurer, and the Deputy Director.

Administration and Treasury Division - The Administration and Treasury Division oversees departmental operations, policy development, debt management, and pension administration. The Director of Finance manages all departmental functions, oversees the City's debt portfolio, serves as a trustee of the Three Taxing Bodies property portfolio, and works closely with City Council and other stakeholders. The City Treasurer is responsible for the billing and collection of taxes and serves as the designated Treasurer for the Pittsburgh School District. The Treasurer also acts as the responsible agent for the collection and distribution of the Carnegie Library and Parks Tax portion of real estate taxes and oversees earned income tax collection through the City's contractor, Jordan Tax Services. The division additionally manages the Department's administrative and support functions.

Business Intelligence Division - The Business Intelligence Unit (BIU), managed by the Operations Manager, reports directly to the Director of Finance. The unit is responsible for operational improvement initiatives within the Department and supports organizational process and performance improvements across the City. BIU manages departmental requests for proposals, coordinates major technology projects, and develops new datasets and open-data initiatives. The unit also oversees citywide credit card programs, manages legislative processes related to citywide contracts, and provides vendor management support. In addition, BIU develops policies that improve efficiency and productivity while identifying opportunities to increase revenue and reduce operational costs throughout the City.

Real Estate Division - The Real Estate Division manages property tax administration, City-owned property sales, Treasurer's Sales, tax abatements, and delinquent real estate accounts. The division serves as the designated collector for the Pittsburgh School District and Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh and ensures the timely collection of current and delinquent real estate taxes.

The division maintains the City's online real estate inventory, allowing the public to search and apply for available properties. Staff work closely with property purchasers, delinquency collection agencies, the Pittsburgh School District, Allegheny County Office of Property Assessments, Urban Redevelopment Authority, Pittsburgh Land Bank, and the Law Department to return properties to productive use, restore them to the tax rolls, and expedite property transactions.

Tax Compliance Division - The Tax Compliance Division oversees compliance and enforcement activities and serves as the Department's primary customer service counter for tax compliance matters and new business registrations. The division is responsible for identifying new businesses, collecting business taxes and fees, conducting audits and investigations, and issuing citations when necessary. These efforts help ensure compliance with City ordinances and the timely collection of revenue owed to the City.

Cash Management Division - The Cash Management Division ensures that all collections are processed accurately and promptly while overseeing the City's banking relationships and cash management activities. Responsibilities include cashiering, document imaging, data entry, investments, insurance and bond administration, Automated Clearing House (ACH) grant processing, and support for the City Controller's daily revenue posting activities. The division facilitates the timely deposit, transfer, and distribution of revenues to support City operations and maintain effective cash flow management.

2026 Accomplishments

• Enhanced the taxpayer experience by updating internal processes, including the installation of additional payment terminals in Cashiering, streamlining bill printing between Cashiering and the Real Estate Division, expanding kiosk access for in-person real estate tax payments, and improving website accessibility and usability.
• Completed the second Pilot Home Buying Program, which facilitated the sale of designated homes to qualifying low-income applicants to promote long-term homeownership.
• Implemented the Atlantis Warehouse & Inventory application, automating previously manual processes and improving the management of mailing requests from City departments.
• Partnered with the Department of Innovation & Performance (I&P) to migrate the customer service phone system from Twilio to Webex, improving communications and call routing capabilities.
• Collaborated with I&P's GIS Division to develop an internal mapping tool for properties included in Treasurer's Sales, improving access to property information and operational efficiency.

Department Three Taxing Bodies 2027 Allocations of Finance Trust Fund

82 - DEBT SERVICE

51 - PERSONNEL-SALARIES & WAGES 58 - MISCELLANEOUS

54 - PROPERTY SERVICES

52 - PERSONNEL-EMPLOYEE BENEFITS 53 - PROF. & TECHNICAL SERVICES