Pittsburgh City Council may postpone a vote set for today on a controversial tuition tax proposal, in hopes that a meeting Friday with the Pittsburgh Council on Higher Education might lead to an agreement on better town-gown collaboration.

City leaders and academic officials yesterday scrambled to avoid a divisive vote on Mayor Luke Ravenstahl’s proposed 1 percent levy on tuition, and last night were discussing an arrangement in which the tax would be put on the back burner, discussions toward voluntary payments would begin, and the city and schools would go to Harrisburg to push for new revenue.

Pittsburgh Councilwoman Theresa Smith confirmed that the Council on Higher Education, the umbrella group of post-secondary schools, has agreed to a meeting.

Publicly, the mayor and a university leader stuck to tough stances.

“We need $15 million each year, and we’re going to continue to push forward for the Fair Share Tax,” said Mr. Ravenstahl, using the name for the levy that his administration coined because it argues that everyone, including the higher education community, should help pay for city services.

Read the full Post-Gazette article here

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