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From YouTube: Meet The People: Bill Urbanic
Description
On this episode of Meet The People, City Council's Budget Director Bill Urbanic explains the intricacies of managing a municipal budget, how it was done in the old days, and answers the question about his favorite incline.
A
Hello,
everyone
welcome
to
another
edition
of
meet
the
people.
My
name
is
david
finer,
I'm
the
communication,
technology
manager
in
the
city
of
pittsburgh's,
department
of
innovation
and
performance,
and
while
we
have
been
interviewing
a
number
of
people
in
the
city's
various
departments
about
technology,
today,
we
have
a
little
bit
of
a
different
guest.
A
His
name
is
bill.
Urbanic
bill
is
the
city
of
pittsburgh
city
council
budget
director,
and
you
would
probably
immediately
ask
yourself
what
does
that
have
to
do
with
technology,
and
I
assure
you
it's
quite
a
bit
bill.
Thank
you
for
joining
us
today.
Thank
you,
david
thanks
for
having
me
so
before
we
get
into
the
meat
of
the
interview.
Why
don't
we
start
a
basic
background
where
you're
from
where'd
you
go
to
school?
How
did
you
get
to
work
for
the
city
of
pittsburgh.
B
So
I
moved
on
continued
to
work
not
only
for
that
council
member,
but
another
council
member
again
in
the
90s,
and
then
I
moved
over
in
1996
to
the
county
and
worked
for
the
county
commissioner
system
prior
to
the
manager
and
council
system
that
they
currently
have
in
the
county.
We
helped
to
to
work
on
that.
A
A
B
B
So,
yes,
I
began
looking
into
the
budget
right
away
and
that's
where
my
fascination
with
the
budget
began.
You
know
make
sure
that
that
everybody
had
the
appropriate
funding.
You
had
requests
from
the
communities,
communities
needed
to
get
whether
it
was
a
capital
item
or
additional
police
service
or
or
some
other
service
parks
programming.
You
needed
to
to
learn
that
it
was
funded
and
you
needed
to
find
out
where
that
funding
was,
if
it
wasn't
funded
and
try
to
get
the
money
to
move
over.
B
A
I
imagine
I
remember
a
much
younger
version
of
me
being
taught
by
my
father
how
to
do
budgets.
I
I'm
assuming
I
was
in
high
school
and
I
can
remember
my
father
opening
up
his
humongous
ledger
book
and
writing
in
the
columns
and
writing
in
the
in
the
lines
and
making
sure
everything
balanced
at
the
bottom
right
and
that's
how
he
taught
me
how
to
do
budgets,
and
now
my
wife
still
makes
fun
of
me.
B
Well,
well,
actually,
we
do,
but
it's
an
electronic
leisure.
Now
might
I
say
that
I
was
one
of
the
first
council
aides
to
have
an
actual
computer
okay
and
I
had
an
old
mac
classic.
One
of
the
first
ones
should
have
saved
that
thing,
because
it's
probably
worth
a
lot
of
money
now,
but
we
I
ended
up
having
a
computer
way
back
when
other
folks
didn't
so
that
that
got
me
moving
and
saying
hey.
We
need
to.
We
need
to
begin
to
move
on
here
and
understand
things
on
a
different
level.
B
A
B
B
B
Moving
on
now.
Might
I
say
that
program
now
is
is
antiquated,
as
we
all
know,
technology
changes
at
at
an
extremely
rapid
pace.
Now,
so
there's
there's
different
things
that
need
to
be
improved,
and
I
always
think
of
my
my
staff
member
mike
strelik,
his
his
line
on
jd
edwards.
You
can't
hit
the
return
key
to
enter
information
now
every
other
program.
A
B
Well,
let's
go
back
in
time
a
little
bit
because
we
just
went
through
a
big
re
retraction
of
of
funds,
so
our
budget
was
moving
in
the
600
million
dollar
range.
Our
revenues
for
2020
were
supposed
to
be
approximately
608
million
dollars.
Our
revenues
came
in
at
530
million
dollars.
So
that's
a
point
in
time
where
we've
had
some
real
problems.
B
In
the
meantime,
we're
going
to
have
to
go
and
watch
how
all
that
spending
happens,
sort
of
on
a
day-to-day
month-to-month
basis,
but
yeah
we're
right
around
600
million
dollars.
We
have
literally
thousands
of
different
accounts
that
bring
money
in
and
spend
money
out.
So
we
have
to
know
all
that
we
can
know.
I
am
extremely
lucky,
because
I
have
an
excellent
staff
person.
That's
able
to
keep
up
on
all
this
information.
B
A
B
We
sort
of
help
to
provide
that
little
check
and
balance
between
the
administration,
and
you
know
the
legislative
branch.
But
at
the
same
time
it's
extremely
important
that
we
all
work
together
and-
and
we
found
that
cooperation
over
there
with
the
with
the
staff
at
the
office
and
management
and
budget.
A
I've
been
covering
local
town
politics
for
probably
since
middle
school.
I
remember
the
first
time
I
sat
behind
a
camera
at
a
school
committee
meeting
and
I
remember
them
talking
about
budgets
and
numbers
in
the
50
and
60
million
range
and
how
that
was
just
astronomical
to
my
brain
back
then,
and
early
in
my
professional
career
working
around
local
municipalities
with
an
entire
town
budget
of
around
90
million
dollars.
B
Most
of
the
time
I'm
going
to
have
to
look
it
up
to
be
specific
generically.
I
may
know:
okay,
specifically,
if
it's
an
issue
that
has
come
up
previously,
we
take
our
time
going
ahead
and
take
a
look
at
certain
issues
that
do
come
past
us
and
and
things
that
we
know
are
going
to
be
on
the
on
the
agenda.
We
we
look
up.
B
Well,
I
might
I
say
it
depends
what
the
monies
and
the
funding
is
for.
We
have
two
separate
budgets:
one's
an
operating
budget
and
one's
a
capital
budget,
the
capital
budget.
We
can
amend
at
any
time
throughout
the
year
as
long
as
there's
a
funding
source
that
we
can
identify
for
it
and
those
accounts
sort
of
lapse
year
to
year
they
they
they
are
reallocated
so
they're
that
money's
always
there.
If
I
dedicated
funds
in
2019,
it's
still
going
to
be
available.
B
B
So
those
funds
in
the
operating
budget
are
much
more
difficult.
We
can
move
small
amounts
of
money
within
departments
on
a
regular
basis.
We
can
also
transfer
from
place
to
place,
but
only
singular
items
between
departments
to
really
do
an
initiative.
We
would
have
to
open
the
budget
legally
in
order
for
us
to
open
a
budget.
We
need
the
agreement
of
the
mayor
any
time
after
the
after
the
first
week
of
february,
so
basically
how
it
works.
You
vote
on
a
calendar
year.
B
You
try
to
have
that
all
completed
december.
31St
new
budget
happens
for
that
first,
five
weeks,
we're
allowed
to
make
amendments
to
the
budget
without
the
cooperation
of
the
mayor's
office,
but
after
that
period
of
time
the
budget
then
closes
the
books
are
closed
and
anything
else
would
have
to
be
done
in
agreement.
B
That
actually
is
happening
right
now
because
of
our
2021
budget
that
we
passed,
we
did
not
know
we
were
going
to
get
relief
funds
right.
So
we
are
in
the
process
right
now,
of
reopening
the
budget
with
the
mayor's
office
to
make
sure
that
all
the
employees
get
paid,
including
you
and
I
david
that'd-
be.
B
A
B
There's
there's
a
difference:
there's
a
financial
system
that
has
40
000
different
entries
in
it
and
then
there's
a
there's.
Actual
bank
accounts.
Now
there's
the
general
fund,
which
is
one
large
bank,
account
that's
separated
on
the
system
into
smaller
accounts.
Now
the
smaller
accounts
don't
hit
the
bank
account.
So
you
don't
have
to
worry
about.
You
know
paying
withdraw
fee.
If
you
don't
have
the
money
in
that
specific
account,
we
hold
that
accountable,
though.
So,
if
a
department
overspends
on
a
budgeted
line
item,
we
won't
release
the
funds.
B
However,
the
bank
account
will
have
the
funds
in
it,
because
it's
in
one
larger
account
that
deals
with
things.
So
I
I
can't
answer
the
controller
would
be
better
to
answer
the
questions
regarding
how
many
bank
accounts
we
have.
We
have
many,
but
not
too
many,
okay,
so
yeah,
it's
it's
done
in
a
in
a
sort
of
a
different
manner.
A
B
A
B
See
how
much
money
we
have
that's
right.
We
that's
that's
we'll.
Hopefully
you
can
get
that
information
off
the
system
at
any
time,
but
no,
you
can't
be
a
scrooge
mcduck
and
go
open
your
vault
and
go
swimming
in
the
coins.
We,
I
think
maybe
mayors
have
wanted
to
do
that
in
the
past,
but
I
don't
think
that's
something
that
we
we
condone
right
now
or.
A
Can
do
it's
good
to
know
over
the
last
couple
of
let's
say
the
last
half
dozen
years,
you've
been
part
of
some
work
to
showcase
the
budget
in
a
more
open
and
transparent
way,
using
tools
that
the
the
citizens
of
pittsburgh
can
finagle
and
play
with
and
see
how
the
money
is
being
spent.
Can
you
talk
a
little
bit
about
some
of
those
programs
and
how
they
got
started.
B
It
was
part
of
the
open
gov
program
and
that
put
a
lot
of
our
jd
edwards
information
online
and
available
to
citizens
to
sort
of
view
to
see
where
a
lot
of
the
fundings
funding
was
going
now,
there's
a
lot
of
other
tools
that
have
been
added,
since
one
is
bird's
eye
view,
which
gives
you
a
good
idea
on
how
capital
funds
are
spent
where
they're
spent
at
and
what
projects
are
they
are?
You
can
look
it
up?
B
You
can
also
look
up
a
whole
myriad
of
other
public
information,
that's
valuable
to
know
for
residents
and
then
there's
balancing
act
as
well
too,
which
is
another
really
interesting
program.
Let
you
play
with
the
budget,
so
it
gives
you
an
opportunity
to
to
create
your
own
budget.
So
if
you
want
to
fund
a
department
more
or
defund
the
department
more
it
lets,
you
do
those
kind
of
things,
but
the
one
thing
that
you
have
to
do
is
you
have
to
have
a
balanced
budget,
or
else
it
will
not.
B
Allow
you
to
proceed
and
and
finalize
it
so
it's
a
neat
little
tool
for
public
engagement
and
for
education
for
the
public.
So
I
you
know,
suggest
everybody.
You
know
when
you
get
an
opportunity
to
go
on
to
the
city
website,
find
balancing
act,
find
bird's
eye
view,
find
fiscal
focus.
These
are
neat
things
for
budget
nerds.
Like
me,
I'm
sure
there's
other
budget
nerds
out
there
that,
like
doing
this
kind
of
stuff
or
policy
geeks,
so
yeah.
A
B
B
Basically,
what
he
had
done
was
to
have
open
forums
where
he'd
appear
in
each
one
of
the
neighborhoods,
so
he
tried
to
make
88.
I
don't
think
he
had
that
many
at
the
time.
I
think
it
was
88
neighborhoods
at
the
time
he
tried
to
get
to
as
many
neighbors
as
he
could
and
he'd
have
a
public
forum.
He'd
have
the
directors
there
you'd
go
down
and
write
the
information
down.
I
would
attend
all
these
all
these
things
as
well
too
city
council
later
on
did
a
couple
years.
B
They
did
town
hall
meetings
where
they
went
to
each
council
district.
The
whole
council
would
go,
they
take
a
few
hours
before
the
meeting
and
they
do
a
tour
of
the
council
district
to
see
what
was
going
on
at
that
one.
I
had
a
specific
budget
presentation
where
I
tried
to
explain
to
the
public
the
difference
between
capital
and
operating,
how
much
money
was
allocated,
how
much
things
cost?
A
I
don't
want
to
say
overwhelmed,
but
you
always
had
something
to
do.
Yes.
Has
your
workflow
has
your?
Has
your
systems
has
any
what
what
has
changed
in
kovid?
Obviously,
people
aren't
knocking
on
your
front
door
at
your
house
because
I
know
you're
working
at
home,
but
how
have?
How
have
things
changed
since
covid?
For
you,
I've.
A
B
Absolutely
I
think,
for
the
exercise
reason,
if
not
any
other
one,
I
you
know,
I
love
people,
that's
why
I
do
this
job,
it's
for
the
public,
so
yeah!
I
love
people
love
seeing
people.
I
love
my
colleagues,
I
you
know
like
the
council,
members
and
them
and
the
folks
on
the
other
side
of
the
hall.
It's
it's
a
nice
little
family
here.
So
you
like
to
see
your
family.
A
B
Yeah,
I
think,
for
exercise
reasons.
I
got
to
the
point
where
I
was
no
long.
I
don't
like
email.
If
I
don't
have
to
use
it,
I
would
rather
get
up
if
I
had
something
to
talk
to
somebody
about
I'd
rather
get
up
and
go
to
their
office.
No
some
people
didn't
like
that.
So
I'd
email
them
first
say
I'm
on
my
way
over,
but
there's
nothing
like
the
in-person
communication.
A
B
No,
it's
it's
part
of
the
job.
It's
it's
fun,
it's
education,
which
is
what
I'm
trying
to
do
all
the
time,
and
you
know
part
of
the
job-
is
to
take
complex
issues
and
try
to
make
them
as
simple
as
possible.
You
know
for
anybody
to
understand.
We
want
the
folks
to
understand
them
and
the
members
need
to
know
for
their
jobs.
So
I
think
it's
really
important
each
member
when
they
come
on,
they
got
elected
for
a
reason.
B
Now
their
skill
sets
vary.
You
know
some
folks
come
in
they
their
lawyers
or
they.
They
know
the
law
really
well
or
they
know
finance
really
well,
others,
don't
others
have
more
of
a
grassroots
feel
on
things
and
that's
why
they
got
elected
and
they're
the
best
at
doing
what
they
do.
But
it's
our
job
to
to
fill
in
the
those
blanks
and
answer
any
questions
they
could
possibly
have.
We
want
them
to
do
the
best
job
and
make
the
best
decisions
they
possibly
can.
B
Love
them
all.
Yes,
well,
it's
not
really
political.
They,
as
I
just
said
you
know,
they
all
bring
something
different
and
their
personalities
as
well,
too,
all
bring
something
that's
attractive,
and
that's
why
people
vote
for
him
and
I
try
to
seek
out.
You
know
those
those
positive
things
and
all
the
folks
who's.
B
B
A
A
Okay,
that's
fair,
okay!
So
back
to
the
technology
portion,
you
were
talking
about
some
of
the
programs
and
processes
that
you
use
now
and
how
those
are
antiquated
at
this
point,
in
a
perfect
world,
in
a
utopian
budget
office,
what
are
some
of
the
things
you
would
need
to
continue
moving
you,
your
staff
and
the
entire
city
forward.
A
B
I
think
we
have
most
of
what
we
need.
I
think
the
technology
just
needs
to
match
that
so
part
of
our
job.
If
you
look
at
us
more
like
the
congressional
budget
office
in
congress,
you
look
at
us
that
way,
we're
taking
and
analyzing
things
on
a
regular
basis,
so
new
policies
that
come
up
legislation
that
comes
over
from
the
mayor,
that's
going
to
hit
accounts.
B
So
we
like
to
take
a
look
at
different
data
sets
and
be
able
to
make
comparisons.
Do
what,
if
examples
so
be
able
to
have
that
data,
and
you
know
put
in
variables
what
if
we
hire
somebody
what,
if
we,
you
know
automate
a
a
a
process.
You
know:
what's
that
gonna
cost
not
only
today,
but
let's
run
it
out.
You
know
for
for
five
years
for
ten
years
and
see
what
the
true
cost
will
be.
You
know
something
that
the
city
bought.
Is
that
a
good
idea?
B
What
are
gonna
be
the
expenses
and
all
that
kind
of
stuff
down
the
road
so
being
able
to
have
that
we
have
some
of
that
capability
now.
Is
it
integrated
very
well
into
the
jd
edwards
system?
No,
it's
not
so
we
need
to
work
on
that
to
be
able
to
make
sure
that
the
data
stays
the
same
and
and
we
can
get
better
results
for
folks
now-
and
you
know
myself
now
and
then
the
new
analysts
that
come
in
in
the
future.
A
I
know
what
kind
of
thinker
you
are
because
I've
worked
with
you
long
enough
at
this
point.
So
it's
going
to
be
difficult
for
you
to
answer
this
question,
but
if
budget
were
not
an
issue,
if
money
were
not
an
issue,
what
is
the
number
one
thing
you
would
buy
if
you
had
unlimited
budget
available
to
you,
god,
nothing
and
just.
B
B
B
The
things
that
aren't
sexy
that
people
don't
see
are
extremely
important,
because
none
of
this
stuff
government
just
doesn't
work
without
those
things
that
people
don't
think
of
on
a
day-to-day
basis
that
people
take
for
granted.
You
know
so
you
know
roads
need
to
be
done
right.
You
know,
flooding
issues
need
to
be
taken
care
of
so
yeah.
I
would
just
say:
let's
take
care
of
what
we
have
right.
If
we
have
all
the
money,
we
don't
have
enough
money
to
do
that.
A
That's
a
great
answer.
That
really
is
a
great
answer.
So
at
this
point
I
want
to
ask
you
four
completely
random
questions
that
you
weren't
prepared,
for
they
have
nothing
to
do
with
your
job.
Okay,
you
ready,
I'm
ready,
david,
okay,
I'm
always
ready
on
your
sandwiches.
Do
you
like
french
fries
or
no
french
fries,
no
french
fries?
Why
on
the
side
but
you're
sort
of
from
here,
I
am
from
here
wow
personal
preference.
My
wife
also
is
from
here
and
doesn't
like
french
fries
on
her
that's
right.
Sandwiches!
That's
strange!
B
Duquesne,
why
duquesne
is
where
I
live?
I'm
in
duquesne
heights.
I
it's
very
romantic.
It's
the
old
original
one.
It
was
a
friend
of
mine,
david
miller,
has
long
passed
away.
He
used
to
be
the
head
of
the
organization
that
saved
it
and
it
was
ready
to
go
out
in
the
1960s
and
he
put
together
a
campaign
because
there
was
enough
residents
that
were
utilizing
that
to
go
to
work.
Now,
it's
a
major
tourist
attraction
as
well
too
handles
over
a
million
visitors
annually
to
come
home
and
see
it.
A
B
B
The
favorite
point
I
walk
my
dog
pretty
much
every
day
up
to
the
guys
suit
a
statue
so
guys
sit
in
washington
statue.
We
go
into
that
little
park
area
which
I
pray
never
gets
over
developed
and
go
down
to
the
base
of
the
trail
and
walk
him
back
he's
getting
old.
He
used
to
I
used
to
take
him
on
the
trail,
but
then
he's
a
little
old,
so
we
keep
him
up
there
and
I
try
to
take
a
picture
when
I
can
of
him
with
the
city
behind
him.
So
nice
beautiful
view.
A
B
They
could
call
my
office
412-255-2147
or
they
can
go
online
to
I'm
in
the
city
clerk's
office.
So
you
can
look
through
that
page.
There
there's
a
link
to
the
budget
office
where
we
have
all
the
previous
operating
budgets
going
back
to
1950,
as
well
as
the
the
previous
capital
budgets,
there's
a
link
to
send
me
an
email
or
to
contact
mike
strelik
same
phone
number.
B
A
A
And
you've,
just
always,
we've
always
talked
to
old
tv
and
how,
through
the
process
of
updating
all
this
stuff,
I
have
really
enjoyed
working
with
you,
and
I
just
want
to
thank
you
for
taking
the
time
to
do
this.
I
really
appreciate
it.
Thank
you,
david,
thank
you
and
to
those
of
you
at
home.
Thank
you
for
watching,
and
we
hope
you.
We
will
see
you
next
time
right
here
on.