Proposed Tuition Tax in Pittsburgh Is Rejected by State Agency

The Pennsylvania agency that reviews Pittsburgh’s finances has rejected the city’s 2010 budget because of a proposal to levy a 1-percent tax on college tuition to close a multimillion-dollar shortfall, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The agency, the Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority, which oversees the city’s troubled finances, voted unanimously against the budget, saying the tuition tax would be illegal. The mayor, Luke Ravenstahl, insists that the proposed tax is legal and plans to argue for it in a discussion with the city council on Wednesday.