Council interviews Ria Price for municipal pension trust board; nominee says fund roughly 70% funded

Ria Price, the mayor’s nominee to the board of trustees of the Comprehensive Municipal Pension Trust Fund, told council members during a pre‑agenda interview that she has spent much of her career in municipal budgeting and currently serves as deputy budget director and acting director in the Office of Management and Budget.

Price outlined a career that began with undergraduate work at the University of Pittsburgh and a master’s in public administration, followed by roles in the city budget office and Pittsburgh Water. She said she returned to the city after work in Virginia and now oversees operating budgets and special revenue as deputy budget director, serving as acting director until a permanent hire is made.

Price told council that the most recent funding-status report she had seen, from the prior year, showed the pension trust was about 70% funded. "That is a huge difference from my previous time," she said, and added, "I would definitely make sure that I communicated any — if we were in, like, a distressing situation with the pension, you should know about that right away." She also said the trust historically posts funding-status reports on the CMPTF website and suggested scheduling briefings with council when those quarterly reports are released.

Council members thanked Price for returning to public service and asked how she would keep council informed. Councilman Charlene emphasized that the pension is often noticed only when problems arise and asked how she would proactively communicate. Price reiterated her commitment to regular communication and transparency, including continuing online publication of status reports.

The interview concluded with no formal vote recorded during the pre‑agenda session. The resolution appointing Price had been read into the record; further action on the nomination is expected to follow the council’s standard agenda procedures.