Bob Donaldson, Post-Gazette Pittsburgh Mayor Bob O'Connor plays with 6-month-old Diego Hedge in front of Alleda Glanton's, left, home in the 400 block of Climax Street during Mr. O'Connor's walking tour of the Beltzhoover neighborhood. Click photo for larger image. Previous Coverage: Mayor O'Connor declares war on littered city lots (03/11/06)

Pittsburgh Mayor Bob O'Connor took his freshly minted "redd up" campaign on the road yesterday, even as his staff put final touches on the revised budget that will pay for his initiatives.

The city is expected to present a spending plan to the state-appointed Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority today. That would set the stage for an up-or-down vote by the three members of the ICA board at a meeting Thursday at 12:30 p.m. in the Regional Enterprise Tower.

The ICA rejected the budget last year.

The lack of an approved spending plan didn't stop the mayor from ordering that buildings on Charles Street in Knoxville and Climax Street in Beltzhoover be torn down, pronto. On a walk through those neighborhoods, he told department heads to clean up illegal dumps, crack down on crime near schools, and board up abandoned buildings.

He reiterated his plan to enforce 1,000-foot safety zones around schools and a push, announced Friday, to clean up derelict houses, abandoned cars and trash.

Asked how the city will afford his priorities, he offered few specifics. "We'll get it started, and when we run out of money, we'll look for more," he said.

He said the answer may be better motivated workers, rather than more of them. "Let me see them all sweating a little more," he said.

The $418 million city budget crafted by then-Mayor Tom Murphy leaves more that 100 positions vacant. City Council members, department heads and state-appointed overseers have said they're concerned about whether the city can effectively operate with so many posts unfilled.

Mr. O'Connor's administration is expected to offer a larger spending plan that fully funds the Fire Bureau and changes the calculation of police overtime to comply with a legal settlement. He would not say yesterday whether he would fill vacant slots.

ICA Executive Director Henry Sciortino said communication from the administration has been "very good."

Council and the ICA have been at odds over the level of health insurance payments by nonunion employees, which council wants to keep at last year's level.

Council members had expected a revised budget by today, but learned yesterday that they will get it only after the ICA votes.

"That's obviously a concern of mine, the fact that council gets it after everybody else," said Council President Luke Ravenstahl. If council is provided with an ICA-approved budget, he said, "how much ability we have to maneuver is debatable."

Back in Beltzhoover, Police Chief Dominic Costa said he continues to hope to boost his force to 900 this year. It now includes 820 officers and 44 who will graduate from the academy next month.

He said they are reacting well to the mayor's urging that the city workforce take it up a notch.

"I think it's something they want," he said. "The mayor's telling them to go out there and do your job."