Pittsburgh City Council gave final approval today to a new way of distributing public dollars, putting decision-making for one council district into the hands of a nonprofit foundation.

"The real intent of this is to eliminate the perception of politics from the 9th council district and create a transparent process which will begin to restore hope in the legislative process," said Councilman Ricky Burgess, whose district includes the city's northeast corner.

Mr. Burgess said he has identified $136,000 in unspent funds slated for his district, and he'll put his annual council discretionary allocation -- now around $75,000 -- in the same pot. Starting in about one month, the Downtown-based Poise Foundation, which is focused on African American needs, will receive applications for funding and recommend that groups or efforts get around $3,000 to $5,000 for worthy projects.

"People who do not have a relationship with me can still have access and a fair opportunity" to win city funding, Mr. Burgess said. He added that his constituents will know "that dollars are being used in a way that best suits the district, and not in a way that best suits my political future."

His predecessor, Twanda Carlisle, is in prison for distributing discretionary funds to three consultants who then paid some of it back to her. Council members have been criticized for a lack of process for distributing city funds.

Mr. Burgess said funds will start to flow by fall. He set broad guidelines, indicating that he wants money to go to efforts that improve public safety, economic development and education.