The heavy lifting of organizing and paying for the G-20 summit caused a stress fracture on Grant Street yesterday, with the county executive saying there's a funding shortfall and the mayor denying it.

Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato and Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl also disagreed over the handling of state aid for the summit. And while the county's leader said the Sept. 24 and 25 event is going to cost $25 million, the city's boss said the important number is $16 million.

"There's not an $8 million [funding] gap in my mind," Mr. Ravenstahl said. "The county suggests that there is."

The confusion started with a closed-door morning meeting between Mr. Onorato and members of both City Council and County Council, to which Mr. Ravenstahl "did not have the privilege of being invited," in the mayor's words. Mr. Onorato called for the meeting after City Council members on Friday questioned whether the county was contributing enough toward the cost of hosting leaders of the world's biggest economies, and to contend with protesters.

Council members left Mr. Onorato's office with the impression that the city and county combined face a $5 million to $8 million shortfall -- significantly more than the $1.7 million gap they debated Friday. That smaller gap was based on legislation up for a final vote today that outlined $16 million in city public safety costs, and cited $10 million in federal aid and $4.3 million in state help that would not quite cover it.

They learned that costs are expected to be higher. They also learned that the county believes it's due a share of the state money, and some of $2.5 million in Department of Homeland Security money the city also had its eyes on.

Mr. Onorato's $25 million total stems from a joint city-county budget submitted to the White House. It includes $9.5 million to pay out-of-town police; $2.3 million to provide them with food, water and equipment; $2 million to insure those police against lawsuits; $4.1 million in airport costs to be borne by the county; $1.7 million for city police overtime; $1.2 million in county police costs; $1.2 million in city and county public works expenses; plus $776,000 for the county jail, $727,000 for sheriffs, $660,000 for county emergency services, and more.

"I think [City Council members] had an epiphany this morning," said Kevin Evanto, Mr. Onorato's spokesman. "They didn't know what the county had in costs and spending, and this meeting was about discussing that.

"Everybody on both sides of Forbes Avenue understands that we're not going to know [how much will be spent on G-20] until after we have spent the money," he added.

Mr. Ravenstahl said the $25 million budget included many costs that the White House and state declined to cover -- like street paving and beautification -- and that what really matters is the $16 million public safety tab.

"I'm not interested in anything other than keeping everybody safe," Mr. Ravenstahl said. "I think the dollars the state and the feds have given us will allow us to do so."

He said that he originally suggested that the city and the county each front $8 million. But Mr. Onorato "said that he couldn't do it, which is OK."

The city, he said, will front the money until federal and state reimbursements come in. "In the event that [the money] doesn't come between now and Sept. 24, I'll be damned if I'm going to not have police officers there to keep everybody safe," he said.

Mr. Onorato disputed any suggestion that the county wasn't paying its share, writing in a letter to city and county council members that "the county has budgeted an estimated $7.93 million in public safety and other costs."

The competing accounts left members of both councils confused.

Mr. Onorato's meeting yesterday provided no clear outline of how the funding gap -- whatever it might be -- would be filled, said County Council President Rich Fitzgerald, D-Squirrel Hill. Indeed, it seems different people came out with different conclusions of the funding structure.

City Councilman Patrick Dowd said the city and the county should craft a "basic framework document" outlining responsibilities and expectations regarding the summit.

City Council Finance Chair William Peduto, meanwhile, said he's pushing for a city-county agreement to split any cost overruns. He said he wants some assurances before council's meeting this morning.

Asked about the administration's representation that the city would control the state and federal aid, Mr. Peduto said that "may not have been a direct lie, but simply a misunderstanding between the mayor's office and the county executive's office."