A key Republican state lawmaker gave high marks on Tuesday to Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl's Monday kickoff of an effort to solve the city's pension problem.

Rep. Mike Turzai, the Republican whip, of Bradford Woods, was the sole GOP lawmaker at Monday's first meeting of a panel that will study the pension problem and may bring suggestions to Harrisburg. Staff for Sen. Jane Orie, R-McCandless, participated by phone.

The city's pension fund is around $600 million short of ideal levels, and Mr. Ravenstahl, a Democrat, wants to lease city parking garages to raise $200 million, and increase revenues by $15 million a year to steadily close the gap.

"It cannot only be a discussion about revenues, although I am open to a discussion of revenues," Mr. Turzai said. "We have to talk about selling some assets. We have to talk about offering defined contribution [retirement benefit] alternatives for the future. We have to talk about making sure there are not [benefit] spikes in calculating pensions. But those are all things that are on the table."

If reforms and spending controls are included, the General Assembly could conceivably vote on a Pittsburgh-related package this year, he said.

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