In an unusual move against the city's chief executive, Pittsburgh City Council today issued a subpoena to Mayor Luke Ravenstahl and some of his top advisers in a bid to obtain pension fund data.

In addition to Mr. Ravenstahl, the subpoena names finance director Scott Kunka, personnel director Judy Hill-Finegan and three pension officials.

The subpoena tells Mr. Ravenstahl and the others that they are "compelled to provide raw pension data to the secretary of the Pennsylvania Municipal Retirement System." Council said the data, such as a list of retirees and benefits, is necessary for the agency to calculate the financial impact of a state takeover of the city's pension fund.

Mr. Ravenstahl has proposed leasing the city's parking garages and meters to a private consortium for 50 years in return for an upfront payment of nearly $452 million. Mr. Ravenstahl has said he will use at least $200 million of the proceeds to boost the pension fund and avert a takeover that he said would require the city to make higher annual payments possible only through tax hikes and service cuts.

Council said it issued the subpoena because the state pension system has been requesting the data since summer 2009 but has never received it.

The subpoena, signed by council President Darlene Harris and five other members, directs that the data be turned over to James Allen, secretary of the state pension system, by noon Friday.

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