Pittsburgh City Council today introduced legislation solidifying what some members view as a $1.24 million promise to help the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh get through this year without closing branches.

The legislation, which has six sponsors, aims to steer $640,000 to the library system, in addition to the $600,000 grant that the city is now processing.

"That was the commitment this council made," said Councilman Doug Shields.

"These funds are restricted for the use and support of the branch libraries," he said, adding that he would not stand for "waiting around for six months" while lawyers haggle over the exact wording of covenants restricting the money's use.

Mayor Luke Ravenstahl has said that he is seeking further financial information from the library administration before deciding if he would support any allocation beyond the $600,000 now pending.

Library funding has been a source of confusion in city government since last year. Council and the mayor agreed on the initial $600,000 payment to help forestall the closure of four branches and changes to others. Council went further, pledging another $640,000.

Mr. Ravenstahl put a $1 million library grant in the budget, based on an expectation of getting $16 million from a new tuition tax, but that levy was never enacted.

Despite the tuition tax's failure, the $1 million library grant remained in the budget. Council and the mayor have disagreed in recent weeks on whether it should have been erased from the budget last year.

Since the 1993 passage of the Regional Asset District tax, which covers most of the libraries' budgets, the city has typically given the libraries $40,000 a year.

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