Late last week, Erica Rocchi Brusselars appeared to be the last Democratic candidate standing in the race for Allegheny County Treasurer. But it now seems she may have company after all: Pittsburgh City Councilor Anthony Coghill announced a run for the seat this weekend.
Coghill announced his bid to run for treasurer publicly at a Democratic candidates' forum on Saturday. He told WESA Monday that his six years on City Council, and decades owning a roofing contracting company, provide relevant experience to safeguard county tax dollars.
“I would put my body of work up against any resume out there,” Coghill said. “When you run your own business, your livelihood depends on every check you get and every job you do.”
Coghill entered the race too late to seek an endorsement from the Allegheny County Democratic Committee. He said his opportunity opened after defense attorney Phil DiLucente withdrew his name from consideration last week, leaving Brusselars alone in the race.
DiLucente has not responded to WESA queries about the reversal. Coghill said he was content to support DiLucente for the office, but “when he dropped out … that’s when I really started giving it consideration.”
The county treasurer is charged with collecting, investing and spending county money. The office collects property and local business taxes such as levies on alcohol and hotel rooms. It also issues dog and hunting licenses. The position has been held for nearly a quarter century by John Weinstein, who chose not to seek re-election this year so he could run for county executive instead.
After participating in deliberations over a half-dozen budgets, Coghill said he’s ready to take on the county’s finances.
“I oversee and vote on a $500 million-plus budget every year,” Coghill said. “I would say my strengths are my leadership and my many years of managing things. And that's what I plan to do with this office: manage and lead it.”
If both Coghill and Brusselars appear on the May primary ballot, it would mark the first time this century that there has been a primary contest for the office.
Coghill complimented the way Weinstein has run the treasurer’s office and hesitated to promise changes until he understands why things are done a certain way.
“I never seem to fail to get my tax bills,” he said with a laugh. “For the most part, I do think it’s a very well-run office.”
While Brusselars characterizes the county’s pension plan as “significantly underfunded,” Coghill has a more optimistic outlook. Though he pledged to keep a “close eye” on the health of the plan, he dismissed concerns about underfunding, noting the market fluctuates.
“I don’t think there is reason to be alarmed about it at this point,” he said. “No more than people are alarmed about their own 401Ks. It’s really dependent on the market.”
If Coghill wins the treasurer’s office, a special election would determine who will finish out the remainder of his term on City Council, which would otherwise expire at the end of 2025. Such a change could add to a growing wave of new faces in city politics.
During his time on City Council, Coghill has championed improving working conditions for city police, resurrecting a public works facility near his district to improve snow removal, and rehabilitating a vacant apartment site along Brownsville Road into a community asset in Carrick. Coghill also serves on a council committee focused on drafting policy to support the homeless community in Pittsburgh.
“I've taken on the hard issues, and I have a slate of things that I really need to see through to fruition,” he said. “I feel confident I'll be able to get those things done in the time remaining if I were to win.”
