Longtime District 2 City Councilor Theresa Kail-Smith formally announced her retirement this week.
Kail-Smith was elected in 2009, and served two terms as council’s president. But she says she’s proudest of working on behalf of the district, which includes neighborhoods in the south and west of Pittsburgh.
“I think a lot of people know where District 2 is now,” Kail-Smith said. “I think they're more familiar with the West End neighborhoods and the south part, the neighborhoods that I represent. Part of our district now goes over to the North Side. I think we're a unique district.”
Kail-Smith currently serves as chairperson for the Committee of Recreation, Youth & Senior Services and is a board member of ALCOSAN and a member of the Allegheny County Democratic Committee. She previously chaired council’s Public Works, Parks and Public Safety committees.
An early-morning statement Tuesday disclosing her retirement plans came as little surprise, since Kail-Smith has talked often about not running again. But she said she isn’t sure what else residents can expect in city politics in 2025.
“There's a mayor's race coming up,” said Kail-Smith, who at times has been a vocal critic of Mayor Ed Gainey’s initiatives. “We'll see what happens with that and what direction the new or current administration decides to take the next four years. I don't know what that would look like, to be honest with you. But at this moment in time, I feel like I'm honored to have served with my colleagues.”
Over her time on council, she said she was happy to have seen the refurbishment of a number of closed school buildings in her district that were converted into different uses for the community. Most of all, she said she’s proud to have had the chance to represent her district.
She hopes whoever replaces her will see the completion of the West End Trolley trail, a shared-use trail along a long-abandoned streetcar line. She said she also looked forward to the renovation of the Stevens Elementary School building, one of the last school buildings in the district to be refurbished. Master plans for parks in her district are also on her mind.
“We've gotten place spray parks done and playgrounds built that needed renovations and needed some attention. So I think there's a lot of good things that happened,” she said.
Still, she said, “There's always going to be work that needs done. There's always going to be a project not finished, and there's always going to be someone who's not happy. But as long as the majority of people are happy and realize that you worked hard for them, I think that's what matters in the end.”
When asked if there was anyone eyeing her council seat, Kail-Smith suggested chief of staff Kim Salinetro, who is currently president of the Banksville Civic Association, might have an interest.
“She's done a tremendous job for this area,” she said. “I think she cares passionately. But if she would do it, she's only going to do it one term as well, because like me, she'll be ready to retire at the end of that.”
Councilor Bob Charland, whose district also covers some areas south of the rivers, says he isn’t ready to say goodbye to Kail-Smith yet. He said admired how she was always focused on how city issues would impact her district
“I think that she's been a great colleague, and a very good friend, and someone I can call kind of at any hour of the day,” he said. “I think that Theresa's legacy is going to be that she represented her district very well.”
