What’s at stake: Incumbent Democrat John Palmiere has held the District 6 council seat for 12 years, though he’s remained a quiet presence as other voices on council have grown louder. His district also doesn’t often call attention to itself: Much of it consists of bedroom communities like Baldwin, Brentwood, Castle Shannon, and Pleasant Hills. Palmiere brushed aside a Republican challenger four years ago, but GOP challenger Sean McGrath hopes to have better luck.
Annual stipend: $10,939
Sean McGrath
On his website, McGrath says residents of South Hills have been the victims of “inaction on County Council.” Prior to his foray into politics, McGrath was perhaps most well-known for liveblogging his experience after contracting COVID-19 early in the pandemic. He puts crime and safety high on his list of priorities for the district.
Party: Republican
Place of Residence: Castle Shannon
Education: B.S., Franklin University; M.B.A, University of Pittsburgh
Current occupation: Network engineer, United Steelworkers (2014-present)
Relevant experience: Network engineer at multiple organizations, including Thales USA, Aerotech Incorporated, and the City of Pittsburgh; adjunct professor, Devry University (2007-2012)
Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Fundraising (as of 6/5/23):
Total raised (2023): $5.00
Total spent (2023): None reported
WESA Candidate Survey
What is the most important issue for residents of your district, and what will you do to tackle it?
Safety is absolutely an issue which affects the residents of my district. Crime is on the rise in Allegheny County, and unfortunately the South Hills have not been an exception. I will support the initiatives aimed at improving safety like increasing funding for our county police and standing up for the police departments in my district.
Allegheny County’s property tax assessment system has been subject to much criticism in recent months. How do you think property tax assessments should be handled going forward, and what steps will you take to accomplish that?
Reassessing property taxes in Allegheny County at a time where many families are already struggling economically would be irresponsible and do much more harm than good. We need to work to develop a plan that is equitable and will not penalize anyone in the process.
Conditions at the Allegheny County Jail have become a subject of intense debate, and there is increased discussion of finding a replacement for the now-closed Shuman Juvenile Detention Center. What concerns, if any, do you have about the future for these facilities, and what would you do on council to address those concerns? (Editor’s note: As we were assembling the WESA Voter Guide, the Allegheny County Court of Commons Pleas decided to contract with a nonprofit to reopen the Shuman Center.)
It is critical that we look towards solutions like reopening Shuman or some institution similar to it as a solution for young people going down the wrong path. As someone concerned with the safety of my community, I will support legislation and government initiatives like those championed by DA Stephen Zappala to ensure that we are properly addressing this.
What strategies do you think the county should be using to encourage job growth and economic development, and what strategies do you think the county should avoid?
We have to work on building a strong relationship with the businesses and employers of Allegheny County and letting them know that we support them. It is critical that we let business owners know that Allegheny County is a place worth bringing their operations, which will not only ensure continued economic activity in our region, but good paying jobs for our residents. To this point, it is critical that we avoid hiking taxes on businesses, especially small businesses who are still struggling to recover from the aftershock of the pandemic. Policies like these will not only push out many of our local businesses, but also put many Allegheny County residents out of work.
County council has played a more activist role in recent years, sometimes thwarting the county executive's agenda and pursuing its own policy goals. Critics say council is a part-time body whose role should be to oversee the county's budget process. What part do you think council should play in shaping policy, and do you think council needs more staff and resources than it has now?
The Allegheny County Council is ultimately governed by the Home Rule Charter of our government. Within this, I believe that a member of the Council should advocate for the interests of their constituents and support legislation which achieves those goals, and that is exactly what I will do starting day one.
John Palmiere
Palmiere was first appointed to council 12 years ago to finish Joan Cleary's unexpired term. In his most recent term he's been part of a council coalition that has often united against Rich Fitzgerald, a fellow Democrat, on issues that include fracking in county parks — including South Park, which lies in his district. He chairs council’s executive and parks committees and sits on the budget and finance and public works committees.
Party: Democratic
Place of Residence: Baldwin Township
Education: Central Catholic High School; Community College of Allegheny County
Current occupation: Barber
Relevant experience: Allegheny County Council member (2011 – present); 23 years as a member of the Baldwin-Whitehall School Board
Links: Email
Supporters/endorsements: Allegheny County Democratic Committee, Allegheny-Fayette Central Labor Council, and unions including Steamfitters LU 449, which contributed $1,000 to his campaign, and IBEW LU 5, which contributed $500.
Fundraising (as of 6/5/23):
Total raised (2023): $31,150.00 (plus $307.11 on hand at the beginning of 2023)
Total spent (2023): $30,398.53
WESA Candidate Survey
What is the most important issue for residents of your district, and what will you do to tackle it?
The most important issue for residents in my District is to maintain a quality of life which includes clean air, clean water, parks, recreation, roads, bridges and public safety. I will continue to work with Council to make District 6 the best it can be.
Allegheny County’s property tax assessment system has been subject to much criticism in recent months. How do you think property tax assessments should be handled going forward, and what steps will you take to accomplish that?
I want to maintain the current property assessment system and I will fight any attempt to re-assess properties in District 6. There are those who want to discriminate against the suburbs and tax us higher than the City. I will do everything in my power to stop that.
Conditions at the Allegheny County Jail have become a subject of intense debate, and there is increased discussion of finding a replacement for the now-closed Shuman Juvenile Detention Center. What concerns, if any, do you have about the future for these facilities, and what would you do on council to address those concerns? (Editor’s note: As we were assembling the WESA Voter Guide, the Allegheny County Court of Commons Pleas decided to contract with a nonprofit to reopen the Shuman Center.)
We have spent considerable time and resources on the Allegheny County Jail and bringing Shuman Juvenile Detention Center back to life. While I believe in the philosophy of cashless bail in all non-violent crimes, there is a real need to keep violent offenders off the streets.
What strategies do you think the county should be using to encourage job growth and economic development, and what strategies do you think the county should avoid?
The next County Executive should be an ambassador for this region and promote job growth and economic development for all of our people. County Council should be a willing partner in doing whatever it takes to bring jobs and industry into our region.
County council has played a more activist role in recent years, sometimes thwarting the county executive's agenda and pursuing its own policy goals. Critics say council is a part-time body whose role should be to oversee the county's budget process. What part do you think council should play in shaping policy, and do you think council needs more staff and resources than it has now?
Allegheny County Council was once nothing but a lap dog for the County Chief Executive. I am very proud that I was able to be part of a coalition to make Allegheny County Council more relevant and an equal partner in the transactions of County Government.
