What's at stake: With control of $3 billion in spending a year, a seat on the county elections board, and the power to appoint officials to crucial decision-making bodies, the county executive is arguably the most powerful local official in western Pennsylvania. The office has been a shoo-in for the Democratic nominee for years, but it’s a different story this fall. Former state Rep. Sara Innamorato won this spring’s Democratic primary to replace the term-limited Rich Fitzgerald, and she now faces a well-resourced Republican, retired bank executive Joe Rockey, in November. The race has been generally cordial — so far — but the stakes are high. A GOP win would put the party in charge of county government for the first time in a quarter-century.
Further reading:
“Innamorato, Rockey air differences in Allegheny County executive debate” (Chris Potter, WESA)
“Innamorato, Rockey debate crime, property taxes in Allegheny County executive race” (Chris Potter, WESA)
“Innamorato, Rockey trade barbs over new ad as Allegheny County executive race turns heated” (Chris Potter, WESA)
Sara Innamorato
First elected to the state House of Representatives in 2018, Innamorato is part of a newer generation of progressive Democrats, and she now stands to win the county’s highest office. A native of Ross Township who lost her father as a result of opioid addiction, Innamorato has long stressed concerns about housing access and better social services for those in need, especially as an alternative to incarceration. She won a contentious Democratic primary this spring.
Party: Democratic
Place of residence: Pittsburgh (Upper Lawrenceville)
Education: B.A., University of Pittsburgh
Current occupation: State representative before stepping down in July to focus on county executive run
Related experience: State representative (2019 – 2023); vice chair of the Allegheny County Housing Authority; treasurer of the Urban Redevelopment Authority.
Supporters/endorsements: Support from the Allegheny-Fayette Central Labor Council and a broad range of area unions as well as numerous progressive advocacy groups; local elected officials including outgoing County Executive Rich Fitzgerald, U.S. Rep. Summer Lee and Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey
Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Fundraising (as of 10/23/23):
Total raised (2023): $1,549,248.93 (plus $101,263.74 on hand at the beginning of the year)
Total spent (2023): $1,455,599.89
Further reading:
“With progressives on a winning streak, Innamorato launches county executive bid” (Chris Potter, WESA)“
In win for progressives, Innamorato takes Democratic primary in Allegheny County executive race” (Chris Potter, WESA)
“Why Innamorato winning labor endorsements in Allegheny County executive race wasn't a total cakewalk” (Chris Potter, WESA)
WESA Candidate Survey
Uncertainty about property tax assessments and questions about the fairness of the system have dogged county executives since the position was created. What is your plan to make the process fairer to residents while ensuring the county's fiscal health?
I will create a fair and transparent system for assessments, with properties being assessed regularly, without bias, and comprehensively.
I know longtime homeowners, especially in rapidly gentrifying areas, are worried that a reassessment would mean they can no longer afford their tax bill. This doesn’t have to be the case. The state provides an anti-windfall protection that means the taxing body must be revenue-neutral. We also must adopt my Longtime Owner Occupant Program (LOOP) policy, which offers tax relief to longtime homeowners in rapidly gentrifying neighborhoods. I’ll consider enhancements to our Homestead/Farmstead tax relief program, support a senior property tax freeze, and make commercial properties pay their fair share.
How would you assess the job the county and its Health Department are doing to protect air quality, and what if anything would you do to change its approach?
I will use the unique regulatory powers of the Health Department to finally hold polluters accountable and end policies that put our families’ health at risk.
Allegheny County ranks among the worst air quality in PM2.5 in the nation, as well as the top 2% of counties in the U.S. in terms of cancer risks from hazardous air pollutants. Children living near source polluters have nearly triple that national rate of asthma. We are failing to protect the health of the people of this County. I will work towards building a greener economy that is good for workers, good for families, and good for our climate.
What do you think is holding back the county's job and population growth, and what would you do about it as county executive?
Economic vibrancy requires working with institutions to welcome new neighbors, investing in quality of life, and supporting creative, innovative sectors. If Allegheny County doesn't transition to renewable energy and technology now, we’ll be left behind. Our workforce is ready to modernize our infrastructure, and we’re already a hub for research and development in tech and robotics. I will use the county’s economic development tools to invest in Main Streets, develop diverse entrepreneurs, and encourage the growth of employee-owned businesses. I will convene universities, industry leaders, and community groups to create a roadmap to apply for federal funding that will be the basis to invest in environmental justice communities, and grow our green economy.
Law enforcement in Allegheny County is managed by a patchwork of municipal police departments, as well as by county-level forces that include county police and transit officers as well as county jail staff. What should a county executive do to elevate the accountability of the local justice system while also improving public safety?
I will ensure our communities are safe for every one, no matter our color, race, accent or zip code. I will start by convening advocates and experts to transform the Allegheny County Jail to end human rights abuses there. I will work with our Councils of Government to incentivize municipal police, fire, and EMS departments to share services, engage in joint training to improve standards, and operate more efficiently, improving outcomes while reducing costs. I will partner with mental health and substance abuse treatment providers to get people treatment rather than locking them up. I will invest in successful diversion programs to provide alternatives to incarceration for non-violent offenders.
From public transit to housing and human services, the county and its agencies provide a broad array of social services that are depended on especially by lower-income households. What do you see as a top priority for working-class residents in Allegheny County, and what as county executive would you do to help meet that need?
In Allegheny County, 38% of residents cannot meet their basic needs month to month, according to the United Way’s ALICE report. As the county executive, I will focus on narrowing the gap between the have and have-nots by investing our public resources into helping all of our residents meet their basic needs and build the pathways to opportunity in partnership with our nonprofit, private, and fellow elected leaders. We will bridge the divide left by the status quo by bringing government into our communities, starting with those hit first and worst by the downturn of industry, racism, and climate change.
Joe Rockey
A former executive at PNC Bank who touts his working-class roots on the city’s North Side, Rockey is a first-time candidate campaigning as a business-minded moderate. He ran unopposed for his party’s nod in the spring, and since then he has picked up some support from a handful of GOP-friendly unions in law enforcement and the building trades.
Party: Republican
Place of residence: Ohio Township
Education: B.S., Duquesne University
Current occupation: Retired chief risk officer and executive vice president, PNC
Relevant Experience: 40+ years as public accountant, consultant, banker and business executive
Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Supporters/endorsements: Laborers International Union, Pittsburgh Local 154 Boilermakers, Pittsburgh FOP Lodge 1, Allegheny County FOP Lodge 91, Allegheny County Prison Employees Independent Union, Pennsylvania State Troopers Association.
Fundraising (as of 10/23/23):
Total raised (2023): $1,836,601.73
Total spent (2023): $1,469,405.32
Further reading:
“Former PNC exec launches GOP county exec bid, hopes centrist appeal garners interest” (Chris Potter, WESA)
“GOP's Rockey receives union backing in Allegheny County executive race” (Chris Potter, WESA)
“Rockey rolls out public safety agenda ... and police endorsements” (Chris Potter, WESA)
WESA Candidate Survey
Uncertainty about property tax assessments, and questions about the fairness of the system, have dogged county executives since the position was created. What is your plan to make the process fairer to residents while ensuring the county's fiscal health?
The first problem that must be addressed is to fix a broken system, starting with a Common Level Ratio formula that has been so skewed for so long that the courts have ordered it repaired. Currently, we have roughly 30,000 property assessment appeals on the books and awaiting resolution. Those problems must be addressed first if fairness is to be ensured. A countywide property reassessment at this time would merely shift the tax burden to retirees and the middle class.
How would you assess the job the county and its Health Department are doing to protect air quality, and what if anything would you do to change its approach?
I would strongly support full enforcement of existing laws. The problem is that uncertainty and a failure to act in a timely fashion on proposed expansions, such as the now-abandoned $1.5 billion upgrade to the U.S. Steel Mon Valley Works, is costing us good-paying, union jobs. I would seek to balance environmental enforcement with more timely and clear responses from agencies such as the Health Department. We can have both good jobs and a clean environment, but we cannot have either when we fail to act.
What do you think is holding back the county's job and population growth, and what would you do about it as county executive?
Allegheny County, according to statistics compiled by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, lost 50,000 jobs in the past five years and we have lagged in replacing those positions. Allegheny is an outlier in terms of population stagnation as well. Simply put, we must build an economy that creates jobs. Population follows job-creation and this is why I have developed a six-point plan to spur economic growth.
Law enforcement in Allegheny County is managed by a patchwork of municipal police departments, as well as by county-level forces that include county police and transit officers as well as county jail staff. What should a county executive do to elevate the accountability of the local justice system while also improving public safety?
The ongoing spike in crime, coupled with the absence of an appropriate facility to detain violent juvenile offenders, has contributed. Currently, the ideology of the other side has been aligned with [Democratic Socialists of America]-supported candidates such as the district magistrate who set a fentanyl dealer free without bond. We cannot enforce the law without supporting the men and women of law enforcement, which is why my 5-point plan to reduce crime and improve public safety has drawn the endorsement of Police and other public safety unions.
From public transit to housing and human services, the county and its agencies provide a broad array of social services that are depended on especially by lower-income households. What do you see as a top priority for working-class residents in Allegheny County, and what as county executive would you do to help meet that need?
As someone who grew up in a union household and whose life was affected by every shift in the local economy, I am profoundly sensitive to the needs of working families. That’s why I oppose a stealth tax hike through a reassessment that will shift the burden to working families and seniors. The single most beneficial thing we can do for our working-class residents is to build an economy with good-paying jobs, manufacturing included, in an all-of-the-above menu of economic development that honors our manufacturing legacy while looking forward to the industries of the future.
