Pittsburgh City Council is taking steps to make sure it gets the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
Council last week unanimously passed legislation that would change the way prospective department leaders communicate when called in to meet. They will do so under oath.
The legislation, introduced by Councilman Anthony Coghill, D-Beechview, comes after last year’s issues surrounding then-police Chief Larry Scirotto. There were concerns that during that interview, there may have been deliberately avoided issues or untruthful answers to achieve approval of Scirotto’s hiring.
Scirotto previously worked as an NCAA basketball referee. He was hired with the understanding that he could not moonlight in that job while tasked with leading a large city police department. It was later determined Scirotto had a “secret agreement” with Mayor Ed Gainey whereby he would step away from officiating for only a year.
That’s the kind of thing council should be able to ask and have answered honestly.
But is asking potential hires to swear under oath at a job interview a great way to build trust? Does it establish a relationship with council where every engagement is under threat of perjury?
Maybe. But that isn’t really council’s fault.
If council can’t trust that candidates brought in by the mayor’s office will tell the truth, that is because the Scirotto situation has established a new and unfortunate baseline.
And that is unfortunate for Acting Chief Christopher Ragland, who Gainey has nominated to be the city’s next permanent chief.
Ragland has been doing the job since Scirotto resigned in November. His resume should allow him to be considered on his own merits.
However, like future candidates for positions of such rank, the mayor’s stamp of approval is now a question of what was promised and what council doesn’t know.
Council isn’t wrong to make the move. It’s just a shame that the relationship between the mayor’s office and council has prompted it.