With the primary election just under a month away, Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey and Allegheny County Controller Corey O’Connor took the debate stage once again — reiterating major campaign plans related to city policing, federal funding, affordable housing and more.
The hourlong debate took place Tuesday night live on WTAE-TV, with host Shannon Perrine and panelists Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 anchor Chandi Chapman, former WTAE political reporter Bob Mayo and TribLive’s Pittsburgh City Hall reporter Julia Burdelski.
Opening with questions regarding the safety of Downtown Pittsburgh and police staffing, both mayoral candidates agreed the city is in need of more officers. Currently, there are 758 officers in the police bureau.
Gainey believes the city needs 850 police officers, and his administration is “working toward that.”
The city had budgeted for 900 officers when Gainey took office, and that budget has dropped to 800. Pittsburgh police are dealing with staffing shortages.
O’Connor said the number of officers should be “well above” 800 and said the current number is “a small town force for a big city.”
The Democratic challenger then zeroed in on the role of police chief, which has seen five different people since Gainey took office three years ago.
“You need a chief of police if you want to recruit new officers and retain our current officers,” O’Connor said. “Our officers have no direction right now from the police force.”
Gainey touted his administration’s 1,600 new affordable housing units since he took office. He also pointed toward the reduction in homicides from 71 in 2022 to 42 last year, following a national trend.
Data his administration released last week shows that the 1,600 figure includes both new affordable housing units and units that have been preserved as affordable housing. About 500 have actually been completed.
“I come from Section 8 housing,” Gainey said. “I understand the need to have affordable housing in every neighborhood.”
O’Connor said he believes the city needs 6,000 units of affordable housing, and that other lots around the city should be explored as options.
Affordable housing could be on the chopping block, however, due to federal funding cuts from President Donald Trump’s administration. Both candidates acknowledged the affect these cuts could have on the city’s infrastructure.
“What happens in ‘D.C. has a local impact here,” Gainey said, citing research, medicare and other initiatives that could be in jeopardy.
O’Connor said he believes the city needs to tighten its belts and not give contracts to outside organizations. He wants to invest in Pittsburgh’s infrastructure.
“It’s going to impact us drastically,” he said of the cuts. “I want to fight and stretch every single dollar in this city.”
Gainey brought up the Fern Hollow Bridge collapse in Pittsburgh’s Frick Park in 2022, and said there are currently no bridges in “felling condition” in the city.
However, since the collapse, the Charles Anderson Memorial Bridge and the Panther Hollow Bridge in Schenley Park have had to be closed due to safety concerns.
Both Democratic candidates were asked about their thoughts on nonprofit tax exemptions and how they would seek either financial commitments or tax revenue from UPMC and other nonprofits that hold large amounts of untaxed properties.
O’Connor said he believes nonprofits should be held accountable, and he would be a leader who would be direct in meeting and negotiating with all of the city’s large nonprofits.
“Our nonprofits have to pay their fair share,” he said.
Gainey said he has acquired written commitment from Highmark to talk about a pilot program if UPMC agrees to it, too.
“We are going to continue to fight to make sure tax exempt giants like UPMC pay their fair share,” he said. “We all know that UPMC does not act like a charity.”
Racial disparities within the city were also addressed, with Gainey referencing the hiring of numerous Black women in positions of power within his administration.
He said he wants to continue what he’s started in providing opportunities for Black residents.
O’Connor said he wants to focus on getting resources to the local community to bridge gaps.
“There is a disparity, and we have to be open and honest about that,” he said. “We know that home ownership is the key to bridging the gap for generational wealth.”
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In closing, Gainey listed what he’s promoted as successes of his administration, and he said the city has seen 19% job growth since he took office. He also cited the approximately $4 million surplus at the end of last year, which was in part due to tapping into the city’s coffers.
“I wouldn’t be here without this city,” Gainey said.
O’Connor said he’s running for mayor because the people of Pittsburgh “deserve better.”
“We need to invest in our future,” he said. “I want to be transparent about the future of this city.”
Tuesday night’s debate followed the 30-minute debate hosted Thursday by WPXI. Both debates did not feature the Republican mayoral candidates, retired police officer Tony Moreno and small business owner Thomas West.
WTAE is holding a live debate between Moreno and West on Tuesday, May 13 at 7 p.m.
The spring primaries are Tuesday, May 20.