The contenders for Pittsburgh mayor from the Democratic party maintained a quieter demeanor during Tuesday evening’s debate. compared to last week However, they continued to exchange sharp remarks about topics like affordable housing, public safety, and nonprofit payments during their second debate.
During the hour-long televised debate, incumbent Mayor Ed Gainey and challenger Allegheny County Controller Corey O'Connor criticized each other's campaigns and policies, all while reinforcing their standard campaign messages.
During the campaign, Mr. Gainey has highlighted his administration’s commitment to affordable housing investments, frequently mentioning the completion or planned development of 1,600 units. Recently, the administration introduced a new tool to display the locations of these units.
Last week, during the debate, Mr. O'Connor requested that the mayor accompany him on a walk to demonstrate the locations of these facilities. Mr. Gainey consented and suggested they rendezvous at 9 a.m. on Wednesday.
Shortly before Tuesday evening’s debate, Mr. O'Connor shared on social media that he wouldn't be present. Within less than ten minutes of starting the discussion, they had begun arguing about affordable housing.
Previously, my rival invited me to visit the affordable housing units," Mr. Gainey stated. "However, they won't join us this time. The reason? We have an affordable housing plan, but they do not.
I won't participate in the mayor's campaign rally," Mr. O'Connor stated. "What's the point of visiting just one location?
As reported by a data tracker developed by the city since 2022, approximately 500 affordable housing units have either been finished or maintained, with an additional 1,200 currently in progress. Under Mayor Gainey’s leadership, around 200 entirely new affordable residences have been introduced into the community.
The 500 finished units are distributed throughout the city, concentrated mainly in the Garfield and Friendship neighborhoods.
Regarding public safety, the two men concurred that the police department is significantly short-staffed, emphasizing that enhancing recruitment and retention should be key priorities.
Mr. Gainey mentioned that he believed the agency ought to have 850 officers on board. At present, however, it has approximately 650 officers.
Mr. O’Connor, who agreed that the bureau needed “well above 800” officers, said that it really boiled down to one officer.
“The number one cop has still not been hired in this city,” he said. “You need a chief of police if you want to recruit and retain officers.”
The head of police initially recruited during Mr. Gainey’s tenure departed from the department in October to take up a full-time role as an NCAA basketball referee. Similarly, the interim chief selected by Mr. Gainey for a permanent position resigned from the bureau, citing personal reasons. the position turned into a "political pawn." ”
Mr. Gainey mentioned that before his tenure, there had not been a police class for two years. The police academy ceased operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, classes have resumed since then.
"We have reopened the academy. So far, we've conducted four or five classes, and we plan to keep recruiting until we reach the necessary number to maintain safety in the city," Mr. Gainey stated.
The candidates also sparred over payments from the city’s largest nonprofit organizations. Mr. Gainey has been challenging the tax exempt status of specific parcels of land owned by what’s known at the Big 5 – UPMC, Highmark Health, the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University and Duquesne University.
“At the end of the day,” he said, “everybody knows that UPMC does not act like a charity… I will not sit back and allow our services that need to be taken care of, not taken care of.”
Mr. Gainey additionally highlighted a "written agreement" he claimed to have obtained from Highmark Health, stating that they were willing to participate in a tax-exemption payments plan provided the others agreed as well. According to Highmark at that point, this position had been consistent over the previous six years.
Mr. O'Connor stated that he would adopt the strategy of requesting nonprofits to cover costs directly themselves.
What I suggest is being precise," Mr. O'Connor stated. "Particularly when it comes to our hospitals, encourage them to buy new ambulences for our city. Think about it: If they managed to allocate between $10 to $15 million annually for equipment alone, this could save the City of Pittsburgh around $10 to $15 million which we could reinvest.
For numerous years, Pittsburgh has been considered one of the mostlivable cities in America. However, a study conducted in 2019 revealed this does not hold true forBlack women. According to the report, the well-being of Black females would enhanceif they relocated away fromPittsburgh.
Mr. Gainey mentioned that enhancing this aspect revolves around providing more opportunities for Black women. He proceeded to enumerate the Black women on his team.
If we provide African American women with the chance to enter through that doorway and start working, they can achieve remarkable accomplishments," he stated. "We will keep expanding upon this.
Mr. O’Connor said the way to improve their quality of life was get “resources to our community and residents who are in need the most.”
He recommended collaborating with the city’s procurement department to ensure that contracts were being awarded to Black women-owned businesses.
When asked about issues related to infrastructure and the municipality’s carpool — areas that had faced insufficient funding for many years — Mr. Gainey redirected the query toward Mr. O'Connor, noting that he had served on the council for ten years before taking up his role as the county controller.
[The fleet] had not received funding for about a decade," Mr. Gainey stated. "My opponent could provide an explanation for this.
Mr. Gainey further mentioned that his administration had boosted staffing in the Public Works department to assist the city in keeping up with essential services such as snowplowing and waste collection.
"We consistently invested in infrastructure and public safety during my time on the council," stated Mr. O'Connor. He further criticized the mayor regarding the allocation of federal pandemic aid, asserting that a larger portion should have been directed towards modernizing the vehicle fleet.
The gentlemen will compete in the Democratic primary on May 20.