All four candidates shared their plans with members of the public in Pittsburgh at an event at Northside Institutional Church of God.
Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey appeared on stage with his Democratic challenger Corey O’Connor, as well as Republican candidates Tony Moreno and Thomas West.
The mayoral forum was hosted by the National Pan-Hellenic Council of Pittsburgh at the Northside Institutional Church of God. Ahead of the primary election set for May 20th, all four candidates were given 15 minutes to answer a series of questions and present their platforms to the public.
Mayor Gainey highlighted the decrease in homicides Pittsburgh has seen during his time as mayor, as well as his focus on building affordable housing for residents.
He defended his plan to make inclusionary housing a citywide mandate. The mandate would require that 10% of all new housing developments over 20 units would have to be sold at a rate for low-income families.
Corey O’Connor, Allegheny County Controller, discussed his position on the city council. He said, “I passed paid sick leave… fought for commonsense gun laws, passed the affordable housing trust fund bill, fought for early childhood education. I think there’s a distinct difference of how I would operate the city compared to how it’s been operated.”
O’Connor said he is in favor of looking at affordable housing based on the markets in each neighborhood. He also plans to pursue legislation regarding density and streamlining the permitting process.
Moreno, a Republican and a retired police officer, focused on his goals for public safety in Pittsburgh. He said, “We’re looking at a public safety department, particularly our police department, that has been fleeced and mismanaged.”
Moreno claimed the police department is significantly understaffed, and that this was done intentionally to defund the police. He noted that there should be a gun task force to get guns off the streets, but the city is lacking the “manpower”.
The other Republican challenger, small business owner Thomas West, also focused on public safety.
He cited his motivation for running for mayor was because he and his partner Adam Childers were assaulted in a parking garage in Downtown Pittsburgh. He said, “It was the start of me thinking there was an issue in the city.”
“If you don’t have public safety, then you don’t have a city,” he added.
His plans include ensuring proper training, resources, and staffing for the police department, as well as bringing more businesses to the Pittsburgh area for economic benefits.
