Original WESA Questionnaire Answers
The controller's office has oversight over county operations and agencies. What areas of government require the most urgent scrutiny, and why?
Conflicts of interest with contract approvals and oversight. For example: the incumbent Controller accepted tens of thousands of dollars from sewer contractors, approved increases to their contracts, and then voted to raise our sewage bill every year by 7% through 2026. When campaign contributions are a cost of doing business for contractors, that cost ultimately falls on residents. Higher tax and sewer bills, a deadly jail, and poor air quality all happen because our elected officials represent their corporate campaign donors. That’s why, unlike the incumbent, I refuse money from corporate PACs, county contractors, and alleged “nonprofits” like UPMC.
How would you assess the availability and transparency of information about the county's finances and operations, and what if anything do you think should the next controller do to improve it?
Poor. I have filed many Right-To-Know Law (RTKL) requests with Allegheny County. These requests expose everything from contract noncompliance to negligence in our jail. Often, the County will refuse to release information without a court order, and even the current County Controller denied 13 of my RTKL requests for information related to jail contracts. I appealed his denials to the statewide tribunal last year and won all 13 cases, but the appeals process delays transparency and wastes the county’s legal resources. To address improper RTKL denials, I would use the office’s statutory authority to directly obtain information for requesters.
A controller acts as a fiscal watchdog, and an ability to maintain independence from the legislative and executive branch of the government is arguably essential. What can you point to in your background to demonstrate that independence?
Throughout his tenure, County Executive Rich Fitzgerald has weaponized a 2.2 million dollar campaign war chest, funded largely by corporations and county contractors. Its sheer size discourages dissent and its outgoing contributions purchase loyalty. Many politicians, including the current County Controller, have accepted large sums of money from this war chest. I have not. Instead, I took the administration to court for the public release of our Amazon HQ2 subsidy package. As an Auditor, I will provide blunt scrutiny and take necessary legal action because I know that our government cannot improve if we don’t tackle our challenges directly.
The controller sits on the Jail Oversight Board, as well as a juvenile detention advisory board, and a retirement and investment board. How well are these boards functioning in your view, and what role do you think you would play on them as controller?
The Jail Oversight Board refuses to mandate necessary changes; the Juvenile Detention Advisory Board did nothing as Shuman Center was forced to close; and the Retirement Board oversees an increasingly underfunded pension fund. These boards are not fulfilling their intended purposes, and we need a Controller committed to not only providing lip-service but also to action. Contract enforcement, which is entirely within the Controller’s purview, would substantially improve health care and nutrition in the jail, yet the incumbent Controller — who has taken campaign money from the health care vendor’s parent company — refuses to enforce that contract.
How would you assess the county's overall financial strength, and what fiscal concerns would you be paying attention to as controller?
Although our bond rating appears strong to lenders, County departments are severely understaffed, which limits economic growth. For example: when the Health Department is slow to provide permits, new restaurants cannot open as quickly, and that slows job growth. Addressing our underfunded pension fund would also be a high priority. Contribution rates have increased since 2017, and while there can be disagreement on how obligations/liabilities should be calculated or what a proper funded status might be (typically ~80%), even the County’s self-reported numbers put the funded status well below acceptable levels.