Corey O'Connor will be Pittsburgh's 62nd mayor after a massive landslide win. He’s
already named a chief of staff and director of public safety with a chief of police to follow.
The mayor-elect intends to send nominations to Pittsburgh Council before taking office.
After the inauguration, the O’Connor administration should immediately address two areas of concern: public safety and economic growth.
The city needs new officers for an understaffed Bureau of Police. How can hiring be accelerated to end wasteful spending on overtime?
Pittsburgh urgently needs new vehicles. Previous mayors failed to keep pace with the city’s needs and now its fleet of police cruisers, ambulances, fire trucks and plow trucks are in the shop or out of service far too often.
At the same time, O’Connor has the challenge of closing the city's budget deficit. And the mayor’s office can make it easier for developers to launch projects, a process that takes too long.
With the NFL Draft about six months away, O’Connor must make sure Pittsburgh is ready for its close up as millions of viewers are tuning in during draft week.
Hosting the event successfully should leave the perception that Pittsburgh as a city on the rise.