Assistant taking over temporarily as Pittsburgh's city clerk leaves; council hires new staff for budget office

Pittsburgh City Council officials last week announced that City Clerk Brenda Pree was departing from city council, Assistant Clerk Kim Clark-Baskin would serve as acting clerk and they had hired new leaders for the City Council Budget Office.

Pree has accepted an offer to serve as the city clerk of Palm Springs, Calif.

Pree has worked as Pittsburgh’s city clerk since August 2017.

She created the Department of Records Management, which has scanned and digitized city records dating back to the 1800s in an effort to make them more publicly accessible. Officials said Pree was instrumental in helping city council navigate the covid-19 pandemic and remote work.

She also helped lead an initiative to create an association of municipal clerks in Pennsylvania.

“We wish Brenda heartfelt congratulations and the best of luck in Palm Springs,” council President Theresa Kail Smith said. “Pittsburgh’s loss is truly Palm Springs’ gain. She will be missed.”

Pree previously served as the city clerk of Jackson, Miss.

City clerks are responsible for a variety of duties, including filing legislation, overseeing the legislative process, creating meeting agendas, scheduling city council meetings, accepting citizen petitions and serving as a liaison for city council.

Assistant City Clerk Kim Clark-Baskin will now serve as acting clerk. Clark-Baskin has been Pittsburgh’s assistant city clerk for eight years.

Kail Smith said she will work with council members to review options for a permanent replacement.

City council last week also announced new leadership for the City Council Budget Office.

Kail Smith announced that Peter McDevitt would become the office’s director, while Rea Price would be deputy director and Parys Durham would be the internal accounts monitor.

This comes after former city council Budget Director Bill Urbanic announced his retirement in late May. At the same time, Budget Manager Michael Strelic announced he would be leaving for a new position in Ligonier.

The Council Budget Office releases reports of audits, reports and summaries for the public on the City Council Budget Office website. They also work to ensure the city complies with a mandate in the Home Rule Charter that requires a balanced operating budget.

McDevitt, who will become the office’s director, previously served as asset analyst for Duquesne Light Co. and senior budget and financial analytics analyst for Allegheny County Health and Human Services. Prior to those positions, McDevitt began his career with the city’s Office of Management and Budget as an asset management analyst.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in business management from California University of Pennsylvania and a master’s degree in public policy from the University of Pittsburgh.

Price, the new deputy director of the City Council Budget Office, was previously the budget manager for the town of Warrenton, Va. for a year. Before that, she began in the Pittsburgh City Council Budget Office as a budget technician. She also did a stint in Pittsburgh’s Office of Management and Budget as a senior budget analyst, before being promoted to operating budget manager and then assistant director of operating.

She holds a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Pittsburgh.

Durham, who was named internal accounts monitor, launched her career in the banking industry before joining the city Controller’s Office as a fiscal auditor. She has conducted audits of city departments and trust funds and now will lead the day-to-day internal office operations.

Durham has a bachelor’s degree in business management and a master’s degree in business administration with a specialization in fraud and forensics from Carlow University.