Rich Fitzgerald highlights goals for his final term as Allegheny County executive

Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald was sworn in Thursday for his third and final term in office.

He highlighted the region’s economic growth over the past 20 years and promised to continue improving the county’s transportation, educational opportunities and criminal justice system during his final term in office.

His goals include projects to alleviate congestion on the region’s major roadways, improving access to Pittsburgh International Airport and supporting the Allegheny County Port Authority Bus Rapid Transit project, which would connect Pittsburgh’s Downtown and Oakland neighborhoods.

“I’m proud of the fact that I’ve been able to set the course, or help set the course, to improve the region of the place that I love, the place that I was raised, the place where I’m raising my family,” Fitzgerald told the crowd of elected officials and supporters during a ceremony at Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall in Oakland.

Fitzgerald said he would work to tackle inequities among the county’s 43 school districts, criticizing school funding methods that rely on property taxes.

“That inequity is something we need to deal with,” Fitzgerald said. “We cannot allow your ZIP code to determine the opportunities that you’re going to have as a young person growing up in this community.”

He said his role is to advocate for local schools and to work with state legislators to consider other school funding options.

“Those inequities, we know what that will lead to, and whether it’s test scores, whether it’s opportunities, whether it’s kids being able to access all the jobs and all the things that are happening in this region, we have to make a change,” Fitzgerald told reporters after the ceremony.

Establishing countywide pre-K programs to prepare young learners to start kindergarten will be a priority of his final four years in office, he said.

As for criminal justice reform, Fitzgerald said he would work with offices across the county’s criminal justice system to reduce barriers to getting criminal records expunged, to push for eliminating cash bond and reducing the Allegheny County Jail population.

Fitzgerald was first elected to chief executive in 2012. In November, he beat Republican challenger Matt Drozd with 68% of the vote for his third term.

County code limits the county executive’s service to three terms. At this point, Fitzgerald said he does not have plans for what will come next.

“I want to make sure during these next four years, we continue to get things done,” he said.

Fitzgerald started serving in county government in 2000 as a member of the inaugural Allegheny County Council, representing Pittsburgh neighborhoods and serving as council president.

Council will welcome three new members Thursday evening, tipping the balance of Democrats to Republicans to 12 to three on the 15-member legislative body.

“I’m looking forward to good ideas,” Fitzgerald said. “It doesn’t really matter which party, or where it comes from — does it come from the city, does it come from the North Hills or the South Hills or the Mon Valley. If there’s some good ideas, let’s work together on them.”