Bellevue council president, borough's 1st Black member, to run for mayor

Bellevue Borough Council President Val Pennington is running for mayor. The first Black member of Bellevue’s council, he would also be, if elected, the first Black mayor of the borough along the Ohio River.

Pennington spent Sunday afternoon at a North Borough Progressives political action committee petition drive-thru on Cliff Avenue, collecting signatures.

“I think I know the job better than anyone, because I have been involved,” he said Sunday. “I am hoping to continue the momentum that I have created as council president.” He was elected to Bellevue council in 2017.

Pennington will be running in the Democratic primary on May 18. He is not yet aware of other candidates; the deadline to file a petition is March 9.

He told the Tribune-Review earlier this month that he ran in 2017 because “I wanted to get things done. I care about social justice and fairness and ethics. My candidacy wasn’t normal in this community. I want it to become normal.” He said the same goes in his run for mayor.

This is the final year of his council term as president. The mayor position, though considered part-time, requires a significant commitment.

Pennington, 52, grew up in Pittsburgh’s East End and graduated from Peabody High School in 1986.

He has been considering going after the position for months. The decision was a joint one between him and his wife, Molly Brown Pennington. They have lived in Bellevue for 14 years and have three children: Dash, 23, Phineas, 13, and Darla, 8.

Pennington has been instrumental in the passing of legislation confirming Black Lives Matter and fought to have the pride flag fly during Pride Month in front of the borough hall.

Bellevue Mayor Emily Marburger, calling Pennington “an inspiration,” said he is paving the way for people from diverse backgrounds to run in the future.

She and Pennington both ran for the first time in 2017.

“We are a unit, a team,” Marburger said. “We strategize together. He helped make me a better mayor. I know I can leave with confidence knowing he will keep going what we started.”

Pennington, who if elected plans to keep his part-time job as men’s volleyball coach at Carlow University in Oakland, said he wants to build bridges between the mayor’s office and council and the community. Bellevue, founded in 1867, has a population of 8,300.

He also wants to reach out to the youth. “I want them to know we support them and that we have their back,” he said. “I want to meet every kid and shake their hand. We want to have a youth delegate.”

Pennington will work to improve relations between the citizens and public safety. He is known for saying he wants to make a difference “1-square mile at a time.” (Bellevue is 1-square mile.)

“We want harmony,” he said. “If I am mayor, I will invite people to all backgrounds to open businesses here and to live here and feel welcome here. I will smash the walls down.”