Pittsburgh City Council elects new president, newest North Side rep takes office

As she continues her third term on Pittsburgh City Council, Theresa Kail-Smith had been content in a non-leadership role.

“I was comfortable being led,” Kail-Smith said.

That ended Monday, when Kail-Smith, 60, of the Westwood neighborhood in the city’s West End, was unanimously elected the new council president.

“It was something I was asked to do a couple times,” she said after a two-hour meeting where council reorganized. They welcomed a new member and swore in four incumbents who were re-elected in November.

Council had been led by Bruce A. Kraus, but he decided not to seek the presidency again. Kail-Smith said she was sought out by other council members to fill the post.

She said she plans to unify the council and work with Mayor Bill Peduto’s administration, while remaining independent of the mayor.

“I really want to thank my colleagues right now for having faith in me to do this,” she said during the council meeting. “I think we’ll be able to get some great things done across the city of Pittsburgh and I’m eager to work with every one of my colleagues.”

Mayor Bill Peduto didn’t attend the ceremony.

“Mayor Peduto congratulates Council President Kail-Smith on her election, and looks forward to keep working with her and the rest of Council to bring opportunities to all Pittsburgh neighborhoods,” Peduto spokesman Tim McNulty said in a statement.

Kail-Smith announced these committee assignments:

• Finance and Law: R. Daniel Lavelle, District 6, a post previously held by Ricky Burgess of District 9.
• Urban Recreation: Burgess, a post previously held by Anthony Coghill of District 4.
• Public Works: Coghill, a post previously held by Kail-Smith
• Intergovernmental Affairs: Deb Gross, District 7, a post previously held by Corey O’Connor of District 5.
• Human Resources: Kraus, a post previously herd by Darlene Harris of District 1.
• Public Safety Services: O’Connor, a post previously held by Lavelle.
• Innovation, Performance and Asset Management: Erika Strassburger, District 8. She continues in the post.
• Land Use and Economic Development: Bobby Wilson, District 1, a post previously held by Gross.

Wilson, of Spring Hill, replaced Harris.

“It’s been an incredible journey and I’m looking forward to working with them,” Wilson said of his new colleagues. “I think everyone finds their way. I’m looking forward to finding my way on council.”

Among his priorities is something that coincides with his committee assignment: making good land use decisions in future development.

In his speech before council, Wilson noted how his grandparents were displaced twice from their North Side home, first for the development of Allegheny Center in the 1960s and then for the construction of Interstate 279 in the 1980s, before moving to Spring Hill.

“There’s plenty of vacant land that can still be developed without displacing anybody,” Wilson said after the meeting.

Wilson said he’d like to include people who live in a specific neighborhood before plans for future developments are finalized.

The only part of the meeting with any degree of contention was the election of a president pro-tem, who serves in the council president’s absence. Lavelle nominated Burgess and Kraus nominated Gross. Coghill, Gross and Kraus voted against Burgess, who was appointed by a 6-3 vote without further comment.