Accomplishments
When he took office as Chief Executive on January 2, 2004, Onorato brought a fresh approach to Allegheny County government. His background as a CPA and attorney gave him the strong management skills and fiscal discipline with which he effectively governs Pennsylvania’s second largest county.
Upon taking office, Onorato immediately began reducing expenditures and streamlining County government. He eliminated a $31-million structural deficit by cutting 500 positions from the County payroll, and he was the primary advocate of Row Office reform, which will reduce the size and cost of County government by abolishing six elected offices.
Onorato has embraced opportunities to consolidate services between Allegheny County and the City of Pittsburgh to improve efficiency and save taxpayer money. He collapsed the City of Pittsburgh’s fingerprinting operation into the County’s, and merged the Pittsburgh municipal court with the County court system. In a two-year period, Onorato's administration reduced the number of 9-1-1 call centers from five to one by consolidating them into the Allegheny County 9-1-1 Center. In the last several months, Onorato has also announced a joint telecommunications contract with the City of Pittsburgh that will save approximately $4.5 million over the next three years, and a joint purchasing agreement that may realize another $1.0 million in savings for taxpayers.
Onorato also successfully fought for a fundamental change to the County’s property assessment system, which prevents dramatic swings in property values and taxes and puts Allegheny County on an equal playing field with its neighboring counties. Onorato has held the line on property taxes in every budget since becoming Chief Executive.
Onorato focuses on three areas that are critical to Allegheny County’s future success: economic development at and around Pittsburgh International Airport; the reclamation and redevelopment of thousands of acres of brownfields and old industrial sites; and the creation and expansion of high-tech businesses and jobs resulting from university research and development.
Since taking office in 2004, Onorato has secured more than $1.1 billion in state support for a wide range of economic development, capital construction, regional transportation and downtown renewal.
Onorato launched an effort to develop, fund and construct 10 community centers in neighborhoods throughout the County – a total investment of $18 million. The Allegheny County Housing Authority and Department of Economic Development are partnering with other local and regional agencies. To date, six centers have opened, and four additional centers are in the design and planning stages of development.
Onorato announced a first-of-its kind action plan that will give Allegheny County residents access to a continuum of care that includes home-based care, adult daily living services, independent living units, personal care units, dementia units, rehabilitation services and skilled nursing.
The Kane Action Plan responds to the changing needs of the County’s population, and erases the Kane Centers' deficit for 2006 and operates the Centers at a break-even level for the foreseeable future.
