Republican Joe Rockey Challenges Sara Innamorato for Allegheny County Executive

Republican Joe Rockey Challenges Sara Innamorato for Allegheny County Executive

Republican Joe Rockey has embarked on a challenging journey as he takes on Democrat Sara Innamorato for the position of Allegheny County executive in Pennsylvania. Despite Innamorato being the favored candidate in this heavily Democratic county, Rockey is determined to define himself and his priorities early on in the race, even before the unofficial start of the political season on Labor Day.

The role of Allegheny County executive is a highly influential position, ranking as the third most powerful in Pennsylvania, trailing only behind the governor and the mayor of Philadelphia. With an annual budget in the billions and over 6,000 employees, the county’s executive holds immense responsibility for the well-being of its 1.2 million residents. Their duties encompass a wide range of areas, including human services, infrastructure, law enforcement, parks, elections, economic development, transportation, and the justice system.

To introduce himself to voters and set the tone for his campaign, Rockey has released a 30-second television ad, in which he pledges to pursue a sensible middle road by avoiding extremism. This message is likely to become the overarching theme of his campaign, especially considering that Innamorato is regarded as a political progressive. This clash of public policy and political philosophies is not unique to Allegheny County but is being witnessed in other cities as well.

Rockey wastes no time in the ad, laying out the top three issues he intends to prioritize throughout his campaign. He promises to refrain from imposing any tax-hiking reassessments, and instead focuses on the importance of creating more jobs and implementing a common-sense plan to combat crime.

While property reassessment may not carry the same level of clarity as job creation or crime prevention, it could become a significant issue in this race. Many homeowners believe that their property assessments should accurately reflect the fair market value of their homes, which is often not the case. Although there is a formula in place to adjust assessments based on the passage of time since the last reassessment (2012 in Allegheny County), this system may not make much sense to the average homeowner.

Innamorato has made a commitment to conduct a comprehensive reassessment of properties countywide, as she believes that the current system is discriminatory and disproportionately burdens Black neighborhoods with excessive taxes. In an interview with WESA last March, she expressed her concerns by saying, By us not taking action and coming up with some sort of regular, consistent system, we’re exacerbating inequality.

While this stance aligns with her progressive base, the issue of reassessment is not without its challenges. Reassessments can lead to varying tax adjustments, resulting in some individuals experiencing higher taxes and subsequently becoming discontented. Furthermore, sweeping reassessments may inadvertently accelerate gentrification, endangering the future development of affordable housing.

For instance, neighborhoods like Lawrenceville in Pittsburgh, where once-affordable row houses now sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars, can expect reassessments to raise taxes to levels that only the affluent can afford. This poses a threat to the ability of older residents to remain in their neighborhoods.

While neither candidate has proposed an alternative system thus far, one potential solution would be for the Pennsylvania Legislature to implement a uniform tax exemption on a significant portion of every homeowner’s property value. Using Florida as an example, where homeowners are granted a real estate tax exemption for the first $25,000 of their property’s value, such a system could ensure equal treatment for all homeowners, regardless of income level.

As the race for Allegheny County executive heats up, it remains crucial for both candidates to address the reassessment issue and offer viable solutions. Ultimately, the fate of this major campaign issue will have significant implications for the county and its residents.