It’s been 100 days since Corey O’Connor became the city’s 62nd mayor and he’s covered a lot of ground.
Chief Investigator Rick Earle has covered several city administrations. He sat down with O’Connor to recap the start of his term.
Earle: You took office and it’s been a whirlwind.
O’Connor: Yeah, I think it was trial by fire.
In his first 100 days, O’Connor saw a massive snowstorm that crippled the city, and a third of the plow trucks broke down.
Then, he reopened the budget to plug a nearly $40 million shortfall and is now preparing for what may be the largest event in the city’s history with the NFL Draft.
Click here for Channel 11’s full coverage of the NFL Draft.
“You took the job because you knew it was going to be challenging and each and every day you are not going to solve all the city’s problems at once, but it’s taking a little bite at the apple each day and fixing the problem,” O’Connor said.
He has already had some big wins.
He’s gotten millions of dollars in donations from nonprofits and businesses to buy salt trucks, ambulances and to fix ball fields.
He’s working on more donations and a long-term commitment from the big nonprofits.
He also has a team working on economic development after the loss of Downtown tax revenue from the pandemic.
He says they’re aggressively recruiting companies and trying to convince them to make Pittsburgh home.
“All of those things combined provide opportunities for our residents. That’s the whole reason to make those calls, is that now we can provide opportunities for Pittsburghers to succeed in Pittsburgh,” O’Connor said.
While O’Connor says his new police chief, Jason Lando, is addressing a rash of juvenile crime Downtown and shootings on East Carson Street, the focus recently has been on the NFL Draft, where all eyes will be on Pittsburgh.
For months now, the city has been cleaning up and gearing up for more than 700,000 visitors.
Earle: Is the city ready for the NFL Draft?
O’Connor: I mean, I think everybody is now excited. It’s here, there’s been so much buildup, so much anticipation, for this event that I think you’re going to see Pittsburgh shine.
The mayor also knows that millions more will be watching the city on television.
Now with a wife and two young children at home, he says one of the biggest challenges is work-life balance.
He said he and his wife will often take the kids with them to all of the events he feels an obligation to attend.
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