It\u2019s been 100 days since Corey O\u2019Connor became the city\u2019s 62nd mayor and he\u2019s covered a lot of ground.<\/p>\n
Chief Investigator Rick Earle has covered several city administrations. He sat down with O\u2019Connor to recap the start of his term.<\/p>\n
Earle: You took office and it\u2019s been a whirlwind.<\/p>\n
O\u2019Connor: Yeah, I think it was trial by fire.<\/p>\n
In his first 100 days, O\u2019Connor saw a massive snowstorm<\/a> that crippled the city, and a third of the plow trucks broke down.<\/a><\/p>\n Then, he reopened the budget<\/a> to plug a nearly $40 million shortfall and is now preparing for what may be the largest event in the city\u2019s history with the NFL Draft.<\/p>\n Click here for Channel 11\u2019s full coverage of the NFL Draft.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cYou 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\u2019s problems at once, but it\u2019s taking a little bite at the apple each day and fixing the problem,\u201d O\u2019Connor said.<\/p>\n He has already had some big wins.<\/p>\n He\u2019s gotten millions of dollars in donations from nonprofits and businesses to buy salt trucks,<\/a> ambulances<\/a> and to fix ball fields.<\/a><\/p>\n He\u2019s working on more donations and a long-term commitment from the big nonprofits.<\/p>\n PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> New report says Pittsburgh\u2019s \u2018Big 5\u2032 nonprofits could bring in tens of millions of dollars in taxes<\/a><\/p>\n He also has a team working on economic development after the loss of Downtown tax revenue from the pandemic.<\/p>\n He says they\u2019re aggressively recruiting companies and trying to convince them to make Pittsburgh home.<\/p>\n \u201cAll of those things combined provide opportunities for our residents. That\u2019s the whole reason to make those calls, is that now we can provide opportunities for Pittsburghers to succeed in Pittsburgh,\u201d O\u2019Connor said.<\/p>\n While O\u2019Connor 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.<\/p>\n For months now, the city has been cleaning up and gearing up for more than 700,000 visitors.<\/p>\n Earle: Is the city ready for the NFL Draft?<\/p>\n O\u2019Connor: I mean, I think everybody is now excited. It\u2019s here, there\u2019s been so much buildup, so much anticipation, for this event that I think you\u2019re going to see Pittsburgh shine.<\/p>\n The mayor also knows that millions more will be watching the city on television.<\/p>\n Now with a wife and two young children at home, he says one of the biggest challenges is work-life balance.<\/p>\n He said he and his wife will often take the kids with them to all of the events he feels an obligation to attend.<\/p>\n Click here to read more from 11 Investigates.<\/a><\/p>\n Download the FREE WPXI News app<\/a> for breaking news alerts.<\/p>\n Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook<\/a> and Twitter<\/a>. | Watch WPXI NOW<\/a><\/p>\n