Wednesday, November 16, 2011
A resident raised a question about ethics after Solicitor Deron Gabriel was spotted riding around with the tax collector and a councilman posting campaign signs before Election Day.
Dormont Solicitor Deron Gabriel violated no laws when he rode around the borough with two elected officials posting campaign signs, according to the executive director of the Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission. At Monday's Dormont Council meeting, resident Louise Pitcher called for Gabriel to resign or be fired because he was spotted riding in a vehicle with borough Tax Collector Harvey Lieberman and Councilman John Maggio as the three posted campaign signs in the borough. "He was choosing among all of you," she told council members. Turning to Gabriel, she continued: "You are supposed to be impartial sitting on this council. You are not supposed to be involved in partisan politics in this borough." Both Maggio and Lieberman are …
Saturday, November 12, 2011
The department said the signs pose various traffic risks and are an eyesore.
- GOVERNMENT
-
Saturday, November 12, 2011
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation is reminding candidates to remove their campaign signs from along state roads. When PennDOT workers have to remove campaign signs, it takes them away from working on highway maintenance and safety projects. Campaign signs left along roadways may pose the following risks:
Friday, November 11, 2011
Brookline voters were among those who said "yes" Tuesday to a tax supporting the library system.
- THE NEIGHBORHOOD FILES
- Erin Faulk
-
Friday, November 11, 2011
Pittsburgh voters on Tuesday said “yes” to a special tax that will benefit the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. Jessica Clark, manager of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh’s Brookline branch, said she’s grateful for the voters’ choice. “We are incredibly grateful to the voters and the folks who volunteered for this initiative,” she said. “The support for libraries and the recognition of the value they bring to our communities is amazing.” Because voters approved the tax by about 72 percent, a tax equivalent to $25 a year on each $100,000 of assessed value will be levied on all real estate in the city of Pittsburgh. The tax will be effective Jan. 1, 2012 and the proceeds will be used for the maintenance and operation of the Carnegie …
Thursday, November 10, 2011
New school board members discuss their plans for the district.
Newly-elected Keystone Oaks School Directors shared their thoughts and ideas for the district after Tuesday’s election, and they have talks of school consolidation on the brain. The unofficial 2011 election results show that school directors are newcomer Lisa Cancelliere and incumbent Raeann Lindsey for Region 1 (Castle Shannon); newcomer Joseph Finucan and incumbent Robert Brownlee in Region 2 (Dormont); and newcomers Daniel Domalik and David Hommrich in Region 3 (Green Tree). “Hopefully we can at least relook at the closings of the schools and see if that’s really a necessary thing to be done,” Cancelliere said. The board approved a school consolidation plan in September, which would close Aiken and Myrtle Elementary schools. Finucan and…
Dormont elected officials share their thoughts on improving the borough.
The unofficial results are in, and Dormont officials have plans to improve the borough and keep those improvements going. The unofficial 2011 election results show that newcomers Yvonne A. Costanzo and Valerie Martino, both Democrats, and incumbent John Maggio, also a Democrat, will fill three four-year terms. “It was a hard race, but I think it turned out good,” Costanzo said. “I really do hope we can all work together and lead Dormont in a better way.” Public safety and forming a good relationship with the police department are priorities, Costanzo said. Working with current borough employees also is important, she said. “I want to make sure the employees of the borough are listened to and that we get their input,” Costanzo said. “They’…
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
After defeating Republican D. Raja in Tuesday's election, the former county council president looks ahead to priorities once in office.
Mass transit, Marcellus Shale, property taxes, the airport, and the county budget will all be on Democrat Rich Fitzgerald’s radar when he takes over as Allegheny County executive in January. Fitzgerald, 52, of Squirrel Hill, defeated Republican D. Raja, 46, of Mt. Lebanon by a nearly 2-1 margin in Tuesday’s general election. Fitzgerald celebrated the win with hundreds of supporters at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers hall on Pittsburgh’s South Side. Many wore green T-shirts with the words, “Welcome to Fitzburgh” on the front. Afterwards, he talked to Patch about his first priorities when taking office. “We’ve got a lot of challenges, transit, stopping the reassessment of our county only, being able to utilize Marcellus …
Majority of votes are in favor of tax to support Carnegie Library system, including the Brookline branch.
Pittsburgh voters said “yes” to a tax that will benefit the Carnegie Library system, including the Brookline branch of the Carnegie Library. With 402 of 402 (100 percent) of precincts counted, 35,357—or about 72 percent—votes were cast in favor of the tax that would support the library. For more information about the issue, see Voters: 'R' Is for Referendum to Support Carnegie Libraries.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
These are the unofficial election results for Dormont Council, Keystone Oaks Region 2 and Pittsburgh Schools District 6.
Here are the unofficial election results for the Nov. 8, 2011 election. For Dormont Council, newcomers Yvonne A. Costanzo and Valerie Martino, both Democrats, and incumbent John Maggio, also a Democrat, will fill three four-year terms. Newcomer Joseph A. Finucan, a Republican, and incumbent Robert Dean Brownlee, whose name appeared on both ballots, will fill two four-year terms on Keystone Oaks School Board. For Pittsburgh Schools, District 6, Sherry Hazuda won a four-year term. Congratulations to the winners!
The former Democratic county council president defeats Republican D. Raja.
Democrat Rich Fitzgerald will be Allegheny County’s next county executive. With nearly three quarters of the vote counted, Fitzgerald was leading Republican D. Raja by a nearly 2-1 margin. Raja, like any Republican in Allegheny County faced an uphill battle where Democrats outnumber the GOP by a roughly 3-1 margin. In an apparent attempt to counter the disparity, Raja outspent Fitzgerald by a 2-to-1 margin from June through late October, according the last major campaign finance reports before Tuesday’s election. Fitzgerald’s victory means there will likely be no attempt to repeal the county’s 7-percent poured alcohol drink tax. If elected, Raja had promised to eliminate the drink tax in his first budget. During the campaign, …
Look for election results on Dormont-Brookline Patch.
If you’re following election coverage tonight, then stay tuned! We’ll post election results throughout the evening on the Dormont-Brookline Patch website, on Facebook and on Twitter. Here’s a recap of your local races. In Dormont, seven candidates are vying for three four-year terms. Running as Republicans are current Dormont Council President Kimberly Lusardi and newcomers James Hodson and Robert Hutchinson. Democratic candidates are incumbent Councilman John Maggio and newcomers Yvonne Costanzo and Valerie Martino. Incumbent Democrat Drew Lehman, a current councilman, is running as a write-in candidate. Keep an eye on Region 2 for the Keystone Oaks School Board race. Newcomer Joseph Finucan and incumbents Robert Lloyd and Robert Brownlee…
Tim
9:58 am on Thursday, November 17, 2011
The Ethics Commission is only concerned with violations that result in financial gain for the accused, like taking pay offs or manipulating decisions to benefit self or family. It's a violation had Mr. Gabriel manipulated or helped 'fix' the election for his candidates so he keeps his job. They don't care about a lot of ethical issues if it doesn't involve financial gain including hiring one's … more ›