Rich Fitzgerald District 11President Phone:
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Standing Committees:
Chair: Government ReformRich Fitzgerald (D) serves as the County Council representative of District 11, which includes Homestead, Mount Oliver, Munhall, West Homestead and City of Pittsburgh Wards 7, 14, 15, 16, and 31. He has been a member of the Council since the inception of the County’s Home Rule Government in 2000, and is serving his third consecutive term as Council President. He currently resides in Squirrel Hill with his wife Cathy and their eight children.
A Pittsburgh native who grew up in the city’s East End, Mr. Fitzgerald graduated from Central Catholic High School and Carnegie Mellon University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and a minor in Business Administration. As the founder and owner of Aquanef Engineering, Mr. Fitzgerald is well-versed in the necessary actions needed to retain and attract businesses to the region and stimulate the County’s economic growth.
Throughout his council tenure, Mr. Fitzgerald has been instrumental in adapting the County’s policies on property taxes. He authored the legislation for the Homestead Exemption program and for the posting of all real estate assessment information online. He sponsored anti-windfall legislation and pushed for a base-year plan on property assessment. He also leads the county into an era of environmental sustainability, spearheading several green legislative initiatives that include banning the idling of diesel powered vehicles, the Allegheny County smoking ban, encouraging the utilization of solar energy to power homes and businesses, and utilizing renewable energy sources for County-owned facilities. He supports the development and expansion of our trails and the creation of a county-wide riverfront park to preserve the green areas of our community.
Mr. Fitzgerald has staunchly supported intergovernmental cooperation and consolidation. His proactive approach to providing a transparent ruling body has lead to his support of legislation that requires campaign finance reports to be published online and for Council Meetings to be broadcasted on cable television and on the County’s website. President Fitzgerald envisions Allegheny County as a leader in economic, residential, environmental, and governmental development. His goals for the Council are ambitious, but they are also attainable because the other Members share his enthusiasm. He believes that County government should meet the needs of each distinctive district, and he truly believes the Council gives our region the opportunity to progress successfully into the future.
District 11 Communities:
City of Pittsburgh, Ward 7 (Shadyside)
City of Pittsburgh, Ward 14 (Point Breeze, Squirrel Hill & Frick Park)
City of Pittsburgh, Ward 15 (Hazelwood & Greenfield)
City of Pittsburgh, Ward 16 (Parts of South Side)
City of Pittsburgh, Ward 31 (Hays & Lincoln Place)
Homestead Borough
Mount Oliver Borough
Munhall Borough
West Homestead Borough