Press Releases

(Pittsburgh) March 4, 2020 Allegheny County Controller Chelsa Wagner issued the following statement regarding the announcement of new Department of Health director Dr. Debra Bogen: “While having in place a new Allegheny County Health Department director is certainly desirable given the critical challenges–globally and locally–that we face in the arena of public health, the more […]

(Pittsburgh) December 17, 2019 Allegheny County Controller Chelsa Wagner said that the County’s 7 percent tax on hotel rooms stays, dedicated to promoting tourism to the County, will close the year with a fund balance of approximately $14 million that could be used to meet community needs. While significant portions of the funds derived from […]

Also Will Be Recognized with Achievement Award by Pastors’ Wives (Pittsburgh) October 28, 2019 Allegheny County Controller Chelsa Wagner, who launched an awareness and advocacy campaign with patients at risk of losing access to local doctors and hospitals, will be awarded today in Harrisburg by the statewide advocacy group Pennsylvania Health Access Network.Wagner will be […]

(Pittsburgh) July 3, 2019 Allegheny County Controller Chelsa Wagner said that the County’s Department of Human Services (DHS) allowed contractors to establish housing sites for individuals recovering from addiction where they were not permitted, and has not held the providers to performance benchmarks established by the County. “Providing a supportive living environment for individuals recovering […]

“The announcement of the 10-year agreement between UPMC and Highmark provides much needed relief to so many of our residents who experienced the terror of being shut-out of their hospitals and being kept from their physicians and healthcare providers. I applaud Attorney General Shapiro, Governor Wolf and others who have fought to ensure this access. […]

“While today’s ruling is not the victory patients whose health lies in the balance hoped for, Attorney General Shapiro and his team articulated a clear case for why our citizens’ interests must take precedence over ‘charity’ health providers’ pursuit of market share and profit. The struggle to make UPMC act like anyone’s conception of a […]

Finds areas of concern underlying generally strong fiscal, economic conditions. (Pittsburgh) May 30, 2019 Allegheny County Controller Chelsa Wagner today issued her Popular Annual Financial Report (PAFR), an assessment and overview of Allegheny County’s financial picture and its impact on our residents and communities. In the report, Wagner says that County finances track closely with […]

“Today’s Supreme Court decision allows the people–the real stakeholders of UPMC–to have their voices heard. I commend Attorney General Shapiro for his leadership and perseverance. "This is an important victory against UPMC’s unconscionable actions in denying care to our residents and attempting to silence the very people who fund their operation. "Earlier today, when I […]

(Pittsburgh) May 8, 2019 Rather than soliciting public bids for most large purchases, Allegheny County relies on alternative purchasing methods not subject to transparency measures and which don’t guarantee the best prices, an audit by County Controller Chelsa Wagner found. While the County’s Administrative Code requires a public bid process for purchases over $30,000, and […]

(Pittsburgh) February 22, 2019 “Charities don’t usually take governments to court when government demands that all citizens have equal access to that charity’s services. But we have seen this story before. UPMC used the same tactic when the City of Pittsburgh challenged its tax-exempt status in 2013, a suit which was later dropped. “While being […]