Press Releases
MEDIA CONTACT
Lou Takacs, Communications Director
Phone :412-350-4157
Mail to : Louis.Takacs@AlleghenyCounty
CONTROLLER O’CONNOR’S ANALYSIS IDENTIFIES PATHWAYS TO MORE EFFECTIVE DELIVERY OF COUNTY’S PUBLIC DEFENSE SERVICES
An analysis by the Office of Allegheny County Controller Corey O’Connor determined that attorneys in the County’s Office of the Public Defender (OPD) handle unsustainable workloads, and the County’s public defense system does not meet standards established by the American Bar Association (ABA). “Attorneys, defendants, and advocates have long raised concerns about the ability of […]
PENSION BOARD BACKS O’CONNOR’S POSITION TO EXCLUDE HIGH BONUSES FROM DRAINING PENSION FUND, RETIREE BENEFITS
The Retirement Board of Allegheny County approved a resolution today excluding high bonuses from being counted in pension benefits paid from the County’s Pension Fund, a position staked out by a declaratory action filed by County Controller Corey O’Connor in August. “Allegheny County’s Pension System is in bad shape, and today’s resolution confirms the need […]
O’CONNOR AUDIT WILL ASSESS DHS BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROGRAMS
Allegheny County Controller Corey O’Connor will launch an audit of the operation and effectiveness of Mental Health and Drug & Alcohol programs within the Office of Behavioral Health in the Department of Human Services (DHS). As part of the Controller’s commitment to ensuring that support systems for vulnerable communities are effective, this latest audit is […]
CITY, COUNTY CONTROLLERS LAUNCH CONCURRENT AUDITS OF FIRST RESPONDER WELFARE, PERFORMANCE
City of Pittsburgh Controller Rachael Heisler and Allegheny County Controller Corey O’Connor announced their offices will conduct concurrent audits of public safety functions overseen by their respective governments. In particular, O’Connor’s audit will assess the working conditions, workload, training and technology resources of operators in the 911 Call Center serving the entirety of Allegheny County. […]
CONTROLLER’S ‘SINGLE AUDIT’ MONITORS OVER $200 MILLION IN FEDERAL GRANT SPENDING
Allegheny County Controller Corey O’Connor announced his office’s release of its annual audit to ensure compliance with the terms of federal grants received by Allegheny County. The audit covered 14 grant programs with expenditures of $203.1 million out of a total of $358.6 million spent by the County in federal grants. This covers 57 percent of the expenditures, far exceeding […]
CONCERNING TRENDS FOR COUNTY’S FINANCES CONTINUED IN FIRST HALF OF ’24, O’CONNOR SAYS
The deficit of revenues to expenditures which occurred in Allegheny County government for the first time in over a decade last year is on track to grow significantly in 2024, an Interim Report by County Controller Corey O’Connor found. The report covers the first six months of 2024. Revenues are short of budgeted projections by […]
O’CONNOR ISSUES ANNUAL REVIEW OF PERMIT ISSUANCE FOR MAJOR POLLUTION SOURCES
The federally required annual review of the Allegheny County Health Department’s Title V Air Quality Fund and permitting function showed repeat concerns with a backlog in permit issuance and accounting practices, County Controller Corey O’Connor said. During 2023, the year the audit covers, 30 industrial pollution sources in Allegheny County were subject to Title V […]
O’CONNOR’S AUDIT SHOWS DOZENS OF VACANCIES IN ‘BRIDGE HOUSING’ THAT COULD REDUCE NUMBER OF HOMELESS IN SHELTERS AND ON STREETS
Addressing homelessness cost other human services $10 million in state funds Quarterly occupancy levels reported by organizations contracted to provide Bridge Housing by Allegheny County’s Department of Human Services (DHS) show that approximately 50 vacancies existed in these programs at any given time over a one-year period, which if filled could have reduced the number […]
O’CONNOR SEEKS COURT ORDER TO PROTECT PENSION FUND, RETIREE BENEFITS FROM INSOLVENCY
Allegheny County Controller Corey O’Connor will seek a declaratory judgment compelling the Retirement Board of Allegheny County to end the inclusion of discretionary bonuses as pensionable wages, saying this worsens the financial condition of the County’s pension fund. “The Allegheny County Retirement System is in poor financial condition, and we need to start making decisions […]
IN ANNUAL REPORT, O’CONNOR CALLS PAST YEAR ‘INFLECTION POINT’ FOR COUNTY’S FINANCES
Allegheny County Controller Corey O’Connor, in the second Annual Report of his tenure, called the past year an ‘inflection point’ for the County, noting that it spent more than it took in for the first time since 2011 and that minimal growth in Property Tax revenues and the impending exhaustion of federal emergency aid present […]