Per the P-G:
The board consists of county Chief Executive Dan Onorato and two at-large County Council members, David Fawcett and John DeFazio.Per me: you can be assured there will be a lawsuit if they decide the election will be in 2009.
The two most likely scenarios are that a new mayor would be elected in 2007, which is the next municipal election, or 2009, when Mr. O'Connor's term would have ended.
KDKA lists the following people as possible mayoral candidates:
If you'd like to contact the board members to let them know that you want to be able to VOTE for your mayor in 2007, here is the information that you need (CONTACT THEM EARLY -- BEFORE 5:00 PM!):Incumbent Luke Ravenstahl County Prothonotary Michael Lamb City Councilman Bill Peduto David Caliguiri -- son of Mayor Caliguiri State Senator Jim Ferlo State Representative Dan Frankel County Council President Rich Fitzgerald Former City Council President Ben Woods
Dan Onorato: Phone: (412) 350-6500, Fax: (412) 350-6512, Email: executive@county.allegheny.pa.us
John DeFazio: Phone: (412) 350-6516, Email: jdefazio@county.allegheny.pa.us
David Fawcett: Phone: 412) 350-6520, Email: dfawcett@county.allegheny.pa.us
7 comments:
Just as you don't like the Honz Man to further the spread of lies -- do be certain to not spread the listing of possible candidates for Mayor when the list is such a joke.
This is step #1 in allowing for viable candidates to NOT be allowed on the debate stage, NOT be included in the polls, NOT be covered in the papers.
The list needs to include a Republican, such as Joe Weinroth; a Libertarian, such as Mark Rauterkus; a Green, such as Titus North; a Socialist, etc.
Think again.
The first casualty in war = the truth. Don't be the one to widen the distruction, please.
Furthermore, I don't think that today's meeting among the three czars that call themselves the election board is going to come to a decision. I hope to be proven wrong. But, remember the outcomes in terms of what we got and how it came about with the electronic voting machines.
I have little faith in them as a body.
And that body needs a drastic overhaul -- as in new reforms!
I can't see Jim Ferlo running. With government structured as it is, he has more influence a state senator than he would as Mayor. Additionally, some of his biggest supporters occupy key posts in the Ravenstahl administration. He'd certainly be a strong candidate--probably the instant favorite--if he ran, but I doubt he'll run.
I believe the election will be next year (there's a 1959 precedent for it). But the bigger question is will it be a special election, or a regular primary election followed by a general election. If it's the latter, I can't see anybody beyond Ravenstahl, Peduto, Frankel, and Ferlo getting much traction.
I believe Ravenstahl wins if he doesn't mess up. But the mistake may have already happened. Ferlo and Peduto are probably the strongest remaining candidates.
Any precedent before the city's home rule charter was approved by the voters in 1974 would have little weight.
Of note, the the city's charter says the election would be held in the next municipal election -- if it charter meant it to be held in 2009 it would say "next mayoral election."
I don't know anyone who thinks 2008 is possible. 2007 is the plainest reading of the law.
"2007 is the plainest reading of the law."
Agreed.
Lamb's gotta be loving all those East End names in the mix.
The charter says next election allowed by law. It doesn't specify muncipal election, nor does it indicate a primary-general format.
The acting acting solicitor, at some unnamed person's request, wrote that the special election could not be the same year as a controller's election. He also said it could not be in an even numbered year, thus it must be 2009 at the earliest.
What law says it can't be in an even numbered year? A statute, or a court opinion? Doesn't the fact that we have a home rule charter give us the right to hold our special mayoral elections whenever we damn well please?
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