Four contend for city council seat representing East End
Three candidates are trying to upend two-term City Councilman Ricky Burgess for the nomination for the seat representing Pittsburgh’s East End neighborhoods in the May 19 Democratic primary.
Mr. Burgess, 58, a church pastor and professor at Community College of Allegheny County, is opposed by Twanda Carlisle, a 56year-old former councilwoman running for a chance at redemption after pleading no contest in 2007 and serving prison time for stealing thousands of public dollars; Judith K. Ginyard, 56, real estate broker and former director of a community development corporation; and businessman Andre Young, 62.
At a candidate forum last month, Ms. Carlisle, who lives in East Hills and works as an office manager at the Pittsburgh NAACP, where her mother is branch president, asked voters for another chance. The state constitution says no one “convicted of embezzlement of public moneys, bribery, perjury or other infamous crime” can hold office, but she believes that doesn’t apply to her.
“I would not be out here wasting my time if I did not think I could run and take that seat. … Believe that,” she said. “Look in the mirror and ask yourself if you have ever made a mistake. If you have, then you know that first of all, you apologize, you move forward and hope to do better. And I apologized, I’m moving forward and hope to do better.”
Ms. Carlisle took aim at Mr. Burgess and said she would be a more community-oriented council member.
“There’s times that you have to be in Downtown Pittsburgh and there’s times you need to be in the 9th Council District to hear what
the people have to say,” she said.
Ms. Ginyard, who lives in North Point Breeze and ran for the seat in 2003 and 2007, burnished her credentials as a former executive director of the Lincoln-Larimer Community Development Corp., an accountant and real estate broker. She cited her years of work on community projects and workforce development projects.
She said the district has “dismal” representation on Grant Street, accusing Mr. Burgess of failing to be transparent and inclusive.
“He talks down to the community,” she said. “His philosophy and belief is … he can do whatever he wants because we elected him.”
Ms. Ginyard also faulted Mr. Burgess for what she characterized as a lack of forceful response to the controversial police shooting of Leon Ford in 2012.
Mr. Young said he was inspired to run for city council by Mr. Ford’s shooting, which happened near his home in Stanton Heights, after his son asked him, “What have you done to help this young man?”
An owner of greeting card and stationery businesses, Mr. Young told the audience that he had employed “200 people or more” over the past 10 to 15 years and that his experience building relationships and partnerships would help him bring better jobs, better transportation and better housing to the district.
“My ability to listen to you and work with you is going to be the biggest skill that I have,” he said, calling for more training programs in trades and education on inheritance law as well as expanded home ownership.
“Owning your property gives me power in city council … Owning your property makes [Mayor Bill] Peduto listen to me because you’re paying into the tax base.”
Mr. Burgess, who lives in North Point Breeze and serves as pastor of Homewood’s Nazarene Baptist Church, has served two terms. He cited as accomplishments the Pittsburgh Initiative to Reduce Crime, which will relaunch in a new form with the help of the city’s new police chief after years of languishing in ineffectiveness because of a lack of cooperation from police leaders; gunshot detection equipment; surveillance cameras that have been been installed in crimeplagued neighborhoods; and a $30 million housing development in Larimer.
He said he did not weigh in publicly on the Leon Ford case because he knew a lawsuit settlement would come before the city council.
He met with Mr. Ford and his family, as well as that of Jordan Miles, who was beaten by police in another controversial stop.
“Rather than to just simply get media attention, I instead tried to make structural changes to relationships to make all people safer,” Mr. Burgess said.
District 9 includes East Liberty, East Hills, Garfield, Larimer, Lincoln-Lemington-Belmar, Point Breeze and small parts of Friendship and Regent Square.