Councilwoman-Elect Bethany Hallam Predicts Shake-Up On County Council

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- County Councilwoman-Elect Bethany Hallam predicts a major shake-up on Allegheny County Council beginning this week.

"I am very excited for things to be finally changing on County Council," she said. "The body has been around for 20 years and historically it's always been nothing more than a rubber-stamp for the County Executive."

That will change, said Hallam, who defeated long-time member John DeFazio to become the at-large Democrat on council.

"By design, County Council is supposed to be the checks and balances on our County Executive," she explained. "It's the legislative branch of Allegheny County and four 20 years, it hasn't done much legislating."

Hallam said she talked to her colleagues on the 15-member body which includes three Republicans.

"A large majority, I would say a supermajority, of council is ready for stuff to get done, for less proclamations and more action," Hallam said.

That action, Hallam explained, will include more oversight over county government, like jail operations, the health department, the district attorney's office, and bills to create a citizen's police review board.

The first indication of change will be council's choice of president: a Democrat independent of Rich Fitzgerald.

"It's important that we have a president who will distinguish himself or herself as separate from the County Executive, separate from the executive branch, the leader of the legislative branch, someone who refuses to be a rubber-stamp for the County Executive. That's what we're looking for," she said.

The new council will be sworn in and a new president elected on January 2.