Josh Imhof | features editor

As the general elections on Nov. 4 draw closer, Pittsburgh’s mayoral candidates, Democrat Corey O’Connor and Republican Tony Moreno, faced off in their first debate against one another on Tuesday night.

The hour-long debate hosted by KDKA featured clashes on policies relating to local issues, as well as national ones.

When asked how the candidates would handle inheriting a lean budget from the current administration, both candidates agreed that Mayor Ed Gainey misused funding, including $335 million in federal COVID-19 funds.

O’Connor said his approach would be one of transparency.

“What are the contracts that exist? Can we refinance old bonds to save us money? We have to look at each and every line item in the current budget because we know last year was false,” he said.

Moreno, a former Pittsburgh police officer, said that his number one priority as mayor would be to address public safety concerns, like aging emergency vehicles.

“We had money to address these things,” Moreno said. “They didn’t invest in medic trucks. They didn’t invest in police cars. They didn’t invest in the things we need to take care of us now.”

Moreno also heavily criticized the Stop the Violence Trust Fund, which he repeatedly accused O’Connor of “defunding the police” with. The fund was created while O’Connor was on city council.

The two also sparred over how to handle the presence of ICE agents and operations within the city.

O’Connor argued that Pittsburgh is a welcoming city and that its job is to protect the rights of those within it.

“When you partner with ICE, you actually put more lives in danger,” he said. “If you have a partnership with organizations like that, people are afraid to call 911. People are afraid to call 911 for emergencies. We cannot have that.”

Moreno said that it was within the rules and regulations of city police officers to respond and partner with the federal government.

“The City of Pittsburgh Police knows our communities. They know where they’re going, and they know how to get there,” Moreno said. “It’s important that our police officers are there so the people that are being addressed are safe and the law enforcement officials are safe.”

The republican candidate also criticize O’Connor for investing in immigrants while neglecting to give the same funds to “legacy communities” within the city.

In his closing remarks, Moreno repeated his accusations of O’Connor wanting to defund the police, and said that Pittsburgh wants a change. He said O’Connor would not bring it.

“We are now going backwards if we bring Corey O’Connor into play,” Moreno said.

O’Connor concluded by highlighting his prior government experience, desire for transparency and hope to work with local organizations.

“I am prepared for this job on day one, because we cannot look back any further. We have to move our city forward,” he said.

The election will be held on Nov. 4, and voters can register online, in person or by mail. Information can be found on the county website.

Josh Imhof can be reached at imhofj@duq.edu