Allegheny County Leaders Agree: Gov. Wolf’s Restore Pennsylvania Infrastructure Plan Will Help Region Thrive

HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania, May 7 -- Gov. Tom Wolf, D-Pennsylvania, issued the following news release:

Community leaders in Allegheny County say Governor Tom Wolf's Restore Pennsylvania aggressive infrastructure investment plan will help the region thrive.

"Restore Pennsylvania is consistent with what we are trying to accomplish in our communities. From disaster recovery, to stormwater and green infrastructure projects, and removal of blight and redevelopment of neighborhoods, we all struggle with the same challenges," Bellevue Mayor Emily Marburger, Braddock Mayor Chardae Jones, Sharpsburg Mayor Matthew V. Rudzki and Wilkinsburg Mayor Marita Garrett said jointly in a letter to the General Assembly from the Millennial Mayors of Allegheny County. "We can think of no other effort as bi-partisan as improving Main Street without raising taxes on citizens. On behalf of our communities, our generation, and all Pennsylvanians, we strongly encourage you to support Restore Pennsylvania."

Their support was echoed by the borough council of Castle Shannon and the city council of Pittsburgh, which each passed a resolution formally supporting Gov. Wolf's Restore Pennsylvania initiative. Pittsburgh Mayor William Peduto submitted a letter to the Allegheny County Delegation and General Assembly asking them to "consider seriously how this proposal can help everyday Pennsylvanians."

"As a mayor, I understand that the challenges in front of public officials are as tough as they have ever been," Peduto wrote. "Let's build on our natural strengths, invest in our people, and Restore Pennsylvania, together."

In a letter to Allegheny County Delegation Members, County Executive Rich Fitzgerald made note of the economic turnaround of the region while calling for the responsible development of the natural gas industry.

"As companies continue to extract natural resources from under our feet, it's only appropriate that they also help us invest in our infrastructure," he wrote. "I wholeheartedly support this proposal from Governor Wolf and encourage your support of the same."

Gov. Wolf visited several communities in Allegheny County that were devastated last year by flooding and mudslides including Bridgeville and Carnegie. He also visited Pitcairn to discuss blight remediation, broadband access expansion and green infrastructure creation. These issues will be addressed with Gov. Wolf's Restore Pennsylvania plan.

"It's no secret that Pittsburgh and Allegheny County are in the midst of a renaissance," said Gov. Wolf. "Through initiatives like high-speed internet access expansion and blight remediation, Restore Pennsylvania will build on the momentum of the region's growing economy while extending that economic growth to communities that are still struggling."

Restore Pennsylvania is a statewide plan to aggressively address the commonwealth's vital infrastructure needs. Funded through a commonsense severance tax that the Independent Fiscal Office has determined will be primarily paid for by out-of-state residents, Restore Pennsylvania is the only plan that will help make Pennsylvania a leader in the 21st century.