April 3, 2023 | Pittsburgh Works
New poll reveals Allegheny County voters want next County Executive to focus
on public safety and expanding economic opportunity
Voters generally pessimistic about the economy
PITTSBURGH – Allegheny County voters believe that crime and the economy are the two biggest concerns for the county and that’s where they want the next county executive to focus attention, according to a new poll conducted for Pittsburgh Works Together.
When voters were asked for “the most important problem facing Allegheny County today,” 35% said crime and 23% said the economy. No other answer reached double digits.
“A majority of voters believe that Allegheny County is generally moving in the right direction, but they see significant issues ahead regarding public safety and the economy,” said Jeff Nobers, executive director for Pittsburgh Works, a business-organized labor alliance focused on improving economic opportunity in the region.
The poll was conducted as part of Pittsburgh Works’ “Our County. Your Vote. Allegheny’s Future” initiative to highlight critical issues in the Allegheny County Executive race (https://pghworks.com/alleghenys-future/).
Just 30% of voters believe the Allegheny County economy is “excellent/good,” while 69% believe it is “fair/poor.” And more than one-third of voters (34%) believe the economy will get worse over the next year. Only 25% believe it will improve.
Against that backdrop, Nobers said, it’s no surprise that voters overwhelmingly support continuing to leverage natural gas development to help the economy and the environment. For instance, 7 out of 10 voters supported continuing the innovative program at Pittsburgh International Airport where gas drilling combined with solar panels is providing power for operations and creating millions of dollars in revenue for the airport.
At the same time, only 5% of voters believe the next Allegheny County Executive should focus on banning fracking in the county.
“It’s critical that the next Allegheny County Executive considers the priorities and issues important to all Allegheny County residents” said Pittsburgh Works co-chair Tom Melcher, business manager of the Pittsburgh Regional Building Trades Council. “While we weren’t surprised by the results of the poll, we believe it was important to validate what voters are most concerned about and to help candidates and the media stay focused on those issues during this important election campaign.”
As part of the “Our County. Your Vote. Allegheny’s Future” initiative, Pittsburgh Works is sponsoring a candidate forum on April 12 at 8 a.m. at Robert Morris University. Regional business expert Bill Flanagan will moderate a civic discussion on the economy, energy, and jobs. More information is available at https://pghworks.com/alleghenys-future/.
Register at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2023-allegheny-county-executive-candidate-forum-tickets-559558493517.
The poll was conducted by Public Opinion Strategies, which surveyed 400 likely voters in Allegheny County between February 28 and March 5. It has a margin of error of +/- 4.0%.
Pittsburgh Works Together is a business-organized labor-workforce-economic development alliance working to grow jobs and expand the industries that are the foundation of our economy, including energy, manufacturing, and construction, to provide opportunity for all residents.
