Retired Air Force officer Matt Drozd, a self-dubbed “moderate” Republican from the North Hills, says he knows he has a slim chance of unseating Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald at the polls on Tuesday.
Drozd is facing off against one of the largest campaign coffers countywide, with Fitzgerald reporting nearly $1.9 million in cash and no debt as of Oct. 21, records show.
Drozd has $1,536 in cash and $4,500 in debt.
The last time Fitzgerald faced a Republican challenger — it was in 2011 when he first ran for county executive — he beat D. Raja with nearly two-thirds of the vote. In 2015, Fitzgerald cruised to his second term, securing about three-quarters of all votes countywide to defeat independent candidate Todd Elliott Koger.
But the unlikely odds didn’t stop Drozd, a Munhall native who lives in Ross, from announcing his bid last March and spending much of the summer waving to cars on busy roadways across the county while holding a sign that read, “Cut taxes,” and “People, not party.”
A former business executive, two-term county councilman and North Hills School District Board member, Drozd said he hopes to appeal to people of all political backgrounds who are weary of the status quo and craving change such as property tax relief.
“I have been a Republican, a Democrat and I was first registered as independent,” Drozd said. “I’m the true bipartisan candidate. I’m a moderate overall. But by god, I’m a fiscal conservative. I consider myself a taxpayer watchdog.”
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Fitzgerald, who lives in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood and owned a water treatment services business, is seeking his third and final term as county executive. He spent 11 years as president of county council prior to running for the county’s top post in 2012.
“I’m really focused on economic growth for the region and opportunities for young people,” Fitzgerald said, adding that includes “everything from the finance sector to eds and meds to robotics to movies to hospitality to culinary.”
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Fitzgerald said that property taxes have only been raised once in more than 18 years. He boasted about the county reaching its highest bond rating in years and setting aside a “rainy day” fund of about $50 million.
“The county, as far as the finances, has really held the line on property taxes,” Fitzgerald said. “That’s a big part of our strategy of attracting investment by homeowners as well as businesses.”
Drozd said that’s not good enough. He’d aim to reduce the county’s property tax rate by 1 mill during his first two years. The current rate is 4.73 mills.
If Drozd gets elected, he said he won’t stay in office for more than two terms. He doesn’t think any county executive should. The county’s Home Rule Charter limits the county executive to three consecutive terms.
Drozd said he’d also attempt “to clean up junk government and to end the state of pay-to-play.” Drozd claims deep-pocketed, large contractors disproportionately win bids because of political donations and connections.
“I will not accept that kind of money,” Drozd said.
Fitzgerald has faced similar criticism from political opponents in the past and has denied granting contracts because of donations or connections.
