The Republican nominee for Allegheny County executive is taking his campaign to the airwaves, launching a 30-second television advertisement Wednesday.
In the ad, Joe Rockey often talks directly to the camera and is shown outside the North Side home where he grew up. He explains some of his policy stances, including opposition to recalculating the tax bills for all properties in the county, although he does not mention his affiliation with the Republican party.
“I worked hard, played by the rules and learned by giving back,” Rockey says.
A review of documents filed with the Federal Communications Commission shows Rockey’s campaign paid about $100,000 to have the ad play on KDKA and WPXI until Sept. 12. It arrives about a month before Rockey and his opponent, former state Rep. Sara Innamorato, D-Lawrenceville, will participate in a live one-hour debate, to be hosted by WTAE-TV and the League of Women Voters at 7 p.m. on Oct. 3.
Voters will head to the polls Nov. 7 to pick which candidate will replace Rich Fitzgerald, the Democrat who will leave office at the end of the year after serving three consecutive terms as county executive.
The county employs roughly 6,300 employees, with a $3 billion budget spread across two dozen departments. The executive can play a major role in setting the county government’s agenda on issues such as air quality, property taxes and the county jail; proposes the annual budget; and fills seats on dozens of important boards, authorities and commissions.
Jon, a copy editor and reporter at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, is currently on strike and working as a co-editor of the Pittsburgh Union Progress. Reach him at jmoss@unionprogress.com.
