Pinned down by live television, the main Pittsburgh mayoral candidates began making promises yesterday on taxes and other matters related to the city's budget.

	Robin Rombach, Post-Gazette Mayoral candidates, from left, Michael Lamb, Bill Peduto, Bob O'Connor and Joe Weinroth, the lone Republican, debate at the Jewish Community Center yesterday morning. Click photo for larger image.

All three of the best-known Democrats and the only Republican running in the May 17 primary pledged not to raise taxes as Pittsburgh's mayor.

Bob O'Connor, the former City Council president from Squirrel Hill, also committed to reopen all 31 of the city's outdoor swimming pools next summer, many of which were closed by Mayor Tom Murphy in a budget-slashing move in 2003. O'Connor said nonprofit groups would sponsor the pools, which would be renamed after them.

The hourlong debate on WPXI-TV was the first major televised debate among the major mayoral candidates. With just a month left before the primary, it was an invaluable opportunity for some free publicity, especially for the Democrats lesser-known than O'Connor.

Michael Lamb, the Allegheny County prothonotary from Mount Washington, promised to lower taxes, not raise them, beginning with the 50 percent parking tax City Council instituted in 2004. He wants to replace the lost tax revenue by returning more properties to the tax rolls, cracking down on scofflaws and other initiatives.

William Peduto, a city councilman from Point Breeze, reminded the crowd at the Jewish Community Center in Squirrel Hill that he was the first city official to call for Act 47 distressed status for the city. He said he would hold off tax increases by making the government more efficient. He unveiled a new Web site called pedutowastecutter.com where his plans are described.

Joe Weinroth, a Squirrel Hill Republican facing no opposition next month, told the crowd it was "refreshing to see Democratic candidates promising not to raise taxes" and then said he would keep the city's budget balanced by selling off city-owned property and other assets.

O'Connor, a former fast-food restaurant executive, said it was bad business to raise prices at his restaurants and bad policy to do it in government.

That touched off the only sharp words of the debate, when Lamb said it was "laughable" for O'Connor to say that, since the city's budget grew by $48 million when he was council's president, from 1998 through 2001.

WPXI-TV news anchor David Johnson, moderating the session, asked O'Connor if he had any response.

"Just consider the source," the Squirrel Hill man said.

During a discussion yesterday about the city's finances, O'Connor said the pool closings "never should have happened."

Murphy shuttered all but three of the city's 31 outdoor pools last summer, before an ad hoc group of foundations and other nonprofit organizations called "Save Our Summer" paid to open 16 of them.

The city's Act 47 economic recovery team found last summer that Pittsburgh had the greatest number of pools per capita among 11 other cities nationwide and the third-greatest number per square mile. The team called the 31 pools "inefficient" for a city that is losing population and said Pittsburgh should open no more than 11.

Following the Act 47 plan, Murphy's 2005 budget calls for 12 pools to open, with one in Mount Washington privately funded.

O'Connor promised to reopen all the pools, again with the help of nonprofit groups.

In an interview after the discussion, he said it would cost $800,000 to reopen the 31 pools, and he has guarantees from four or five institutions for the funding. He would not identify them. The "Save Our Summer" group budgeted $850,000 to open just 16 of the facilities.

O'Connor also pledged to block a hospital takeover of the city's paramedic bureau, as was proposed last year by the city's fiscal oversight board. Lamb, Peduto and Weinroth favor a takeover.

A final round of promises came after the television cameras were turned off, during questions submitted by the audience.

Weinroth, pointing to the Pittsburgh population drop, called for the city to cut four of its nine City Council seats. Lamb favors cutting two of them, saving about $400,000 per year. Peduto was vague, but pressed by Johnson, said he would support cutting two of the districts.

O'Connor said he would cut the budgets of both the mayoral and council offices, but did not favor reducing council seats. He claimed the city could not restructure the districts until the next U.S. Census in 2010, but Lamb and Peduto both disagreed, saying a citywide referendum could decide it anytime.

Yesterday's debate is to be rebroadcast at 9 p.m. tomorrow on PCNC cable and should be available via the Comcast ON DEMAND service today.

Two more live debates are scheduled on PCNC on April 28 and May 5.