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PrintJust a day after his election as Pittsburgh mayor, Democrat Bob O'Connor has put forth a call for volunteers and job applicants.
The mayor-elect's Web site, http://www.boboconnorformayor.com/ now features a page titled "Bob Wants You!"
The page went up shortly after midnight.
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One link leads to a brief application form and a list of boards, authorities and commissions, instructing would-be members to choose "3 maximum" that they might be interested in. The 38 entities listed there range the grant-making Allegheny Regional Asset District to the approval-giving Zoning Board of Adjustment. They include two new commissions on women and youth that Mr. O'Connor has pledged to create.
He said repeatedly during his campaign that his goal was to name women and minorities to half of all board, authority and commission seats he appoints.
Mr. O'Connor's spokesman, Dick Skrinjar, characterized the site as an effort to make the formation of a new administration "as transparent as possible. ... You don't have to know anybody to put in an application."
Another link leads to a similar application form and a list of city departments, from the Bureau of Building Inspection to the Public Works Department.
Out of some 3,300 city jobs, just 100 managerial spots are the mayor's to award, according to city Personnel Director Barbara Parees. In addition, the mayor has some discretion over the 161 school crossing guard positions and over the choice of new city laborers.
The vast majority of city employees, though, are chosen from lists of applicants who pass a qualifying assessment or test, she said.
"Bob has not discussed [the Web site application] with me or with anyone in my department," Ms. Parees said. The online application doesn't mirror the city's job application, she said.
Mr. Skrinjar said the online process and the civil service process would be reconciled after Mr. O'Connor's inauguration in January. "By all means, we will follow all of those laws, rules and regulations," he said.
