John Heller, Post-Gazette Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, a North Catholic High School alumnus, watches his Trojans take on the Wilkinsburg Tigers in Wilkinsburg yesterday afternoon.

By Rich Lord, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

In the days following Bob O'Connor's Sept. 1 death, all of Pittsburgh united around the late mayor's coffin, and the new mayor was quiet.

On Friday, though, Mayor Luke Ravenstahl emerged as the city's leader, charged with maintaining that unity while wearing one of the biggest bull's-eyes in local political history.

With his ascent from City Council president to mayor, the 26-year-old Summer Hill resident and North Side native took the helm of a troubled government, surrounded by an administration he did not create, beset by rivals, and facing controversy over how long he'll serve.

Intimidating? Not really, he said Friday.

"It's a position that I didn't seek or really contemplate. The unfortunate passing of Mr. O'Connor put me in this role," he said.

"It's a challenge I'm ready to accept. I'm prepared to do the job. I'm excited about being in the decision-making process more than ever."

That said, he and political observers outline a to-do list, from the intangibles like managing his image to the concrete, like revamping Downtown.

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Defining his term

Lawyers disagree on whether Mr. Ravenstahl must face the voters in 2007 or 2009. The city Law Department initially argued for the later election, but Mr. Ravenstahl disavowed that determination Friday, saying he'll ask the courts to decide.

Politically, a court fight could be messy, exposing Mr. Ravenstahl or his foes to charges of trying to manipulate the democratic process for their own advantage.

The campaign could be even uglier. If it occurs next year, the obvious precedent would be the expensive five-candidate fracas of 1989, the year following Mayor Richard Caliguiri's death.

Wielding his staff

After Mr. Caliguiri died, his top aide, George Jacoby, offered his resignation to new Mayor Sophie Masloff. "She wouldn't hear of it," he said.

Ms. Masloff made very few personnel changes before winning a full term. "I didn't want any disruption of services," she said last week.

Mr. Ravenstahl has so far taken a similar tack, with only modest changes in his staff.

On Friday, he shifted former Deputy Mayor Yarone Zober into the post of chief of staff. He named O'Connor loyalist Dennis Regan, who was acting chief of staff after Mr. O'Connor fired B.J. Leber from that post, as the new director of operations.

He said he would interview for a new solicitor, finance director and personnel director, all posts left vacant by Mr. O'Connor, and build "a team as diverse as Pittsburgh itself" -- a goal the late mayor espoused, but did not achieve.

There are likely to be tense moments between the new boss and established staff.

"It's very difficult, when someone you care deeply about dies, to transfer your loyalty quickly to someone else," said Mr. Jacoby. But that's exactly what a new mayor must demand, especially of a chief of staff and solicitor, which he called "two positions that, if the mayor didn't have full confidence in you, you should not be there."

The chief of staff's post is the key, said Allegheny County Prothonotary Michael Lamb, who ran for mayor last year. "That's the kind of position he can fill [with a respected candidate], and really put people at ease."

Mr. Zober, 31 and little known a year ago, gained credibility by serving as deputy mayor for most of the month prior to Mr. O'Connor's death, but now faces an extended period in a high-profile job.

Putting it on the money

Most mayors get 10 months before they present their first budget. Mr. Ravenstahl gets another 10 days.

Under state law, he must present a 2007 spending plan to state overseers by Sept. 21. Mr. Ravenstahl pledged to meet that deadline with a budget that would bear his stamp.

After a few years of relative stability, financial problems again are looming large. Parking and business taxes are to drop next year under state law, costing the city $12 million. Uncertainty surrounds property taxes due to a court fight over assessments, and the old problems of pension, debt and health insurance costs remain.

"The city's budget situation is unsustainable in the long-term," said state Rep. Dan Frankel, D-Squirrel Hill. "It's just a matter of time." And not much time, he added. "You can't wait."

Betting on slots

The state Gaming Control Board is expected to decide, by year's end, who gets to build Pittsburgh's lone slots casino.

In January, Mr. Ravenstahl endorsed the Isle of Capri's bid to build the casino and new arena on the edge of Downtown. In May, Mr. O'Connor's Planning Department released a report favorable to Forest City's competing plan for a Station Square complex.

The pressure is on Mr. Ravenstahl to weigh in as mayor.

The Penguins, who are working with Isle of Capri, said they hope for a repeat endorsement from Mr. Ravenstahl. "I think all of the elected officials have a role in voicing their support for the plan they believe is best for Pittsburgh," and the mayor's voice wasn't likely to be ignored by the gaming board, said Penguins consultant David Morehouse.

Don Barden, who wants to build a casino on the North Shore, said he plans to call Mr. Ravenstahl this week and talk up his proposal. Forest City's spokesman had no comment.

"I don't foresee myself doing anything further at this point," Mr. Ravenstahl said. "I think [Planning] Director [Pat] Ford is a very capable man, who completed [the city's] report, and I see no reason for me to do anything or change anything.

"I endorsed the Isle of Capri plan. ... Now we have a Plan B there," he said, referring to a blueprint for building an arena with slots funding and private money.

"I think the main thing and the important thing is that we keep the Penguins in Pittsburgh. The Isle of Capri plan does just that. Plan B, in a different way, does that."

Playing bridge

At the Friday unveiling of a regional marketing plan, Mr. Ravenstahl stayed close to County Chief Executive Dan Onorato.

"Luke's family and my family go back as long as I've been living," said Mr. Onorato, 45, a fellow North Sider. On Labor Day, he spent more than five hours touring union halls with the new mayor.

Their relationship should help Mr. Ravenstahl continue Mr. O'Connor's policy of improving cooperation with the county. The two could differ, though, over how many city functions should be folded into the county. Mr. Onorato wants an eventual voter-approved merger, but Mr. Ravenstahl has been skeptical of the benefits.

Mr. O'Connor also prided himself on improving relations with the state, which had frayed under Mayor Tom Murphy. "We need to continue what Bob started," said Mr. Frankel, noting that there's no foreseeable financial fix for the city without state help.

"The other [factor] is how his relationship is going to be with council," said acting City Controller Tony Pokora. Mr. O'Connor, during his brief term, had his way with the city's legislators.

Mr. Ravenstahl's close council ally, Jim Motznik, lost a bid for the council presidency Tuesday to Doug Shields, a confident of Mr. O'Connor. A feisty council could cause the new mayor problems, Mr. Pokora said.

Loving labor

In 2004, his first year on council, Mr. Ravenstahl backed the city's unionized workforce in its fight against state overseers' cost-cutting plan. He voted for the plan at year's end only when its passage was certain.

Tony Tye, Post-Gazette Luke Ravenstahl makes his first public appearance as the new mayor of Pittsburgh at an Allegheny Conference presentation of a new marketing campaign for Pittsburgh and the region. The mayor speaks to media at the end of the event. Click photo for larger image.

Now he's the boss, at a time when the city's biggest unions are getting antsy again.

The police union, for instance, is pushing for more hiring to reach the target of 900 officers, plus new vehicles and modern equipment.

"Some of that stuff went on hold" during Mr. O'Connor's illness, said Fraternal Order of Police President James Malloy. "Well, it's got to come off of hold."

The new mayor starts with a reservoir of goodwill. "He's conscientious, and he's a bright man," said Mr. Malloy, who added that he'll start pressing his case in a few weeks.

The fire union's contract can reopen at any time next year, and state overseers want the city to seek savings. That could upset firefighters, who already have taken a steep pay cut. Mr. Ravenstahl said he had not decided whether to try to reopen the contract.

Entering the 21st century

"The computer that's there right now is the first computer that was ever in the mayor's office," Mr. Ravenstahl said, pointing to a just-installed personal computer in the corner of his new workplace.

It's a symbol of his desire to modernize city government. "I think I bring that perspective of technology and youth, and really the way the world operates in 2006."

Moving a computer into the mayor's office, though, just begins to address the city's yawning technology needs.

Mr. Pokora, in charge of monitoring city spending, uses software that had problems even when it was new in 1998, and now it crashes regularly. In August, a week's worth of data disappeared in a crash, and his staff had to re-input it manually, he said.

"If it affects another module in the system, it could wipe out data on who we paid, on what contracts we paid, and how much money is in which account," he said.

Getting new software is a multimillion-dollar proposition. The state-appointed Act 47 recovery team plans to hire a firm to explore different options, said its co-leader James Roberts.

Accounting software is just one area the city needs to modernize. Proposals to upgrade police equipment and building inspection record-keeping have languished due to tight budgets.

Revamping Downtown

A Downtown revitalization plan engineered by Mr. O'Connor and led by developer Millcraft Industries, hasn't yet received final approval from the city's Urban Redevelopment Authority.

Mr. Ravenstahl favors the plan, which is heavy on condominiums and apartments, arguing that stores and restaurants "will fall in place after the residential component is completed." He said he needs to sit down with Millcraft executives and review details before finally signing off on the proposal.

Mr. O'Connor focused on creating a local team that would sell the development opportunity nationally. "I hope that he would follow through with the technique that Bob had," said Millcraft Chairman Jack Piatt.

One potentially sticky issue is how much Millcraft should pay for some 20 city-controlled properties it needs. Mr. Piatt said that appraisals of the properties are completed, and would be presented to the URA shortly, along with an offer of what his company will pay.

Being Luke and Bob

Jeff Dzamko can't think of a thing he'd like Mr. Ravenstahl to do differently from Mr. O'Connor. The president of the Spring Garden Neighborhood Council saw Mr. O'Connor board up dilapidated homes, tow abandoned cars and clean up illegal dumps.

"The things that were neglected for years were suddenly at the top of the list," Mr. Dzamko said.

Mr. O'Connor's popularity, magnified by his struggle with cancer and death, could be Mr. Ravenstahl's biggest asset or his biggest liability. Wrap himself in the late mayor's mantle, as many interviewed for this article suggested, and he could inherit the goodwill. Should he fall short, though, he could suffer from the comparison to a man who now has mythic status, while missing an opportunity to forge his own image.

"He needs to be everywhere for the next several weeks, to make people know that the city's in good hands," said David Matter, once a top aide to Mr. Caliguiri and now a developer and business leader.

That's doubly true if he has to campaign next year. He has less of a mandate than did Ms. Masloff, who won her council seat when those posts were elected in citywide races. He could face more seasoned campaigners like Mr. Lamb, City Councilman William Peduto and perhaps other former council colleagues and candidates from outside government.

"The worst thing is if he has to run next year," said Mr. Pokora. Then, the to-do list gains added urgency. "He has to do all of this at the same time he runs for re-election."