Three ranking Pittsburgh officials moved up, three new ones were moved in and two old hands were moved out in a shake-up that Mayor Luke Ravenstahl characterized yesterday as an effort to "raise the bar" in city management. The moves aim to stabilize an administration that has faced constant turnover.

On the rise are Mike Huss, going from fire chief to full-time public safety director; Pat Ford, shifting from a Mayor's Office development post to director of the Urban Redevelopment Authority; and George Specter, becoming city solicitor after serving in a temporary capacity.

New to the city's upper management are Operations Director Arthur Victor, whose last Grant Street stint was for Allegheny County Commissioner Bob Cranmer; promoted Fire Chief Darryl E. Jones; and press secretary Alecia Sirk.

Out are Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority Executive Director Gregory Tutsock, a 28-year veteran of that agency; and Building Inspection Chief Ron Graziano, who said he was shocked when the mayor told him Wednesday afternoon that his 23-year career was at an end.

"I have not been satisfied with the performance of the city, either historically, or today," said Mr. Ravenstahl, a Democrat. "City government needs structural and personnel changes to ensure that we are putting the best team on the field."

The mayor's Republican rival, Mark DeSantis, panned the shuffle as "nothing more than rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic."

City Councilman William Peduto, a Democrat and mayoral critic, said there was little sign of the "national search" for management talent the mayor had promised.

"It seems like that national search was limited to a two-square-mile radius," he said.

The mayor said he conducted "interviews [of candidates] from out of state and across the country" and there are qualified candidates for the building inspection and water authority jobs. He said acting heads of those agencies would be named by Sept. 24, and they would serve until the job searches ends.

Seven other officials who handed in resignation letters at the mayor's request in June were kept on, and Mr. Ravenstahl said they'd stay "as long as they continue to do their jobs well."

The moves suggest consolidations of power into the hands of Chief Huss, Mr. Ford and Mr. Victor.

Chief Huss, 39, of Lincoln Place, has held the public safety director's job part time since January, but now envisions changing its role from one of oversight to one of making policy for the police, fire, emergency medical services and building inspection bureaus. The safety director post had been an add-on duty, rather than a stand-alone post, since 1993.

He confirmed that he'll be involved in reworking police deployments, writing new rules regarding domestic violence by employees, and determining whether the paramedics and firefighters should be merged if a pending report recommends that.

"I'm going to rely on the [police and paramedic] command staff, but I'm going to look" at bureau policies, he said.

Mr. Ford's move puts him in the fourth and highest city position he's held since 2002. It comes as the administration considers a reshuffling of development, permitting and planning functions that could move more duties into the URA.

The 44-year-old Lincoln Place resident has been called the development czar, and the new post could make that nickname even more accurate.

"His rise through the ranks has been meteoric," said Mr. Peduto. "Obviously he's earned the trust of Luke."

Mr. Ford's appointment must be approved by the URA board, but that should occur promptly, said state Sen. Jim Ferlo, who sits on that panel. Mr. Ford has "the blend of the planning background [and] the understanding of what I assume is the mayor's priority, which is moving ahead on a lot of development."

Mr. Ford's current development post will not be filled.

Mr. Victor, 53, of Brighton Heights, will handle the departments that are not development or public safety related, like public works and parks.

"The main thing I'll bring in is a fresh face with no commitments to any of the current individuals and be able to provide the new leadership that's needed to make the changes necessary to deliver those services like they should be delivered," he said.

A former Green Beret commander, he worked for Mr. Cranmer, a Republican, from 1997 to 1999, and now will join a Democratic administration. He said he is a registered Democrat.

The new salaries for Chief Huss, Mr. Ford and Mr. Victor were not available yesterday.

The mayor would not say why he was letting go of his top building inspector and the water authority chief.

Mr. Graziano said he's "still looking for a reason" for his dismissal.

"I'm leaving here very proud of the work we've done," he said.

He admitted that his bureau gets criticized when permit approvals take too long.

"You've got to take the time to look at them," he said, adding that he only recently was able to hire another engineer to help review drawings.

He said he has had discussions with the mayor about shifting the zoning function out of the Planning Department and into his bureau, and believed his job was safe.

"Ron Graziano was one of the most professional employees the city had," said Mr. Peduto.

Mr. Tutsock, 52, could not be reached for comment.

Mr. Ferlo, a former city councilman whose district includes many city neighborhoods, said that "confusion has reigned" at the water authority over the years, while calling the outgoing director "very competent, very professional."

The authority has been criticized for slow response to requests by builders to tap into water lines and has struggled with aging water mains.

Mr. Jones, 46, of Downtown, left a job as chief of the Aliquippa Fire Department in July to become an assistant chief for the city. As chief, he will earn $87,424.

Ms. Sirk, a former reporter and editor, will move from the role of URA coordinator for Main Street and Elm Street programs to the press job, earning $72,091. The 38-year-old is Mr. Ford's wife.

Mr. Specter, 72, of Squirrel Hill, has been a city lawyer for 21 years, and spent 13 months as acting solicitor, in violation of a city charter provision allowing temporary department directors to serve for three months. He'll earn $94,592.

The seven officials included in the mayor's request for resignation letters in June whose offers to step down were rejected yesterday are Public Works Director Guy Costa, 51; city Information Systems Director Howard Stern, 46; Equal Opportunity Review Commission Manager Phil Petite, 56; Emergency Medical Services Chief Robert McCaughan, 53; Parks Director Duane Ashley, 55; Parking Authority Executive Director David Onorato, 50; and Housing Authority Executive Director A. Fulton Meachem Jr., 38.

Yarone Zober remains as chief of staff, and David White as public affairs director.

"I'm glad to continue to be part of the mayor's team," said Mr. Costa. "The worrying's over."