Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato has squared off with four Republican County Council members over their proposal to repeal the county's new drink and rental car taxes.

Mr. Onorato yesterday accused the Republicans of indirectly favoring higher property taxes to fund mass transit. The drink and rental car taxes, which took effect Jan. 1, were enacted to raise the county's $30 million operating subsidy of the Port Authority.

"[The Republicans] want me to raise property taxes, and I won't do it," Mr. Onorato charged. "If [they] want to reopen the budget and repeal the [drink tax and car rental tax] I'm ready for the fight," he said.

Mr. Onorato is to deliver his annual State of the County address to council tonight.

He also began a phone campaign yesterday, sending a recorded message to voters in three Republican-controlled council districts accusing the GOP members of favoring higher property taxes.

Council members Jan Rea, R-McCandless, Matt Drozd, R-Ross, Vince Gastgeb, R-Bethel Park, and Chuck McCullough, R-Upper St. Clair, are proposing legislation to reopen the 2008 budget and repeal the 10 percent drink tax and the $2-a-day car rental tax by the end of March.

They contend that the county could use slot machine revenues to subsidize the Port Authority. They were spurred by the county's receipt of $19.9 million in slots income Dec. 31.

Under the state's slots gambling law, the money was earmarked for debt reduction at Pittsburgh International Airport. But Mr. Onorato said the first installments would go to the county to reimburse it for the $43.5 million it contributed to the new terminal construction in the early 1990s.

Republican council members charged that they were not informed of the slots revenue and claimed that it made the new taxes unnecessary. Mr. Onorato said the money was needed to plug a deficit in the 2007 budget.

"I'm not going to let them get away with this. They have no solutions. Their budget proposal was all about $20 million of fake revenue," he said.

The recorded phone messages to Ms. Rea's, Mr. Drozd's and Mr. Gastgeb's districts were paid for with campaign funds, Mr. Onorato said. Mr. McCullough, the other Republican council member, was elected at large.

Ms. Rea said she objected to the calls to her constituents claiming she wants to raise property taxes.

"I absolutely didn't vote for the drink tax, and I would never vote for a property tax increase. That was never any position that [the Republicans] considered," she said.

Noting that she asked county officials about possible gambling revenue during the budget process, Ms. Rea said she will be looking for answers from Mr. Onorato tonight.

"Obviously, $19.9 million may have changed the vote for a drink tax, but council was not aware. I want to know why. This is a serious issue we have to discuss," she said.

"This chief executive is mismanaging the county," said Mr. Drozd. "I have a very clear record on taxes. I have never raised property taxes."