As a longtime volunteer and sometime employee of organizations working in Pittsburgh's western neighborhoods, Theresa Smith is accustomed to looking outside of government for solutions, and plans to keep doing so, even after she takes a seat on City Council later this month.

"The problem is, we're always depending on government to do everything," Ms. Smith said yesterday, a day after winning a special election to replace Dan Deasy, who ascended to the state House. "We have to take some responsibility for what's going on in our community."

The 49-year-old Westwood resident said she'll hold town hall meetings and create a small business advisory council in an effort to foster unity in a district that includes very different communities like Fairywood, Sheraden, Banksville and Mount Washington.

She plans to go inside and outside of government for help with the large number of vacant properties in the district.

Her solution includes "trying to restore some of the homes. Some of the homes you can't restore will be demolished."

It also includes spurring home sales. She's talking with the Service Employees International Union, which plans to represent workers at the casino going up just across the Ohio River from her district, about marketing houses in its neighborhoods.

Ms. Smith, campaigning with the Democratic nomination, nearly doubled the vote total of runner-up Georgia Blotzer, and goes into the May Democratic primary as the front-runner in what could be a crowded race to serve a full four-year term starting next year.

May turnout is likely to be higher than the 10.4 percent for the special election.

"I actually feel more comfortable with more people coming out to vote," Ms. Smith said.