VIDEO: Rich Fitzgerald Speaks at B-B-W Luncheon in Baldwin Borough

"If we do this reassessment, it's going to draw the market away," said newly sworn-in Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald at a Brentwood-Baldwin-Whitehall Chamber of Commerce luncheon at along Streets Run Road on Thursday.

Appearing as the most recent of the B-B-W Chamber of Commerce's monthly guest speakers, Fitzgerald spoke freely and on his own topics at the luncheon. He chose to focus on three areas: , Marcellus and Utica Shale drilling, and public transit.

Fitzgerald reaffirmed his position on property reassessments in Allegheny County—that Allegheny is being singled out in Pennsylvania and that he will fight to halt the reassessment process.

Fitzgerald called property tax "the worst kind" of tax and said that a flat 7-percent extraction tax on Marcellus and Utica Shale drilling could eliminate property tax in the county.

Fitzgerald spoke glowingly of the opportunities that Marcellus and Utica Shale drilling give the county, saying that, if the natural gas contained in those shale formations were to be extracted safely, the economic repercussions would be a boon, especially pertaining to employment opportunities.

Fitzgerald also expressed a desire of "doing more with less" as it pertains to county transit issues. He said that he will explore merging some of Allegheny's public transit options with options from outside of the county, saying that Allegheny and its neighboring counties are needlessly duplicating some transit efforts.

Among the many other officials at Thursday's lunch were Pennsylvania state Rep. Harry A. Readshaw, whose jurisdiction includes Brentwood Borough and parts of  and  boroughs; Alpaslan Ozdogan, the CEO of the in ; Chief Michael Scott of the ; Superintendent Dr. Lawrence C. Korchnak; B-W School Board President John B. Schmotzer; Brentwood Borough Councilman Clyde Zimmerman; John Frombach, Chair of the Brentwood 4th of July Committee; Whitehall Borough Councilmen Robert McKown and William J. Veith (president); and Greg Jones, executive director of .

B-B-W Chamber board members Mary Dilla (secretary) and Steve Gardiner (vice president) registered attendees at the lunch, and Gardiner served as emcee. Gardiner grew up on Fieldcrest and Child drives in Whitehall and attended and (Class of 1989). He lives in Jefferson Hills Borough.

Gardiner said that the B-B-W Chamber heard Fitzgerald's Republican challenger D. Raja speak at one of its past luncheons and that Fitzgerald had to reschedule his December appearance with the group.

Gardiner said that, given that Fitzgerald , having him appear at the luncheon just two days later is extra special.

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