Chief Executive Dan Onorato will not run for third term

Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato announced today that he will not run for a third… Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato announced today that he will not run for a third term.

The two-term executive, who ran as last election’s Democratic candidate for governor, will end his time at the post when the term runs out next January. Onorato runs administration for the 1.3 million residents of Allegheny County.

Onorato’s announcement comes four days before state Attorney General Tom Corbett — his opponent in last year’s gubernatorial contest — will be sworn into office.

County spokesman Kevin Evanto confirmed the decision and said that Onorato was considering a number of options for the future, both in the private and public sectors. He said that Onorato would look to a number of statewide positions that open up in the 2012 election, including the state’s auditor general post.

Evanto said that he was not certain whether Onorato would be involved with the county executive race this year, as no Democratic candidates had officially declared yet.

Jim Roddey, the chair of the Republican Committee of Allegheny County, could not be immediately reached for comment.

In one of his recent actions as county executive, Onorato helped postpone a reassessment of property in the county until next year.

For students, one of the most noticeable policy impacts from Onorato’s time in office is the county’s 7 percent tax on alcoholic beverages, which is meant to supplement funding for the Port Authority. Originally a 10 percent tax, the county lowered it in 2009.

Evanto said Onorato felt “eight years was enough” as county executive, and that he had accomplished a “vast majority of the things he set out to do.”