Theresa Kail-Smith reflects on nearly 17 years on Pittsburgh City Council

PITTSBURGH — Longtime District 2 City Councilmember Theresa Kail-Smith is retiring at the end of this year.

She was elected in 2009 and served 2 terms as council president.

Now, she is reflecting on her years on city council, ahead of her retirement, with Channel 11 Chief Investigator Rick Earle.

She is packing up her office at City Hall after nearly 17 years on council.

“I have a million emotions. I’m anxious. I’m eager. I’m nervous,” Kail-Smith said.

She entered politics at the age of 50.

“It’s funny because I never liked politics,” Kail-Smith said.

Friends convinced her to run for the council seat vacated by Dan Deasy. To her surprise, she won without really campaigning.

“Now what? I have no idea what this job entails, these people are going to rely on me, and I just don’t want to let them down,” Kail-Smith said.

But it didn’t take her long to learn the ropes.

“It does seem extraordinary, but I think it warrants further looking into,” said Kail-Smith.

She quickly became a fierce fighter for her district, bringing money and projects, from revitalizing the Trolley Trail to creating an affordable housing complex for seniors.

“I was really proud of the fact that we got the senior housing built in Fairywood,” Kail-Smith said.

She also served as council president..

One of her greatest accomplishments, she believes, was navigating the pandemic while holding remote meetings on Zoom for the first time.

“I came into chambers, and there was nobody there, just me and the clerk. It was so lonely and isolated,” Kail-Smith said.

She’s always been outspoken.

“I think our residents are tired of hearing empty promises,” she once said.

She occasionally clashed with mayors, councilmembers and department heads.

“I didn’t get elected to keep my mouth quiet. I was elected to advocate and fight for my district,” Kail-Smith said.

In her district, she’s known for responding to neighbors’ calls and concerns at any hour of the day, like the time she went out at 1 a.m. to deal with a group of teens.

“I said to my husband, ‘Let’s go.’ So, we ran down to Sheridan and I took 50 kids home, knocked on doors, took every kid home,” Kail-Smith said.

She has faced criticism, too, over a proposed 22% raise for council members.

After public backlash, the council settled on 6%.

“It was upsetting to me, you know, but I still think the buck stopped with me. I should have made sure, but we did end up over, overturning that,” Kail-Smith said.

She says her district is in good hands. Her chief of staff, Kim Salinetro, is taking over for her.

She’s optimistic about the future of the city under a new mayor.

“I really hope and pray for his success because his success is our city’s success and so I think he’ll do well,” Kail-Smith said.

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