The Allegheny County Council is a fifteen-member legislative body: thirteen members elected from individual districts across the county and two elected countywide as at-large representatives.1Allegheny County, PA. Council Members If you are trying to figure out who represents you, the fastest route is to match your address to a district and then pull up that member’s contact information through the county’s official roster.
Who Serves on the Council
The November 2025 elections brought several new faces to the body. Kathleen Madonna-Emmerling, Lissa Geiger Shulman, and Aaron Adams won open district seats, and Mike Embrescia replaced Sam DeMarco III as an at-large member. Bethany Hallam continues to serve in the other at-large seat.1Allegheny County, PA. Council Members Patrick Catena, who represents District 4, serves as Council President and presides over meetings at the county courthouse.
Based on the most recently available county records, the thirteen district seats are held as follows:
- District 1: Jack Exler
- District 2: Suzanne Fillaggi
- District 3: Anita Prizio
- District 4: Patrick Catena (Council President)
- District 5: Dan Grzybek
- District 6: John Palmiere (Vice President)
- District 7: Nicholas Futules
- District 8: Michelle Naccarati-Chapkis
- District 9: Robert J. Macey
- District 10: DeWitt Walton
- District 11: Paul Klein
- District 12: Robert J. Palmosina
- District 13: David Bonaroti
The two at-large members, elected by every voter in the county, are Bethany Hallam and Mike Embrescia.
Because three new district members were seated after the 2025 elections, some district assignments shown above may have shifted. The official county roster is the authoritative source and includes current contact information for every sitting member.1Allegheny County, PA. Council Members
Finding Your District
The county is divided into thirteen geographic districts, each covering a group of municipalities and neighborhoods so that roughly equal numbers of residents are represented in each seat. Boundaries are redrawn after each federal census to keep populations balanced, and the council approved a redistricting commission in late 2023 to carry out that work following the 2020 count.2Allegheny County. County Council
If you are not sure which district you live in, the county publishes an interactive map on its Council Districts page where you can search by street address and pull up both your district number and the member who represents it.3Allegheny County, PA. Council Districts Every resident is also represented by the two at-large members, so you effectively have three council members you can contact: your district seat and both at-large seats.
How to Contact a Council Member
The Council’s office is located at the Allegheny County Courthouse, 436 Grant Street in Pittsburgh. Each member has a published phone number and email address on the county’s Council Members page, so once you know your district you can reach your representative directly through those channels.1Allegheny County, PA. Council Members At-large members Hallam and Embrescia are listed on the same page.
For issues that cut across several districts, or when you want more than one voice on a question, writing to your district member and both at-large members at the same time is a reasonable approach. For issues tied to a specific neighborhood or municipality, the district member is usually the right first contact.
Attending or Speaking at a Council Meeting
The council holds regular meetings twice a month on Tuesdays at 5:00 p.m. in the Gold Room on the fourth floor of the Allegheny County Courthouse.2Allegheny County. County Council Meetings are open to the public, and the county posts archived video recordings through its Granicus portal if you cannot attend in person.4Allegheny County, PA. Allegheny County Council – Video Archive
County residents and taxpayers can address the council during the public comment period at any regular meeting. A few rules apply:5Allegheny County, PA. Request to Comment
- Sign up at least 24 hours in advance by submitting a Request to Comment form online, by phone, in person, by mail, or by fax.
- Each speaker is limited to three minutes.
- Comments on specific agenda items are heard at the beginning of the meeting; general public comments are heard at the end.
- If three minutes is not enough, you can submit written materials to the clerk within 24 hours after the meeting.
- Anyone under eighteen must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Committee Meetings
Much of the council’s detailed work happens in standing committees before legislation ever reaches a full vote. The current committees include Budget and Finance, Health, Public Safety, Human Services, Economic Development and Job Creation, Housing and Homelessness, Parks, Public Works, Government Reform, Appointment Review, Assessment Practices, Intergovernmental Affairs, Sustainability and Green Initiatives, Information Technology and Process Improvement, and the Executive Committee.6Allegheny County. Allegheny County Council Committees If you care about a particular issue, tracking the relevant committee schedule often tells you more about where decisions are actually being made than watching full council meetings alone.
What Your Council Member Actually Decides
Knowing what the council controls helps when you decide what to raise with your member. The council’s biggest annual job is adopting the county budget. For 2026, total revenues and expenditures are recommended at approximately $1.2 billion, and every dollar of county spending flows through the council’s approval process.7Allegheny County. 2026 Comprehensive Fiscal Plan
Beyond the budget, members pass ordinances and resolutions covering public health regulations, land use, and other countywide policy. The council also confirms the County Executive’s appointments to boards, commissions, and authorities, and it can launch investigations and compel witnesses through its subpoena power.8County of Allegheny. Allegheny County Code – Article XIII General Provisions
What the council does not do is manage day-to-day county operations. That work belongs to the County Executive. If your concern is about how a county department is being run, the council member can raise it, press for hearings, and shape the department’s budget, but the operational fix usually has to come from the executive branch.
Council members serve staggered four-year terms, so not all fifteen seats appear on the ballot in the same year.2Allegheny County. County Council That staggering is worth knowing when you are planning to engage with a member: some of the people listed above are closer to a reelection cycle than others, and that often shapes how responsive and visible a council office is at any given moment.