Bruce Kraus

Bruce A. Kraus (born April 13, 1954) is an American politician and businessman from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He has served since January 2008 on Pittsburgh City Council, of which he is currently President, representing the 3rd district neighborhoods of South Side Flats, South Side Slopes, Beltzhoover, Knoxville, Arlington, Arlington Heights, Allentown, Mount Oliver, Central Oakland and Mount Washington.

Career history

Councilman Bruce A. Kraus was born and raised on Pittsburgh's South Side. He has been a member of the Pittsburgh City Council since January 2008. He represents Pittsburgh’s 3rd Council District and is also City Council President. District 3 comprises the following neighborhoods: Allentown, Arlington, Arlington Heights, Beltzhoover, Central Oakland, Knoxville, Mt. Oliver, South Oakland, South Side Flats, South Side Slopes, and Mt. Washington. Kraus was reelected to his seat in 2011 and sworn in for a second term on January 3, 2012. In January 2014, he was elected as the President of the Pittsburgh City Council.

Councilman Kraus has sponsored various legislation over the years. He introduced the Responsible Hospitality Institute’s ("RHI") Sociable City Plan, which has worked to develop a comprehensive strategy to regulate the nighttime economy on Pittsburgh's South Side and elsewhere in the metropolitan area. In Pittsburgh and elsewhere RHI encourages licensed establishments to enter into community covenants to limit discounts on retail alcohol sales.^[1] Kraus has also supported strict open-container laws and bans on public urination. Additionally, he sponsored the city’s Social Host Ordinance, designed to regulate private house parties.

Kraus is Pittsburgh’s first openly gay elected official and he has been a strong supporter of civil rights issues including the Allegheny County Human Relations Commission – which is designed to reduce discrimination in housing, public accommodation, and employment – and the city’s first uniform Domestic Partner Registry. In 2014, he sponsored legislation to add gender identity and expression as an explicitly protected class with regard to housing, employment and public accommodation in the City.^[2]

Kraus supported the development of a blighted South Side property into the Riverfront Off-Leash Exercise Area, a dog park serving South Pittsburgh residents. He also collaborated with Public Works in reopening the South Side Market House which is the largest senior program center in the city. Kraus also assisted in securing funding and support for the $4 million renovation of the Carson Street branch of the Carnegie Library to better serve the surrounding community with library services.

Councilman Kraus is also involved in efforts designed to improve recycling and waste management and the elimination of abandoned cars and derelict buildings throughout his district. He has also collaborated with Citiparks and others in bringing a spray park to the Warrington Recreation Center which opened in the Spring of 2014.

Councilman Kraus has worked to secure space and open the Carnegie “Pop-Up Library” in Allentown to provide library access to the surrounding residents. He is currently collaborating in planning and investing in a $2 million renovation to the Knoxville branch of the Carnegie Library.

Kraus supported the citywide ban on Marcellus Shale drilling and has also cosponsored legislation to require proper reporting of lost and stolen handguns.

Kraus sits on the board of various organizations, including the Brashear Association’s Board of Trustees, the Carnegie Library Board of Trustees, the Carnegie Mellon Board of Trustees, the Board of the Children’s Sickle Cell Foundation, the Board of Directors for the Institute for Research, Education & Training in Addictions (IRETA), the Board of Directors for the Oakland Business Improvement District (OBID), the Board of Trustees for the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, and the Advisory Board to Shepard Wellness.

In October 2014, Kraus was charged with littering and harassing his neighbor. Kraus denied the charges and claimed the police were unfairly targeting him.

Kraus has stated that he strives for “a city where all people are invited to our great common table, to share in an equal voice and have every opportunity to participate in the stewardship of their futures.” ^[3]

References

• Pittsburgh City Council