Story by Sandy Giordano – Beaver County Radio. Published December 4, 2023 7:50 A.M.

(Aliquippa, Pa) Federal, state, county, and local officials along with Aliquippa residents celebrated the city’s exit from distressed status after 36 years.
Reverend Steven McKeown, the city chaplain opened the festivities with a prayer. He said he read from the Old testament from Isaiah.

Pa DCED Director Rick Siger told everyone, “I’m here to deliver some good news, this city has overcome adversity, an economic shift, structural deficit and financial deficit,  the city never gave up, Mayor Walker, Council, and DCED, and other state and local officials worked hard to secure funding and you steered the ship in the right direction. Your performance showed you are no longer distressed , you all showed what it takes to turn the city around.” He congratulated Mayor Walker and all those that worked towards  brighter future for the city.

He ended by saying, “Congratulations on behalf of Governor Josh Shapiro. Johnna Pro, a former staffer of DCED who assisted with Aliquippa’s efforts, and Debbie Grass who was the ACT 47 director, said tearfully, “it’s been a journey working with the city since 2014”. She talked about the multiple deficits, pensions, debt obligations, and a lot that had to be done to upgrade technology and the work on the city’s infrastructure. “The city is in a much better place now”, with “more residential housing, and a PennDOT project on the route 51 interchange into the city.”

The county’s economic development corporation under lura Rubino BNY MELLON  awarded funding to the city. Debbie Grass thanked Mayor Walker, council, City Manager, Samuel L. Gill, Cheryl McFarland the city’s fiscal officer, and administrative assistant Kelly Callen. Mayor Walker said “the door is open to bring new businesses to the city.”

Councilman Donald Walker is the city’s director of finance and gave monthly reports supporting all of the statements leading up to the city’s exit from ACT 47. The mayor and his brother were tearful when they received the certificate of exit from Act 47. Approximately 70 persons attended Friday’s event.

It was a true celebration and Beaver County Radio was there.