A. Core Administrative Services
- Administrative Services
- Information technology, procurement, payroll, facilities management.
- Coordinates internal operations for all other departments.
- County Manager’s Office
- Oversees daily execution of executive/council policy.
- Coordinates department heads and ensures compliance with ordinances.
- Law Department (Solicitor)
- Provides legal counsel to County Executive, Council, and departments.
- Handles litigation and contracts.
B. Public Safety & Justice
- District Attorney’s Office
- Prosecutes criminal cases in the Court of Common Pleas.
- Works with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies.
- Sheriff’s Office
- Court security, prisoner transport, service of civil process, evictions.
- Medical Examiner’s Office
- Investigates causes of death, conducts autopsies, forensic science services.
- Allegheny County Jail (Bureau of Corrections)
- Manages pre-trial detainees and inmates with sentences under two years.
- Overseen by county-appointed warden and staff.
- Emergency Services Department
- 9-1-1 dispatch center, emergency management, fire academy training.
- Coordinates disaster response and homeland security at county level.
C. Health & Human Services
- Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD)
- Restaurant inspections, public health clinics, immunizations.
- Environmental health (air quality enforcement, especially Mon Valley).
- Chronic disease prevention, maternal/child health, lead abatement.
- Department of Human Services (DHS)
- Largest county department by budget.
- Divisions:
• Children, Youth & Families (CYF) — child protection, foster care.
• Behavioral Health — mental health and substance abuse services.
• Intellectual Disability/Autism (ID/A) — services for adults and children.
• Area Agency on Aging (AAA) — senior services, caregiver support, Meals on Wheels.
• Homeless Services — shelters, housing first programs. - Primarily funded by state and federal pass-through dollars.
D. Infrastructure, Transit, and Development
- Department of Public Works
- Maintains ~800 miles of county roads, bridges, tunnels, county-owned facilities.
- Department of Parks
- Manages nine county parks (~12,000 acres), pools, golf courses, ice rinks, trails.
- Department of Economic Development (ACED)
- Housing and community development grants (HUD CDBG, HOME).
- Business recruitment, workforce development, regional planning.
- Works closely with the Redevelopment Authority of Allegheny County (RAAC).
- Department of Transportation (within county)
- Coordinates with PennDOT on state/federal projects; oversees county-owned bridges.
E. Elections & Governance
- Elections Division
- Maintains voter rolls, manages polling places, prints and counts ballots.
- Operates under Board of Elections (County Executive + 2 At-Large Council Members).
- Property Assessments Office
- Maintains property valuation system for county/municipal/school taxation.
- Treasurer’s Office (row office, but department-level functions)
- Collects some county revenues, issues licenses (dog, hunting/fishing).
- Controller’s Office (independent elected office)
- Audits all county expenditures and departments.
F. Independent & Semi-Independent Authorities (County-Appointed Boards)
While not “departments,” these authorities operate as county-linked agencies:
- Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT) — bus, light rail, inclines.
- Allegheny County Sanitary Authority (ALCOSAN) — wastewater treatment.
- Allegheny County Airport Authority — manages PIT and AGC airports.
- Redevelopment Authority of Allegheny County (RAAC) — housing, redevelopment projects.
- Sports & Exhibition Authority (joint with City of Pittsburgh) — stadiums, convention center.
G. Finance & Budget Oversight
- Budget and Finance Office
- Prepares annual budget (~$1 billion+).
- Monitors spending, bond issuance, and debt service.
- Controller’s Office
- Independent audit power, reviews contracts, investigates fraud/waste.
- Treasurer’s Office
- Manages receipts and disbursements, investments of county funds.
Summary
Allegheny County’s agencies and departments can be grouped into six functional blocks:
- Administration & Legal (County Manager, Law Department).
- Public Safety & Justice (DA, Sheriff, Jail, Medical Examiner, Emergency Services).
- Health & Human Services (ACHD, DHS, Aging, Behavioral Health).
- Infrastructure & Development (Public Works, Parks, Economic Development).
- Elections & Governance (Elections Division, Assessments, Treasurer, Controller).
- Authorities (PRT, ALCOSAN, Airport, Redevelopment, Sports & Exhibition).
This layered bureaucracy is how the county executes its jurisdictional responsibilities, linking state/federal dollars to local delivery.