Michael Lamb, the City of Pittsburgh controller since 2008, has announced his candidacy for Allegheny County Executive.

He announced his bid to replace incumbent Rich Fitzgerald, who is term-limited and cannot run again. WESA-FM describes the position as “arguably the most powerful local public position in western Pennsylvania, and Lamb was an avid supporter of a government restructuring effort that created the office more than two decades ago.”

“As county executive, we will have a county government that is transparent and accessible,” tweeted Lamb. “County leadership that is committed to making Allegheny County work better for the people it serves.”

The Mount Washington resident joins a Democratic field that includes Erin McClelland, consultant providing project management in the county’s Department of Human Services, and may also see entries from former County Councilor Dave Fawcett and state Rep. Sara Innamorato.

According to the City of Pittsburgh website, “The City Controller is the fiscal watchdog for the citizens of the City of Pittsburgh. It is the job of the Controller to protect City tax dollars from waste, fraud and abuse. The Controller does this by auditing all city government related expenditures (the City also has a Finance Department and Treasurer who collect and audit all City revenues).”

Lamb, 60, is an attorney who received his law degree from Duquesne University, a master’s degree from Carnegie Mellon University and a bachelor’s degree from Penn State.

His public career began in 2000 as the county’s prothonotary, an elected position with oversight of civil court records. An outspoken supporter of row office consolidation. Lamb even advocated for the elimination of the Prothonotary’s Office, his own elected position. In 2005, the citizens of Allegheny County voted to consolidate the County’s row offices. And while he ran for mayor of Pittsburgh twice unsuccessfully, he has served as city controller for the past 14 years.

“In addition to those issues for which I have been fighting, we must have a criminal justice system that keeps people safe while providing real opportunities for those who have made mistakes and not just putting our residents in facilities that are unhealthy and unsafe,” he also tweeted.

“We need new partnerships with our numerous municipalities to ensure critical services are delivered effectively and we must ensure a fair property tax system that protects homeowners.”

His nephew, Conor, is a departing U.S. Representative from the 17th Congressional District and a former candidate for the U.S. Senate.