From his earliest days of involvement as a local community advocate, Councilman Bruce Kraus has been committed to serving both District 3 and the city at large. Born and raised on Pittsburgh's South Side, Councilman Kraus was an interior design consultant when he joined the South Side Chamber of Commerce. While serving as President of the Chamber of Commerce, he was appointed to then-Mayor Tom Murphy's Graffiti Task Force, where he allied with local businesses and community groups to help remove unsightly vandalism from Pittsburgh's buildings and streets. Murphy also appointed Kraus to the Clean Pittsburgh Commission, beginning a long and continuing dedication to transforming Pittsburgh into one of the greenest and cleanest cities in America.

In 2006, after an unsuccessful bid for the District 3 seat, Councilman Kraus returned a year later to take his place as District 3 Councilman and was sworn in on January 7th, 2008.

As Councilman, Mr. Kraus has been at the forefront of a number of key civil rights issues, including the passage of a progressive Allegheny County Human Relations Commission, designed to combat discrimination in housing, public accommodation, and employment, and the city's first uniform Domestic Partner Registry. He has also answered the calls of his constituents by crafting stricter open-container laws and passing the first municipal ban on public urination, carrying fines of up to one thousand dollars. For the past year, Councilman Kraus has also been dedicated to reforming his district using Responsible Hospitality practices. District 3, particularly the South Side, has an economy that relies on nightlife and entertainment. Creating a Responsible Hospitality Zone involves working with police, businesses, and other community groups to help create a clean, safe space both for entertainment and living. Designating East Carson Street corridor as a Responsible Hospitality Zone will help to balance the community's status as both a residential area, where families have lived for generations, and one of Pittsburgh's most popular nightspots.

In the hilltop communities of District 3, Councilman Kraus, along with his staff, has been working to eliminate blight and work towards a regeneration of these historic and treasured Pittsburgh neighborhoods. He has been particularly active in working to rid the hilltop of litter, abandoned cars, and derelict buildings, restoring it to its role as one of the most beautiful and scenic parts of the entire city.

The legislation Councilman Kraus has introduced includes:

Please Note: All of the following links lead to resources in the Legislative Information Center . A Summary Page contains all sorts of information about a specific piece of legislation, while Ordinance Details are the legislative documents themselves. The moratorium on new billboards around the city Ordinance 2008-0222: Summary Page | Ordinance Details Municipal fines for graffiti, with the proceeds invested solely in the removal of new graffiti Ordinance 2008-0408: Summary Page | Ordinance Details Ordinance 2008-0407: Summary Page | Ordinance Details Creating the uniform Domestic Partner Registry Ordinance 2008-0484: Summary Page | Ordinance Details A Flyer Bill for vehicles, banning the posting on automobiles of flyers that almost immediately turn into litter Ordinance 2009-1355: Summary Page | Ordinance Details The improvement of waste management by enacting legislation that required landlords to inform tenants of citywide rules for refuse storage, disposal, and recycling Ordinance 2008-0830: Summary page | Ordinance Details Ordinance 2009-1055: Summary page | Ordinance Details Adding the Lost and Stolen Firearm Chapter which requires the reporting of a lost or stolen firearm within 24 hours of discovering it is missing Ordinance 2008-0831: Summary page | Ordinance Details Increasing the fines for open alcohol containers Ordinance 2009-1828: Summary Page | Ordinance Details Reducing fire and health hazards by regulating the use of indoor furniture outside Ordinance 2009-1123: Summary Page | Ordinance Details Regulating and streamlining of the process of installing, designing, and maintaining sidewalk cafes to improve city business Ordinance 2009-1491: Summary Page | Ordinance Details Ordinance 2009-1158: Summary Page | Ordinance Details Improving residential neighborhoods and business districts by enacting an ordinance that attaches a penalty for public urination Ordinance 2009-1731: Summary Page | Ordinance Details Updating and improving the city's noise ordinance watch for details

Throughout his years of public service, Councilman Kraus has been dedicated to fighting for the rights and well-being of not just his constituents, but each and every Pittsburgher. His goals and philosophy are best summed up in the remarks he gave upon his swearing-in, where he said he intended to work 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."