Michael Walter

The race to be Butler’s mayor just got more crowded, with first-term council member Michael Walter saying Friday that he will run in the Republican primary election.

Walter said he was picking up his nomination petition paperwork Friday, and that he decided to run because he wants to do more to help the city’s financial struggles.

He also said he wants to promote more single-family homes and fewer rentals within the city limits.

“I’ve decided to run for mayor even though that was never my intention,” Walter said. “The financial state of the city prompted my decision. I’d like to promote new businesses and homeownership coming into the city, and have a thriving economy.”

He said as part of that plan he envisions working to get another fast food restaurant downtown, and supports the project to turn the Penn Theater into a performing arts center.

“It’s a great draw to get people to come downtown, and that’s what we need,” Walter said, adding that he also wants to pursue opportunities to host more festivals in Butler.

“They do cost the city money, but they bring people downtown and that’s one of the things the city needs,” he said.

Walter, 69, is a lifelong Butler resident who retired from AK Steel after 32 years. He then worked for Manheim Pittsburgh for 10 years, and is currently employed part-time at Diehl Automotive.

Walter was elected to council in 2015 with 1,044 votes, in an uncontested race for one of two vacant seats on the five-member body.

He called his first year as an elected official instructive in the “lack of cooperation” among council members.

“It’s supposed to be a team. Some people don’t want to work within that,” Walter said. “Working as a team you’re going to get more benefits as opposed to fighting constantly.”

Walter said he believes that as mayor he could change that dynamic. He said he’s spent the last year reaching out to and developing relationships with city departments and employee unions.

“Because of my strong working relationship with the other members of council, the union representatives and city employees, as well as community members, I feel I could have a positive impact on the city’s finances and future if I am the mayor,” Walter said.

Walter said that as a council member he’s helped shepherd efforts to replace departments’ aging equipment and instituted a program that requires most purchases of $50 or more receive signed approval — something he credits with helping to reduce the city’s expenses during 2016, when the city’s controller predicted Butler would run out of money by the second week in November.

“With the help of many city employees, I was able to end the year with a small surplus,” said Walter, who is council’s director of accounts and finance.

Despite touting that success, Walter said he didn’t want to paint a rosy picture of Butler’s finances going forward. There’s still going to be painful years ahead, he said.

“There are no quick fixes on finances. It took awhile to get here, and this year is going to be tough as well,” Walter said.

As mayor, Walter said he would work with employee unions to hash out contractual issues — though he declined Friday to talk about them in detail.

“There’s more to come,” he said.

Incumbent Mayor Tom Donaldson is seeking re-election. In addition to Walter, two others declared their candidacy last week.