County officials describe proposal that would let municipalities disband
Allegheny County leaders outlining a proposal Thursday to give the 130 municipal governments a chance to disband, turning over all services and financial responsibilities to the county, repeatedly stressed that it would be a voluntary option.
The question afterward was just who, if anyone, would ever volunteer for the process known as “municipal disincorporation,” if state legislation is enacted to allow it. Western Pennsylvanians are long known for their parochial attachment to their own communities and their resistance to change — cultural mindsets that run counter to the plan put forth jointly by county Executive Rich Fitzgerald and his two predecessors, Dan Onorato and Jim Roddey.
They collected a big, bipartisan group of state lawmakers and county council members to stand behind them in Mr. Fitzgerald’s conference room and lend support to a University of Pittsburgh Institute of Politics report explaining how disincorporation works in 38 other states — and could work here.
The crowd was conspicuously lacking, however, in municipal elected officials, including any from small, struggling, shrinking communities that might fit the proponents’ idea of being ripe for giving up governance. They noted, however, that 40 of the 130 municipalities have fewer than 2,000 residents, and the county’s economy of scale could be a big advantage in delivering their services.
When told of the proposal afterward, Tammy Firda, a councilwoman for 18 years in Lincoln, was not impressed. Although the southeastern borough between Elizabeth and Clairton has fewer than 1,100 residents, she said it’s stable financially, collaborating with neighboring municipalities on
of services with other municipalities has already helped finances, she said, and she expects such efforts to expand.
Giving up local governance altogether “would only be out of utter necessity,” she said, considering Braddock’s long and prominent history. “Right now, we’re moving forward.”
Mr. Roddey and Mr. Onorato were co-chairs of a Voluntary Municipal Disincorporation task force, which was coordinated by Pitt’s Institute of Politics. They and Mr. Fitzgerald and former Pitt chancellor Mark Nordenberg, who is chairman of the institute, described the following plan from the task force:
• State lawmakers representing Allegheny County from both parties have agreed to introduce and push for passage of legislation adding Pennsylvania to the many states that permit municipalities to disband their local government. The full House and Senate would have to approve it, but advocates say its language would be specific to Allegheny County because other counties don’t have the same need, interest or capacity.
• If the new law is enacted, a municipality’s governing body that believes disincorporating is worthwhile — whether from financial difficulties or other concerns — could vote to put it on the ballot in a referendum. If local voters then approve it, the plan would go to county council.
• If county council confirms taking over from local officials, the county would begin providing police, public works and other services to residents, while managing local taxes and finances.
Mr. Fitzgerald said any affected community would still have the institutions and character traditionally embraced by its inhabitants — much like a city neighborhood does — “they just won’t have a mayor and a borough council.”
He and others said the increased sharing of services among communities in recent years, in addition to gradual turnover of their populations, may mean people are less resistant to such a concept than would have been the case decades ago. Over the years, the region has not been keen on either large ideas of metropolitan government or more focused proposals for municipal mergers. Local pride has typically taken precedence.
“Pittsburgh is famous for being parochial, and it will take some convincing of some of the folk,” Mr. Roddey acknowledged, for municipal disincorporation to be incorporated into Allegheny County’s future.