McCandless officials considering changes to ward boundaries

McCandless officials are considering changes to ward boundaries based on recent census data.

The town’s 2022 reapportionment committee met late last month to review preliminary information about how ward populations could be rebalanced based on 2020 census results, said McCandless Planning and Development Director RJ Susko.

Some wards, she explained, saw growth from developments like senior living facilities.

A reapportionment committee — composed of Council President Michael Tarle and the chairs of the local Democratic and Republican committees — was appointed by Town Council. Susko will serve as its staff advisor.

“Our Town Charter requires that we reevaluate our ward boundaries following each decennial census,” Susko said. “Whether changes are made is at the discretion of Town Council, keeping in mind the goals of as equal ward populations as practical while also maintaining boundaries that are as compact as possible and contiguous within individual neighborhoods.”

At a May 31 meeting, the reapportionment committee received historical population data, benchmarking information for the last two reapportionment processes and an initial draft showing how certain census blocks could be moved to new wards to create a closer population balance.

“Census blocks are used as the geographic basis for the wards because they’re the most reliable population data available at the neighborhood level,” Susko explained.

The next step in the process will be to host a public hearing with Town Council to present the proposed new map, along with a written report of the recommendations and methodology behind it. Susko said that meeting likely will be held in late August.

The map could be revised after the public hearing.

After the public hearing, Town Council will consider whether to adopt the new map as an ordinance during a regular council meeting, Susko said.

New boundaries would go into effect at the following municipal primary election.

McCandless also would have to petition Allegheny County to revise any voting district boundaries that would “fall out of alignment when ward boundaries are changed,” Susko said.