The population of McCandless Township has barely changed since the 2010 census, with the most growth in senior housing developments.

The town conducted a public hearing on Aug. 22 regarding the municipal reapportionment as required by state law. The process examines population changes and helps to balance the voting wards, according to RJ Susko, planning and development director, who presented the plan.

The process was studied by Susko, town staff and a 2022 reapportionment committee.

With just minor population growth, ward boundary revisions would be slight.

“The town’s population has remained very stable since 1990,” she said. “Our goal in ward reapportionment is to balance the number of residents that the council is responsible for representing.”

Certain developments and demographic changes have occurred since the 2010 census, according to the committee’s report. And there are no major housing developments “in the hopper” to prepare for a major population changes in the next 10 years.

McCandless has seven wards, which cannot change unless the town’s charter is amended.

The township’s current population is about 29,700, equating to approximately 4,250 residents in each of McCandless’ seven wards. This is just slightly above the approximate 28,700 total, and 4,100 per ward, in 2010.

Wards have to be nearly equal in population, and are not based on political or demographic data. Susko said wards are not the same as voting districts, but Allegheny County does try to match voting precincts within the wards if possible.

The town can petition Allegheny County to realign the voting district, to better match the wards.

Beginning in January 2022, Susko and the committee matched each census block from the 2020 Census to the ward boundaries. It referred to the 2010 ward boundary map for comparison and direction.

In the spring, the council also appointed the heads of the local Democratic and Republican political committees and the McCandless council President Michael Tarle to help create a draft map.

If no changes are needed, the draft could be adopted on Sept. 26 and used for the 2023 primaries. The 2022 elections would not be affected, Susko said.

There were some demographic changes, especially in senior housing since 2010, and a “decent number of empty nesters,” she said.

One of the main goals of the town charter is keeping wards “compact and contiguous.”

Ward 1 needs to lose population. Ward 2 is at ideal numbers. But it can help move excess population from Ward 1 to Ward 3 by shifting boundaries on each side.

Officials use geographic dividers such as roads to help with the process.

Residents can view these and other proposed minor changes at www.townofmccandless.org, Susko said.

Paul Heckman of Abbey Lane, was a committee member and said that Susko made it “a remarkable experience.”

“She made a really good process, very thorough, very well done. When we sat down to do this, it made it a pleasure to serve on the commission to do that,” he said.

Marcia Caliendo, of Abbey Lane, also served on the committee, said she thinks there is more disparity within the voting precincts, which is something controlled by the county Board of Elections. She suggested the town ask Allegheny County to study this.

Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)