Pittsburgh voters on Tuesday will be asked to decide whether the city can change its requirement that notice for public hearings be advertised in a newspaper of general circulation.
If voters approve the referendum on the ballot Tuesday, the city would be permitted to publish notices for hearings “via successor media that reasonably ensures public access.” That could include digital news publications or the city’s website.
The measure pertains to notices for hearings on topics like the city budget and zoning changes.
While only Democrats and Republicans in the primary can vote for candidates to represent their parties on the November general election ballots, all Pittsburgh voters can cast a vote on the referendum.
That includes independents and those registered to third parties.
Council President R. Daniel Lavelle earlier this year spearheaded the push to place the referendum on the ballot. At the time, the longtime owners of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette had announced the newspaper would close in May, prompting officials to contemplate other outlets for printing public notices.
The Post-Gazette has since been purchased by the nonprofit Venetoulis Institute for Local Journalism, which also operates the Baltimore Banner. The Post-Gazette has continued to operate, though with a pared-down staff.
TribLive has also since launched a weekly print edition focused on Pittsburgh and Allegheny County news.
The New Pittsburgh Courier prints weekly, too, leaving the city with three newspapers that fit Pennsylvania’s definition of a newspaper of general circulation.
