Should Wilkinsburg become Pittsburgh’s 91st neighborhood?

A majority of Wilkinsburg’s elected officials say “no.”

“A merger would destroy Wilkinsburg,” said Denise Edwards, president pro-tem of borough council. “As an elected official how can you possibly destroy your own community. It doesn’t make sense.”

“Because of the negative impact on our community. We believe It not in the best interestof Wilkinsburg residents” -council member Denise Edwards pic.twitter.com/PkqOsol5vJ

— Zac Gibson (@okzacgibson) July 1, 2021

But enough residents are willing to explore the idea.

They have signed a petition that the Wilkinsburg Community Development Corp. intends to present to an Allegheny County judge next week to officially begin the process, the group’s executive director, Tracey Evans, said Thursday.

They were required to have 642 people sign the petition to present it in court. They have about 800 and are still gathering signatures with hopes to exceed 1,500 before they file it, Evans said.

A group of about 40 residents have been working for more than a year on the effort. They’ve sifted through budget and demographic data, put together a website and have met with residents to make their pitch, she said.

It’s “information for Wilkinsburg residents developed by Wilkinsburg residents,” Evans said.

If the petition is approved by a judge, it would then go before Pittsburgh City Council, which would have to approve the annexation proposal. It would then again be scrutinized by a judge and if approved it would be placed on the ballot as a referendum in Wilkinsburg.

The process is detailed by state law that was solidified in 1907 by Hunter v. Pittsburgh, a Supreme Court case spurred from the annexation of Allegheny City by Pittsburgh.

There’s been talk of Wilkinsburg becoming a part of Pittsburgh for at least three decades. Evans said she’s researched it for 15 years and has determined it would be a “win-win” for both municipalities.

Wilkinsburg is already served by Pittsburgh Fire Department and shares other services with the city, Evans said.

Becoming a neighborhood of Pittsburgh wouldn’t necessarily cause the borough to lose its identity, she said.

“Wilkinsburg is Wilkinsburg,” she said.

She understands the opposition by council members who “don’t want to give up their election official title.”

“That’s a tough ask of anybody,” she said.

But there’s been grassroots support by residents in the last year, she said.

“There’s benefits to the city and Wilkinsburg and our analysis shows it really could be a win-win for the city and Wilkinsburg,” she said.

Borough council in February voted to oppose any merger effort.

At a news conference Thursday, borough council members and a few residents spoke, the borough announced a campaign to get the word out about the effort. None of the officials spoke in favor of a merger.

“We want to hear from our residents. How they feel, what they think,” council President Pamela Macklin said. “I think we’ve been independent for a very, very long time and I think we should maintain our own autonomy as we are progressing exceptionally well.”

The idea behind the borough’s campaign is to launch a discussion where “no megaphone is larger than any other megaphone,” Edwards said.

Wilkinsburg resident Rene Dolney said the reason to oppose a merger or annexation effort is about “small ‘d’ democracy” — in essence keeping local control over government and services.

“The fact that we’re a small contained political entity is so valuable to us” pic.twitter.com/lzcNYMwlIB

— Zac Gibson (@okzacgibson) July 1, 2021

With about 15,000 people, the borough is “really a community,” she said.

“This is about our political voice,” Dolney said.

Dolney and others who are against any annexation have formed a website of their own and are meeting to spread the word about the proposal.

The effort has the support of Pittsburgh Controller Michael Lamb, who used an unrelated press conference Wednesday to offer his support.

The city needs to have more discussions about expanding its boundaries, he said.

“I am asking our council to vote ‘yes’,” Lamb said. “I hope they allow Wilkinsburg to determine their fate in this.”

Things like crime and stormwater don’t abide by municipal boundaries, he said.

The annexation would likely keep the city’s population above 300,000 and would streamline services for both municipalities, Lamb said.

City council members haven’t discussed the issue publicly.

“I am open to the conversation of merger,” Councilman Ricky Burgess of North Point Breeze said Thursday.

His council district is adjacent to the borough.

“I hope that Wilkinsburg would work diligently to create an internal consensus including the mayor and a majority of council before asking for the city’s participation in the process,” Burgess said.

Staff writer Zachary Gibson contributed to this report.

---

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

---