Regardless of what happens with the proposed merger of Wilkinsburg and Pittsburgh, the need to consolidate the number of government entities within Allegheny County endures. At present, the townships and boroughs of Allegheny County more closely resemble the Kleinstaaterei of the Holy Roman Empire than the government structure of a well-run major metropolitan area. Extreme examples like Mt. Oliver and Pennsbury Village, which are independent boroughs completely surrounded by other municipalities, and O’Hara Township, which is split into five noncontiguous parts, only serve to strengthen the argument for consolidation.
I am completely in favor of communities having a say over their internal affairs, but I am opposed to a model of self-governance that requires redundancies for administration and policing that only increase the tax burden on residents. Furthermore, the number of municipalities competing against each other for tax revenue only results in urban sprawl and infrastructure calamities, such as the 2006 landslide onto Ohio River Boulevard (brought on by poor zoning in Kilbuck Township).
If communities are resistant to the idea of joining the City of Pittsburgh, they should instead look to their other small neighbors and try to form regional townships and boroughs. The status quo is unsustainable.
Austin Jepsky
Moon Township