Talks continued Saturday about the possibility of Wilkinsburg becoming part of the city of Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh city council members held a public hearing that allowed borough and city residents to share their thoughts either in person or virtually via Zoom.
Opinions are mixed, much as they were when the idea gained traction in its latest iteration earlier this year. The Wilkinsburg Community Development Corp circulated a petition in June and July.
The group ultimately put its effort on pause. The petition requires initial approval from an Allegheny County judge and if approved would be passed on to Pittsburgh city council. If council endorses the effort, a merger question would be posed to Wilkinsburg voters.
“Wilkinsburg has its challenges but annexation to Pittsburgh, where officials cannot know the challenges we deal with up close and in-person, is not helpful,” said Wilkinsburg resident Jody Harper Guy.
Those in favor of Wilkinsburg becoming the city’s 91st neighborhood hook their argument largely on the borough’s high property tax rates.
“We’re cutting services, we’re losing population and Wilkinsburg is on an unsustainable path,” said borough council member Ian Petrulli, who spoke during the comment period.
He said the borough’s taxes have “been a detriment to redevelopment” in the community, and blight and abandoned homes remain a problem.
“The situation has not improved since I’ve been a borough resident,” he said, “and I don’t see it improving any time soon unless something new and drastic is done – like joining the city.”
Borough council president pro-tem Denise Edwards has previously spoken against a merger, saying it would destroy Wilkinsburg.
“As an elected official, how can you possibly destroy your own community?” she said in July. “It doesn’t make sense.”
Wilkinsburg resident Derrick Tillman said he was originally against the idea but has since changed his mind.
“Wilkinsburg simply has too many challenges to handle by itself,” he said. “I know Pittsburgh is not perfect, but it’s constantly moving in the right direction. Wilkinsburg needs help, ad Pittsburgh is poised to give help.”
Pittsburgh council members also expressed mixed opinions. Both Deb Gross and Theresa Kail-Smith expressed concerns that a merger would mean the city’s resources would be stretched even thinner.
The Rev. Ricky Burgess said the path the proposal is on right now would leave two important groups out of the equation: Wilkinsburg council members and Pittsburgh residents.
“In this process, only city council gets to participate and the voters of Wilkinsburg,” he said.
Megan Guza is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Megan at 412-380-8519, mguza@triblive.com or via Twitter .
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December 05, 2021 at 06:00PM
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