Pittsburgh: Municipal Government

The City of Pittsburgh operates under a mayor-council form of government, with the mayor elected by popular vote every four years and nine council members elected by district, also for four year terms. Because the city has recently been in financial trouble while Allegheny County has remained solvent, there has been a movement to consolidate the 130 municipalities and 43 school districts under one central county government, or at least to increase cooperation among them. The issue is being studied and debated, but most studies agree that some form of consolidation would benefit all the municipalities. Allegheny County is run by a County Chief Executive and 15 county council members, 13 of whom are elected by district, and two elected at large, all for staggered four-year terms. This is a fairly recent change in the county government, from the Home Rule Charter of 1998, when voters approved shifting from having three county commissioners to the present executive/council form of government.

Head Official: Mayor Tom Murphy (D) (since 1994; current term expires 2005)

Total Number of City Employees: 3,412 (2005)

City Information: Mayor's Office, 414 Grant St., Room 512, City County Building, Pittsburgh, PA 15219; telephone, (412)255-2626; fax (412)255-2687