Why Pittsburgh rarely merges municipalities

Why Pittsburgh rarely merges municipalities

To merge or not to merge? That is the question facing Southwestern Pennsylvania municipalities.

The big picture: More and more municipalities in the region are facing financial struggles, and consolidating can help provide cheaper and more efficient services, Duquesne University political science professor Lew Irwin tells Axios.

What they're saying: But he says that's not really the Pittsburgh area's style. The area is home to hundreds of municipalities, and they rarely merge.

  • "It's highly unlikely to happen," Irwin says.

    • Stunning stat: Allegheny County has 130 municipalities, the second most of any county in the U.S. and just behind Cook County in Illinois.

  • Haysville in western Allegheny County only has around 80 residents.

    • Zoom in: A proposal is advancing in Washington County to split West Alexander borough from Donegal Township, 17 years after the two municipalities merged.

  • West Alexander merged because it was facing financial woes in the late 2000s, but residents now believe it can sustain itself again, according to the Observer-Reporter. Township officials oppose the move.
  • Officials in Penn Borough considered merging with Penn Township in Westmoreland County, citing the potential to improve services like snow removal, but then voted against the proposal at a meeting this month.

    • Flashback: Wilkinsburg rejected a proposal to merge with the city of Pittsburgh in 2021 and eventually created its own home rule charter to give the borough even more local control.

    State of play: Irwin says Pittsburgh's continual rejection of municipal consolidation means the region is losing an opportunity to achieve economies of scale.

  • For example, Hermitage and Wheatland in Mercer County merged in 2024, and a year later both communities reported increased business activity, investment and lower taxes for some residents, per the Business Journal.

    • Between the lines: Municipalities merge or consolidate services typically only when a town's tax base gets so small it can't afford to pay for its own police or fire department, says Irwin.

  • "If you see it, it will likely be the consolidation of services, as it is economically required."

    • The other side: Not all Pittsburgh-area municipalities are avoiding consolidation.

  • Mars Borough and Adams in Butler County could merge if voters approve the measure this November.
  • Several police departments in the region, like the Northern Regional Police Department in the North Hills, have merged over the years.

    • The bottom line: Irwin says broadly there isn't enough political will to start a widespread merger or consolidation effort in Pennsylvania, which has over 2,550 local governing bodies, the third most of any U.S. state.

  • And that's because voters tend to reject merging efforts.
  • "I don't see any politicians out there that are willing to champion this issue because of the political blowback that will come with it," Irwin says.