City of Pgh too many districts
This is attorney and former Allegheny County Councilman Ed Kress. I want direct you to the decision in William L. Dailey, et. al. v. John DeFazio, et. al, Civil Action No. 01-1911 (W.D. Pa. 2001), where U.S. District Judge Robert Cindrich held that based upon the current census figures, at that time he was using the 2000 Census data, it was illegal for Allegheny County Council to have redistricted so that the City of Pittsburgh would have 6 County Council seats when the census figures called for the City of Pittsburgh to only have 4 County Council seats. Allegheny County Council when adopting these new district lines used rules that are similar to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's rules regarding the division of municipalities in redrawing legislative districts. As the Allegheny County administrative code requires that a municipality should be divided in as few districts as possible. Similarly, Article II, Section 16 of the Pennsylvania Constitution requires when drawing these legislative districts to avoid dividing a “county, city, incorporated town, borough, township or ward” unless absolutely necessary. Therefore, Judge Cindrich’s decision is relevant. Based upon his decision, the City of Pittsburgh should only have 5 seats in the house (4 districts within the City of Pittsburgh limits plus one district with 3/4 in the City and the other 1/4 with a population outside the City of Pittsburgh of 17,294.31) and only 2 PA Senatorial Districts. However, the current map gives the City of Pittsburgh 7 PA house seats and 3 PA Senate Seats. This map has included large municipalities like Shaler Township (28,132 pop.) and Scott Township (17,649 pop.) in their entirety within these City of Pittsburgh Legislative House Districts, when smaller municipalities would have provided the needed flexibility in drawing maps to maintain the proper amount of City of Pittsburgh Legislative House Districts while allowing suburban districts in their entirety to be within a PA House Legislative District. I want to thank the map makers in putting Ross Township together in one district, as it never should have been divided the way it had been in the past. However, there is no reason that all the residents of Shaler Township should be in a City of Pittsburgh dominated district when they are a municipality of that size. So please reconsider this decision. The census figures are clear. The City of Pittsburgh has lost some population, and based upon the new census figures the City of Pittsburgh should only have 5 PA house districts that are compact with smaller municipalities that fit entirely within those districts along with 2 PA Senate seats. Thank you for your time and consideration in this matter.