Pittsburgh mayor backs Allegheny County merger

PITTSBURGH - Mayor Luke Ravenstahl yesterday endorsed the findings of a study committee that has recommended the city merge with Allegheny County.

The task force chaired by University of Pittsburgh chancellor Mark Nordenberg made three major recommendations in a 25-page report released yesterday: The city and county should have "zero tolerance" for duplicating government services; the governments should forge a "formal cooperation compact"; and local leaders should lobby the legislature for permission to put a merger referendum on the ballot as soon as possible.

Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato has long pushed for a merger. Ravenstahl said he had doubts about a merger until he realized that incremental changes he has tried to make to streamline city government weren't enough to deal with decades of population loss and economic decline.

Among the major issues to be addressed in a merger would be with city's debt of $768 million and a pension shortfall of $490 million.

- AP