In addition to high-profile races for governor, U.S. Senate, Congress and the state Legislature, Allegheny County voters will have at least one ballot question to consider when they go to the polls Tuesday.

County residents will decide whether sitting Allegheny County Council members should be able to run for other office while still on council.

County Council’s 15 members serve on a part-time basis. Under current rules, council members must resign their seats on council when they file to run for federal, state or other county or local elected office.

Councilwoman Cindy Kirk, R-McCandless, resigned from council this year so she could run for state House.

This year’s ballot question will ask voters if they would like to repeal that section of the county’s Home Rule Charter. If approved, county council members would then be free to run for different offices without resigning their seats.

A “no” vote would keep the system in place as is.

The referendum was introduced by Councilman Bob Macey, D-West Mifflin, and passed on a 14-1 vote.

Councilman Sam DeMarco, R-North Fayette, said he voted yes on the ballot question because he doesn’t think it’s fair that County Council members are the only local elected office holders forced to resign if they wish to run for other office.

“That being said, I also understand those who may vote ‘no,’ hoping that by doing so, it will prevent some from just using the office as a platform solely to pursue another office,” DeMarco said.

Councilwoman Bethany Hallam, D-North Side, also opposes the existing rule and noted those replacing resigning council members are selected by County Council and not voters.

An Allegheny County government review commission in 2016 recommended eliminating the “resign to run” rule.

Wilkinsburg questions

In addition to the countywide ballot question, Wilkinsburg residents will be asked if they want to form a government study commission to look at the possibility of creating a home-rule charter for the borough.

Coinciding with the ballot question, seven candidates who would serve on a seven-member commission to study the issue also will appear on the ballot.

The ballot question was sponsored by Wilkinsburg Future, a local group that opposes annexation.

Proponents have said the commission would help bring more transparency to how the local government functions in Wilkinsburg.

Kim Kaplan, a candidate for the commission, said in October that it would take the commission about 18 months to complete its work. She said it also would pause any efforts to annex the borough.

For the past year, annexation proponents such as the Wilkinsburg Community Development Corp. have been pushing for the borough of 15,000 people to merge with Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh City Council voted against that effort in February, but proponents restarted the process in September.

Annexation efforts recently faced a setback after an Allegheny County judge dismissed a petition to restart annexation proceedings.

Wilkinsburg Action Committee, a pro-annexation political group, has sent mailers to Wilkinsburg residents urging them to vote no on the ballot question. The mailers claim that annexation will help lower property taxes, while a home-rule charter would raise income taxes.

Wilkinsburg has one of the highest property tax rates in Allegheny County.

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