Allegheny County, Pennsylvania

Law and government

For most of the 20th century until 1999, the county was governed exclusively under the state's Second Class County Code. Under this code, the county handled everything: elections, prisons, airports, public health and city planning. Unlike the rest of the state where certain public offices are combined and held by one person, in Allegheny County all public offices are held by elected individuals.

Related Topics:
20th century - 1999

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Before January 1, 2000, there were 3 county commissioners. These were replaced with an elected chief officer (the county executive), a county council with 15 members (13 elected by district, 2 elected county-wide), and an appointed county manager. The changes were intended to maintain a separation of powers between the executive and legislative branches while providing the citizens with greater control over the government.

Related Topics:
January 1 - 2000 - Commissioner

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The county has 130 municipalities (more than any other county in the United States) with their own governmental setup. The county has one Second Class City (Pittsburgh) and 3 Third Class Cities (Clairton, Duquesne, and McKeesport).

Related Topics:
Second Class City - Pittsburgh - Third Class Cities - Clairton - Duquesne - McKeesport

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A 2004 study by the University of Pittsburgh stated that Allegheny County would be better served by consolidating the southeastern portion of the county (which includes many small, poor communities) into one large municipality, called "Rivers City", which would have a combined population of approximately 250,000.

Related Topics:
2004 - University of Pittsburgh

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