Today, in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, it is Election Day for thousands of municipal and judicial offices. For the future of international affairs, next year’s federal elections are far more important. But for the future of communities and families right here in Western Pennsylvania, today’s elections matter most.
How will Allegheny County handle the looming question of property reassessments? How will your borough or township manage its parks? How efficiently will local taxes be collected? How will juvenile offenders be treated in the justice system? How will your school district consider parent challenges to books and curricula? How will petty crimes be adjudicated in your neighborhood? How will trash and recycling be picked up, and snow removed from roadways? How will economic development be promoted, and what other considerations of equity and justice will be part of that process?
These are the matters that affect the everyday lives of the people of the Pittsburgh region, far more than most of the machinations in Washington, D.C. While House Republicans turned the selection of the Speaker of the House into a reality television show, numerous decisions about essential matters were being made in modest council chambers all over this region.
Voting is how you have a say in how those decisions are made. And while your single vote may feel meaningless (though it isn’t) in a sea of millions next year, every year in local races, offices are decided by single digits. You really can decide the future of your communities.
In the southwest corner of the state, the races for Allegheny County Executive and District Attorney have earned the vast majority of attention, and for good reason. The contrasts offered at the top of the ballot represent a major decision point for the region, the first of its kind in decades — perhaps the most important since the 1999 ratification of the Home Rule Charter.
But in this county of 130 municipalities and 43 school districts — not to mention the numerous localities in surrounding counties — there are hundreds of elections taking place that are at least as important for voters’ daily lives. Borough councilors; township commissioners; magisterial district judges; school board members; tax collectors; and even, outside Allegheny County, coroners and prothonotaries — they’re all on the ballot.
Further, voters in Monroeville, Mt. Lebanon and West Deer will decide whether their municipalities’ home rule charters are amended. Allegheny County voters will also decide whether councilmembers are paid per meeting, or as an annual stipend. For more information about each of these questions, consult the League of Women Voters website.
So, if you haven’t already submitted a mailed ballot, head to the polls today to take part in one of America’s greatest rituals: casting your ballot for the leaders who matter most for our families and communities.
First Published: November 7, 2023, 10:30 a.m.
