Civic Policy

Over its 250-year history, the 10-county Pittsburgh region has given rise to one of the most fragmented systems of local government in the nation. This includes 548 municipalities, 128 of them in Allegheny County alone, as well as 129 school districts and 191 authorities. This has created unintended barriers to economic development, job creation and efficient and effective delivery of public services.

Our overly complex government structure negatively affects our regional competitiveness by:

• duplicating efforts and increasing costs
• impeding reforms that would benefit residents and the business community
• creating an environment with too many competing agendas
• mismatching municipal ability and responsibility, leading to powers exercised at inappropriate levels of government
• complicating coordination among economic development entities and the public and private sectors, thereby slowing down overall regional economic growth

The Conference and its Affiliates work to increase the fiscal accountability and effectiveness of our government entities, especially in the areas of City/County cooperation and municipal pension reform.

Explore our regional challenges and see what we’re doing to meet them:

• City/County Cooperation
• Municipal Pension Reform

Get additional information on municipal governments and more from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED).