A panel of politicians, corporate and nonprofit leaders and an academic expert will tackle the topics of a possible city-county government merger and regionalism at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's next town meeting Wednesday.

The meeting, "Our Region, Our Future," will be held in the Hicks Chapel auditorium of Pittsburgh Theological Seminary on Highland Avenue in the East End from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

Sponsored by Duquesne Light Co., the meeting will be moderated by Post-Gazette Executive Editor David Shribman and will feature five panelists: Morgan Lewis law firm managing partner Marlee S. Myers, City Council member Sala Udin, Sustainable Pittsburgh Director Court Gould, University of Pittsburgh professor and regionalism expert David Y. Miller, and McKeesport Mayor James Brewster.

The panelists will be asked to address such topics as whether the city and county governments should merge, what the advantages and disadvantages of that would be, what should happen to the county's other municipalities, and whether Pittsburgh should retain some sort of elected government of its own.

This is the second Post-Gazette town meeting on this topic. The first, held at Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland last year, featured opinions ranging from skepticism that the suburbs would help struggling Pittsburgh without further incentives to do so, to the idea that regionalism for Pittsburgh should encompass looking at joint planning across state lines with the Cleveland metro area.

Two other town meetings are planned this year. The next, on Sept. 30, will feature Jerry Abramson, mayor of the merged city-county government of Louisville, Ky., held up by some as a model of what Pittsburgh could attempt. The other town meeting will be held Nov. 17 in the North Hills.

The event is free and open to the public, and will allow questions from the audience. Those interested in attending are asked to register by Tuesday by calling 412-263-1541.