Pittsburgh's Republican Committee yesterday launched a petition drive aimed at cutting the number of City Council members from nine to seven -- and increasing its own chances of getting its first member on that board in more than 70 years.

City GOP Chairman Robert Hillen said the drive is non-partisan -- he'll reach out to other groups for help circulating the petition -- and mirrors a failed attempt earlier this year to slash council positions.

The drive started at midnight yesterday.

"We already had about 15 signatures," Mr. Hillen said.

The group is aiming for 12,000, though roughly 9,000 signatures would be needed to place the change on the ballot.

Under the proposal, council would be cut to five members elected by district and two at-large members, with each party to choose one nominee for the general election in its primary. Such a system would tend to favor, though not guarantee, the election of one Republican.

The party -- outnumbered by Democrats 6-to-1 in registration -- issued a news release early yesterday explaining its goals.

"Over the years, the population of the city has decreased, but not the numbers of our elected officials, therefore causing a greater burden on the taxpayers of the city," the party declared.

The group has seven weeks to collect signatures before a Feb. 13 deadline.

At least one City Council member, President Doug Shields, scoffed at the proposal.

"If that's what you have to do to get somebody on the ballot and get elected, then you need to look at your politics and your platform," he said. "Sure there are less people in the city. But there are still as many problems."

Mr. Shields said the cost-reduction argument is a weak one.

"I don't know if it makes sense. We're less than four-tenths of 1 percent of the budget," he said.

Mr. Shields opposed an earlier effort to reduce council's size.

"Democracy is not about money. It's about representation. I don't know why people would vote for less representation," he said. "If that's the rationale, maybe we should eliminate one senator from every state."

Joe Weinroth, the Republican candidate for mayor in the 2005 election and an officer with the city party, said reducing the number of council members did not equate with a reduction in representation.

"We're really increasing representation for each city resident," he said, "because, in addition to their district council member, they can go to their at-large member."