In a surprise move, Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl today threw his support behind the concept of merging the city and Allegheny County, as he joined county Chief Executive Dan Onorato and University of Pittsburgh Chancellor Mark Nordenberg in unveiling a detailed report on governmental cooperation.

		Read the report The governmental cooperation report is available on the University of Pittsburgh Web site in pdf format (2.6 MB).

Mr. Onorato had long favored the concept, and Mr. Nordenberg had shepherded a 13-member committee through 17 months of study on the two governments and the results of mergers elsewhere. The big question mark had been the mayor, who had repeatedly voiced skepticism about the practicality of such a move.

That changed, Mr. Ravenstahl said, as he observed that incremental improvements to city government were not enough to turn around decades of population loss and economic decline, plus negative perceptions of the city. He endorsed the entire report, which was released at a news conference at the University of Pittsburgh this morning.

The city and region are losing population and jobs, and youth continue to flee for better opportunities, Mr. Ravenstahl said. "I believe we need bold, decisive and far-reaching change to fundamentally alter [the region's] trajectory," he said.

Chancellor Nordenberg said the report makes three central recommendations. The first is "zero tolerance for service duplication" between the city and county. He said they should begin merging functions immediately. Mr. Onorato said they are already looking at merging parks, public works, and housing authorities, and he ruled nothing out.

The second is "a formal cooperation compact" between the two governments that would extend efforts beyond the terms of current leaders.

Then comes the big one: "At the earliest possible time, the question of whether the governments of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County should be consolidated ... should be placed before the voters."

"We shouldn't start out by saying, 'This shouldn't be done,'" said Mr. Onorato. "This is the future of southwestern Pennsylvania."

Leaders will go to Harrisburg later this month to start lobbying for enabling legislation to permit a referendum.

If legislation is approved permitting a referendum, then the proposal would have to be approved separately by voters in the city and county. Key issues in any merger plan would be how to deal with the city's $768 million debt and $490 million pension shortfall.

"I heard an agenda articulated that was far more aggressive than I expected," said city Controller Michael Lamb, a longtime consolidation advocate who attended the press conference. Nothing will be easy, he added. It's unclear whether voters want a merger, and they may balk at the details. "It is a very complicated and complex statutory structure that we're dealing with."

The 21-page report, entitled "Government for Growth: Forging a Bright Future -- Built on Unity, Efficiency, Equity and Equality -- for the People of Allegheny County and the City of Pittsburgh," seems to recognize that. It suggests the region is known for "general discomfort with change" and predicts "reflexive resistance from champions of the status quo."

It says any merger must meet the needs of city residents, ensure adequate minority representation, "deal equitably" with 3,300 city and 6,600 county employees, and avoid saddling suburban taxpayers with the city's debt and underfunded pension plan. It is short on details as regards to addressing those challenges.

More details in tomorrow's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.