Two members of Allegheny County Council want a bipartisan approach to redrawing the map for the county's 13 council districts.

Council President Jim Burn, a Democrat from Millvale, and Councilman Vince Gastgeb, a Republican from Bethel Park, have introduced a measure that could create a special council committee to oversee redistricting. The realignment of at least some council districts will be necessary to reflect changes in county population recorded in the 2010 U.S. Census.

The special committee would have until Nov. 30 to make its recommendation, which would then go to the full council for action.

Mr. Gastgeb said it was important that electoral reapportionment be done in a transparent manner. All members of council and the public could then have confidence that district boundary lines had been drawn "in a fair and equitable way," Mr. Burn said.

Reapportionment has important consequences for elected officials and the people they represent. Depending on where new district boundaries are drawn, council members could find themselves running in communities where people are unfamiliar with their records or where most belong to an opposing party.

Previously "safe" Republican or Democratic seats may become competitive, or competitive districts could be controlled by one party.

The Burn-Gastgeb plan was introduced last week and sent to council's government reform committee for study.

The ordinance proposes a seven-member committee that would include the president of council and the head of the minority party's caucus. The council president, representing the majority party, would select four other committee members, and the minority party chair would pick the final member.

Committee meetings would be open to the public.

Councilman William Robinson, D-Hill District, said he was concerned about the role assigned to the minority caucus leader, a position he said has no legal standing in the county charter or code.

He also questioned whether reapportionment could ever be made nonpolitical. "I predict that no one will be satisfied with the [proposed reapportionment committee's] plan and that lawsuits will be filed," Mr. Robinson said.

Council's president has power under the county charter to name special committees, Councilman Michael Finnerty, D-Scott, said. A reapportionment committee would be no different from a special committee on mass transit.

Mr. Burn cited precedent for using the caucus system. Candidates for council vacancies are selected by members of the council caucus to which the departing member belonged, he said.

County council has 15 members. Thirteen are chosen by geographic districts and two are chosen at large. The two at-large members must be from different parties. The current council has 11 Democrats and four Republicans.