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O’Hara Council is expected to approve new township ward boundaries next month that aim to make ward populations more equal.
The change will go before council Oct. 12 for final approval. Because of other steps needed to put the changes into effect, the remapping will not affect the November elections.
O’Hara Council consists of one member from each ward and two at-large members.
The current ward map shows the 1st Ward has 2,439 people, while the 2nd Ward has just 732.
The 3rd Ward has 1,637 residents, the 4th Ward has 1,216 and the 5th Ward has 2,087.
Council this month selected a remapping option that would bring the 1st Ward to about 1,875 people and the 2nd Ward to around 1,725 residents.
The 3rd Ward would have slightly more than 1,800 people while the 4th Ward would have just about 1,800 people.
The 5th Ward still would have around 2,050 residents.
Township Manager Julie Jakubec said the township received several emails from residents about the proposed maps, and those folks were in favor of this option.
“It’s the closest we can get to even population,” she said.
“Because we’re U-shaped, that makes it a little bit more difficult,” Councilman George Stewart said about the mapping. “We really needed to tweak (it) to get the population more even in the different wards.”
Jakubec said after the ordinance is passed, the township would submit documents to the Allegheny County Elections Division and petition the Court of Common Pleas for approval.
It would then go to the state for review with the goal of having the new maps in place by the 2023 May Primary.
The idea to restructure the wards came after township officials reviewed 2020 Census data.
The proposed maps are available for review at the township office and its website.
• Council on Sept. 13 approved the purchase of two Chevrolet Bolts — electric cars — from C. Harper Chevrolet in Belle Vernon for nearly $52,000 through CoStars, the state’s cooperative purchasing program.
Jakubec said the vehicles will replace two former Ford police SUVs currently being used by the township’s engineer and a building code official.
• Council authorized a $26,700 purchase of a Ford Echo from C. Harper Ford for O’Hara’s soon-to-be hired social service coordinator. That purchase also is through CoStars.
The new vehicles are expected to be received sometime next year.
• Trick-or-treating is set for 6-8 p.m. Monday, Oct. 31.
Michael DiVittorio is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Michael at 412-871-2367, mdivittorio@triblive.com or via Twitter .
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