"What will happen if this merger goes through? Property owners in Wilkinsburg will see an immediate 30% increase in the value of their house. Those properties will not be reassessed. Let me say firmly right now as the County Executive - there will be no reassessment. The homeowners, the property owners, and the business owners will benefit from [the merger] because they will see their millage go down, and they will start to see private investment along the business coordinators and in the neighborhoods … This is a win-win for the community."

“The City of Pittsburgh needs housing strategies that attract Black people back to the City. We see the merger as a historic opportunity for the City to put in place effective affordable housing strategies alongside strategic investment.”

The City of Pittsburgh and the Borough of Wilkinsburg have an opportunity to make history this spring. An annexation means access to investment opportunities, improved services, and much-needed tax relief for property owners in Wilkinsburg while offering Pittsburgh the opportunity to grow our population and expand the city’s regional influence. With Pittsburgh City Council soon voting to allow Wilkinsburg voters the opportunity to decide their own fate, it’s my hope they vote yes.

"Residents of Wilkinsburg, Allegheny County officials, state officials, local foundations and others have worked for years to make Wilkinsburg a thriving place to live and work, but the borough continues to lose population and businesses and blight continues to increase. It is clear that even with outside help, the borough does not have the capacity to reverse its decline, and its high property taxes prevent private investment. Annexation by the City of Pittsburgh is the key to returning Wilkinsburg to economic vitality."

“In this time, in this unique circumstance, it’s not about pride. It’s about survival. And we are all survivors. So let’s do what it takes to survive. Let’s come together and merge with a bigger power, so we can all be powerful together.”

“As a representative of this community, I have to use my voice for what I think is in the best interest of the majority of people in Wilkinsburg - and I think this merger is. I think it could really help a lot of people. And to me, as an accountant, it really comes down to dollars and cents. If we combine with the City of Pittsburgh and have a larger tax base, each resident will pay less.”

“Wilkinsburg has come a long way and we should be proud of what we have done to climb out of decades of disinvestment. But there’s only so much we can do without lowering the property tax burden. So when Wilkinsburg has this opportunity to merge, it can mean so much. And it ties directly into the vibrancy and sustainability of Wilkinsburg.”

“This vote has huge implications, not only for the Borough of Wilkinsburg, but for the City of Pittsburgh as well. There are several large companies that have considered moving to Wilkinsburg because of its great location and they’ve gone elsewhere because the tax structure is too much of a burden. The companies can move over to the City of Pittsburgh and only pay half of what they have to pay here.”