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An Allegheny County city is taking legal action, citing a long-standing state code and an ongoing newspaper strike, that is preventing city officials from dealing with important issues.
“We can’t do city business because we can’t advertise in the local newspaper, because we don’t have a local newspaper right now,” said Denise Fitzgerald, City Manager. of Scott.
According to the First Class City Code, councils must announce certain actions in a notice sent to residents.
While many towns in the area have their own newspapers, Scott Township is the only one to have the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Fitzgerald said.
And according to Channel 11, newspaper workers have been on strike for a month.
The inability to read in the paper has affected the city’s businesses. The demolition scheduled for next month had to be postponed, Fitzgerald said. Public hearings and job offers are also not public.
Of particular concern is the upcoming city budget agreement, which will set mileage rates and pay for city employees.
“There is no way at this time to announce our budget.”
The problem prompted the city to take legal action. Petitions have been filed in both the State’s Probate Court and the state Supreme Court, asking that the notice requirements be struck down.
Fitzgerald said the city wants businesses to advertise online, calling the current code “behind the times.”
The documents include Gov. Tom Wolf, House Speaker Bryan Cutler and Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman as respondents.
Channel 11 reached out to representatives of each agency for comment on the proposed law release and the code itself.
At the time this article was published, a spokesperson for Senator Corman only responded, “no comment” at this time, as the lawsuit is still pending.
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