Home rule vote could start next chapter for Wilkinsburg

Wilkinsburg residents will have an extra question on their ballots this General Election — one that could give the borough a more powerful mayor, enable changes to how residents are taxed and clear a path for citizen referenda.Voters will decide whether to adopt a home rule charter for the borough, a move that would replace the statewide Borough Code as the basis for local government and allow local leaders and voters more say in how the town of 14,000 conducts its business. The vote comes five months after court rulings effectively killed a push to merge the borough into Pittsburgh.“We think these changes should make sure that the things that your elected officials want to see happen can get implemented in more efficient ways,” said Jacquet Kehm, who chaired the borough’s Government Study Commission. The commission of elected residents was established in 2022 and tasked with drafting a charter for the public to vote on this year.“We’re hoping it sparks some excitement and renewed interest in local politics and we’ve put in tools for residents to get their ideas out there,” Kehm added.Wilkinsburg Mayor Dontae Comans said he is on the fence about whether his job, and those of council...