A short guide to Pittsburgh's 3 ballot questions
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Voters in the city will see three questions on the May 20 primary ballots, and it's time to get educated.
Why it matters: Ballot questions can be confusing, and this cycle's are no different. It's important to know exactly what you are voting for because they will determine future city policy.
Here is a quick rundown of the questions facing Pittsburgh voters.
Question 1
Context: This question was drafted in response to multiple failed efforts to propose a question seeking to bar the city from having any business dealings that have ties to Israel. That effort, from the pro-Palestinian "Not On Our Dime" campaign, ultimately failed to acquire enough signatures to qualify for the ballot, so only its counterpart remains.
How it works: Voting in favor of Question 1 would reaffirm past anti-discrimination rules, but also add "connection, association or affiliation with any nation or foreign state" to the list — effectively preventing the city from shunning a business because of its ties to other countries.
Question 2
Context: Question 2 seeks to ensure that the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority can't be leased, sold or transferred to a private entity. Private companies like Pennsylvania American Water or Aqua Pennsylvania have bought some municipal water authorities over the years.
- Pittsburgh Water has the option to purchase its whole system outright for $1 later this year after its 30-year lease with the city expires, and says it will purchase the system. The authority said it has no intention of selling or leasing the system to a private company and wants to remain a municipally governed body.
How it works: A yes vote would bar PWSA from being sold to a private company.
Question 3
Context: This referendum is related to failed efforts to place a ballot question asking voters to bar the city from business dealings that have ties to Israel or governments accused of genocide or other human rights violations.
- Question 3 deals with the legal side of such efforts. Opponents to the "Not On Our Dime" campaign have said the proposed ballot question is unrelated to city governance, won't hold up in court, and will cost the city large legal fees if passed.
- Critics of the question say its passage could hinder voters from taking on federal or state governments that are overruling local ordinances.
How it works: A yes vote would add language to the city charter that could cut off future ballot questions that propose something the city isn't legally able to accomplish.
Editor's note: This story has been corrected to reflect that Pittsburgh Water (not PWSA) has the option to buy the system, and that it says it will exercise that option (not that it has no intention of doing so), with no plans to then sell or lease the system to a private company.