Your Daily Guide

A Procrastinator's Election Guide

Election Day is almost upon us. If you're still not sure what's on your ballot, have no fear! We're sharing what you need to know before you cast your vote.

• Ballot question: Voters in Allegheny County will decide whether County Council members should have more flexibility to hire personal staff, open district offices, and receive benefits like health insurance and pensions. Supporters say this would improve constituent services and allow council to act more proactively. Opponents say it goes against the original vision for council and could open the door for future funding increases. Catch up on the pros and cons. [WESA / City Cast Pittsburgh]
• PA Governor: Democratic incumbent Josh Shapiro is facing off against Republican Stacy Garrity, PA's state treasurer. Shapiro is leading in the polls by a wide margin and has a substantially larger campaign war chest, though Garrity received a last-minute financial boost from the skill games industry. [Spotlight PA]
• PA House & Senate: All 203 state House seats and 25 Senate seats are up for election. Democrats are hoping to hold on to their narrow majority in the House and flip a few key seats to take control of the Senate. If they manage to do that — and Shapiro wins re-election — they'd have a trifecta for the first time in decades and could potentially push through their key priorities, like raising the minimum wage and legalizing recreational cannabis. [City Cast Pittsburgh]
• U.S. House: None of the congressional races in our region are considered competitive. That includes the districts representing Allegheny County — Districts 12 and 17 — where Democrats Summer Lee and Chris Deluzio are seeking reelection. But across PA, four competitive races could determine control of the U.S. House. [Spotlight PA / WHYY]
• Before you vote: Read up on all the races in Western PA (and where candidates stand on the issues), the local state House races that are considered especially competitive, and the key races that could decide control of the state legislature. [WESA / Public Source / Spotlight PA]

We dig into the county ballot question, the battle for state control, and what's at stake on today's pod.

More Childcare Spots Coming

Allegheny County could see 1,000 new childcare and out-of-school program slots thanks to nearly $6 million in public and private funding to help providers expand facilities and hire staff. The investment includes $2.5 million proposed in the county’s 2027 budget. It’s part of a larger Forward Families Initiative, which aims to create 5,000 new slots over five years to address the regions’ childcare shortage. [Allegheny County]

Who Wins & Loses From Property Reassessment?

Allegheny County is under a court order to reassess the value of every local property by 2032. The county will then adjust property taxes based on the new values — but (and this is an important but), it can't actually earn any new money from property taxes in the first year after reassessment. Public Source published an excellent explainer about which communities will likely see their taxes increase, decrease, or remain flat. [City Cast Pittsburgh / Public Source]

• County Executive Sara Innamorato laid out the timeline for property reassessment: educating homeowners and assessors in the field in 2028 and 2029 and addressing legal and logistical challenges in 2030-31. Per a court order, new tax bills should arrive by 2032. [City Cast Pittsburgh]

North Shore Trees Make a Comeback

Trees are being replanted near Acrisure Stadium six months after the city removed nearly 100 trees and shrubs to make way for the NFL Draft. If you’re like me and wondering why it took so long, officials had always planned to wait until fall to replant. [TribLive / City of Pittsburgh]

End of an Era for Larrimor’s

After 87 years in business, the Downtown clothing retailer is closing its doors for good. The third-generation family-owned store first opened in the Union Trust Building in 1939 before moving to its current location at One PNC Plaza. Larrimor’s plans to close by the end of the year but shoppers still have some time to snag designer clothing during their going-out-of-business sale, starting Nov. 4. [KDKA]