Voters reject ballot question that would have allowed Allegheny County Council members to expand staff
Sofia Patel is a community-focused journalist with a bachelor’s degree from Chatham University and over 6 years of experience reporting on neighborhoods in and around Pittsburgh. She has previously contributed to City Paper, where her in-depth profiles showcased the diverse voices and stories from various communities.
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Voters in Allegheny County have rejected a measure on the ballot in Tuesday's midterm elections that would've allowed county council members expand their staff and receive fringe benefits.An item on the ballot in Allegheny County posed a yes or no question, asking voters if they wanted to remove restrictions on Allegheny County Council members' ability to receive county funding for personal staff, district offices and fringe benefits. Voters resoundingly rejected the measure.As of Wednesday morning, with 1,322 out of 1,327 precincts having reported their votes, just shy of 68% of voters selected "no" on their ballot. 487,473 votes were counted, as of early Wednesday.Allegheny County Council members receive a stipend for their service, but no funds for staff, local offices, or other benefits such as health and life insurance, pension, and transportation. "We could do a lot better with staff to answer phone calls from conflicts during the day that arise from constituents, from staff that