Municipal & Zoning Law

The Law Offices of Ira Weiss represents both public and private clients in the area of Pennsylvania municipal law, and has done so for over 30 years. Local control is a hallmark of the Pennsylvania municipal landscape, and our attorneys have served as Solicitors and Special Counsel for every form of local government from Allegheny County to the smallest borough. No matter the size, all municipal governments face issues with land use, zoning, employment, labor relations, civil rights, competitive bidding, contracting, pensions, public works, and taxation. We have counseled public clients in all of these areas, and have stayed abreast of all the recent developments in the law impacting municipalities such as the Act 46 permit extensions, Act 44 pension regulations, and Act 32 earned income tax consolidation. We are also well versed in the Right to Know Law, the Sunshine Act, the Ethics Act, and other laws that govern the conduct of public bodies. On a daily basis, we counsel elected officials and public employees on dealing with constituent concerns, providing all necessary local services, and maintaining a quality of life that makes this region a great place to live.

We recognize the strain placed upon local governments’ budgets as tax bases shrink, expenses rise, and citizens’ demands for roads, police protection, and services go unabated. Our clients require that we have a detailed understanding of local taxation. We litigate countywide reassessment issues and tax exempt applications, serve as hearing officers for Act 50 taxpayer petitions, establish tax increment financing districts, and advise clients on Act 511 taxes such as earned income, local services taxes, and business privilege taxes. The Tax Department of our Office also serves as delinquent tax collector for many local governments.

Our experience advising local governments has uniquely positioned us to assist private clients in their efforts to maneuver through the web of municipal procedures. We represent clients in zoning matters such as variances, special exceptions, and conditional uses. We represent not only property owners seeking to develop their land, but also aggrieved neighbors who exercise their rights to object to ill-planned and ill-conceived development.

With the recent boom in the area of oil and natural gas, we have helped clients negotiate leases and secure land development approvals for conventional wells. We have advised our municipal clients on their rights under the Municipalities Planning Code to regulate oil and gas development in order to minimize the impact of Marcellus Shale wells on the community. These experiences have given us a broad based knowledge of the competing concerns and often divergent interests that surround the exploitation of these natural resources.

Some of our accomplishments in Municipal Law include:

  • Assisting a borough with the leasing of a public park for the construction of a regional YMCA health club.
  • Re-establishing a Joint Operating Agreement between two townships for the operation of a sanitary sewage system.
  • Successfully representing all taxing jurisdictions in Allegheny County as the lead of a Core Defense Committee in defense of a class action over the increase of assessments by judicial decree in 2000.
  • Approving a first-of-its kind alternative energy facility for the display of wind turbines and solar panels.
  • Assisting a borough in the sale of its former municipal building, acquisition of a new site, and construction of a new borough building.
  • Litigated the leading case on the right of municipalities to establish the limits of a Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance (“LERTA”) district.
  • Negotiated with BAA for the creation of the Air Mall at Pittsburgh International Airport.
  • Oversaw the development of the Community College of Allegheny County campus in North Fayette.