The city of Pittsburgh may have placed a moratorium on any new electronic billboards early this year, but Allegheny County officials contend outdoor electronic advertising is an untapped and much-needed revenue source.

The county is currently seeking proposals from advertisers who may be interested in putting up billboards on county property, like buildings, and along county-owned roadways.

"As you know, the county executive has been looking for ways to increase county revenue without raising property taxes," said Kevin Evanto, spokesman for County Executive Dan Onorato.

The county Department of Administrative Services issued a request for proposals due Nov. 25 seeking companies that would be interested in proposing an electronic billboard development plan for the county's 810 miles of road and rights of way, including those in Pittsburgh.

"We're basically gauging interest to see what kind of revenue we can bring in without any cost to the county. All of the research and necessary municipal permitting will be done at no cost to the taxpayer. The advertising companies will also have to go through all the required municipal zoning approval," said Mr. Evanto.

But urban development advocates who have long opposed unregulated construction of electronic billboards in city limits and elsewhere contend that county officials have not seriously considered the ramifications of their plan.

"I think they are going about it the wrong way," said Pittsburgh Councilman William Peduto. In February, he led an insurgent council in nullifying the city's plan to permit a large electronic sign on the Grant Street Transportation Center, Downtown, without any hearings or votes.

The idea of city or county government selling space for electronic billboards -- without regard to how it would affect the community -- as a means of generating revenue is a fundamentally counterproductive approach to good government, neighborhood and community revitalization, said Mr. Peduto.

As chairman of the Marketing Based Revenue Opportunity Committee, a panel of city development experts that in 2007 considered the idea of leasing electronic billboards for city revenue, Mr. Peduto said such schemes have been consistently rejected by most urban planners.

"A couple of years ago [the city's financial recovery plan under] Act 47 sought ways that the city could find revenue through advertising. At the time, they proposed that the city could raise $1 million to $2 million. We as a committee chose not to pursue that idea," said Mr. Peduto.

"That is why I find it very alarming to see that the county may be pursuing it now."

Anne-Marie Lubenau, president of the Community Design Center of Pittsburgh, which opposed permitting for the Grant Street Transportation Center sought by Lamar Advertising, said the county should have started its proposal with a framework of how electronic billboards can be integrated into the aesthetics of many municipalities.

"The issue to consider here is the impact of electronic billboards on our public realm like streets and public areas," Ms. Lubenau said. "We have to be mindful of how we plan placement of these billboards and how they affect the character of a neighborhood."

But Mr. Evanto contended that such worries are premature because the county is in the early stages of crafting its marketing plan for the placement of the billboards.

"We have put together a list of all our roadways and locations that we want to make available and now it is up to the companies to go and study them and see what they can do," said Mr. Evanto.

So far, Allegheny County only owns one commercial billboard -- with Lamar for $1,300 a month -- atop the county parking garage at 548 Fourth Ave., which is under a 10-year lease that expires in January 2011.

For Mr. Peduto, however, the county's approach is clear.

"I think they are going about it the way that billboard companies want them to do it. They are not involving any of the communities that will be affected in the decision-making. And in the end, this will hurt the poor communities that don't have well-defined zoning rules. What you won't see is any billboards in Mt. Lebanon, Upper St. Clair, Fox Chapel or Sewickley," said Mr. Peduto.

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