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| Inside this edition: Local government challenges, debt relief for rural health care workers, and opioid settlement money decisions. |
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Local governments of all sizes require committed leaders and staff to keep their communities running smoothly, but problems can arise when they don’t have the right people to do the job.
When city, township, or borough elected officials cannot effectively serve, residents are left with few options.
Spotlight PA Local Accountability Reporter Min Xian spoke with a panel of experts about the challenges local governments face in finding and retaining dedicated elected officials and the impacts those people have on residents’ lives.
Here are three key takeaways from the discussion, which can be viewed in full here.
Voice of the average citizen
Each government unit on the local level is run by a governing board in Pennsylvania. Varying numbers of members — generally between three and seven — make decisions regarding essential public services like fire and police, water, sewer, and parks.
The “amateur status of most elective officials” means that ordinary citizens can bring expertise from all walks of life into government operation, according to the Citizen’s Guide to Pennsylvania Local Government published by the state Department of Community and Economic Development.
The fragmented and hyperlocal structure of municipal government gives the average person a voice, “and their voice counts,” John Brenner, executive director of the Pennsylvania Municipal League, said during the panel.
Training not required
Dan Murphy, a former State College Borough Council member, said he considered himself an atypical municipal government candidate when he ran for office in 2017. Murphy was a single, young professional who rented rather than owned a home and became the borough’s first openly gay council member. He said he wanted to represent those perspectives in his community.
He learned on the job to make up for his lack of experience holding elected office. Resources provided by professional associations like the Pennsylvania Municipal League, the knowledge of borough staff, and connections with other municipal leaders helped him mount the learning curve.
Even seasoned officials have to keep up with increasingly complex responsibilities due to changing technologies and ever-evolving regulations and mandates, Brenner said. While training and ongoing education opportunities are plentiful, they are not required for elected officials in the commonwealth.
Brenner said he would like to see state lawmakers make some essential training a requirement. “Someday we’re going to convince enough legislators that there should be a baseline training program.”
Increasingly vacant seats
Pennsylvania’s more than 2,500 municipalities require about 12,000 elected officials. A 2021 survey of nearly 900 of them found that about half ran unopposed in both the primary and general elections. It is also common for officials to vacate their positions before the end of their terms.
Tim Kearney served two terms as mayor of Swarthmore Borough before being elected to the state Senate, where he is minority chair of the Local Government Committee.
People don’t run for office for a variety of reasons, the Delaware County Democrat said, including the demands of their jobs, lack of recognition of the significance of local government, or fear of sacrificing their privacy.
“They’re things that we need to solve, and things that we haven’t come up with a solution yet,” Kearney said.
Municipalities of all sizes have trouble finding enough people to run them, said Brenner, who was a two-term mayor for the City of York. That brings into question whether having so many governing boards is the most efficient way to serve Pennsylvania communities.
Kearney said there have been legislative changes that allow lowering the number of members on borough councils.
—Min Xian, local accountability reporter |
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» WATCH: Why local governments struggle to attract and keep effective leaders |
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Spotlight PA State College is working to make local government more accessible to all Pennsylvanians.
Pennsylvania has a patchwork system of local government that includes more than 2,500 cities, townships, and boroughs (and one town).
“How Local Government Works” is a series by Local Accountability Reporter Min Xian. This series focuses on issues and trends in Pennsylvania local governments and provides tools for you to hold your local officials accountable.
Our goal is to help you understand how your municipal government functions, the powers it possesses, and what responsibility it has to residents. We also want to provide resources that empower you to obtain information, get involved, and spot when something’s going wrong.
Visit spotlightpa.org/howlocalgovworks to read our coverage, find resources, or ask questions how your local government works. |
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Sedum takesimense Atlantis at The Arboretum at Penn State, via Kathleen P.
Have a north-central Pennsylvania photo to share? Send it to us by email, use #PAGems on Instagram, or tag us @spotlightpennsylvania. |
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Want us to list your event? Send it to us.
» Aug. 30: The Bellefonte Historical and Cultural Association is subsidizing musicians to “busk” on the street in the hopes of helping to “create a new music scene in Bellefonte,” Centre County.
» Aug. 30: Pine Pitch A Cappella is hosting a flood aid concert to benefit families in Tioga County affected by flooding connected to Hurricane Debby.
» Aug. 30-Sept. 2: Lock Haven, Clinton County, is home to the annual Labor Day Regatta. Attractions include power boat racing, a carnival, fireworks, live music, and more.
» Sept. 1: Duck races, conservation workshops, lawn games, and more highlight Crickfest in Centre County.
» Sept. 2: The Summerville Community Labor Day Festival in Jefferson County features a chicken barbecue, parade, car show, bounce house, games, and more. |
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