HARRISBURG — Removing barriers to getting public dollars into the hands of Pennsylvania’s rural communities is a top priority of a new commission created to revive these areas.
The Rural Population Revitalization Commission, established by lawmakers last year to brainstorm solutions to curb population decline, released a report last month laying out some of its ideas. The study includes feedback from stakeholders across the state who want more options for housing, health care, jobs, and transportation to make their communities more attractive to new residents and businesses.
However, with limited staffing and a smaller taxpayer base to generate local revenue, many rural areas struggle to apply for and access state and federal grant money that could support development and revitalization projects. And even in places where officials secure these dollars, limited staffing can cause them to struggle to administer the influx of funding.
In response to that feedback, the commission plans to evaluate the state’s criteria for awarding funding and to ensure smaller municipalities have the tools — such as technical support — to get this money. This might include assessing prohibitive grant requirements, such as communities having to match the amount of money they receive from grants.
“I think what we can do is look strategically and say, ‘Where can we make investments that will benefit and revitalize those areas that have, quite frankly, been neglected?’” state Rep. Paul Takac (D., Centre), who serves on the commission, told Spotlight PA.
The 15-member commission held its first hearing on growing “local capacity” last month in Blair County, and plans to have more meetings on the topic. Stakeholders have already proposed a tiered system for grant applications to ensure a more equitable distribution of state funds that also recognizes rural areas might not offer the same return on investment as urban ones.
Additionally, rural leaders have proposed regional partnerships to consolidate resources.
Frank Mazza, director of government relations for the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania, suggested a merit-based or needs-based system to help level the playing field for rural areas.
“I think the mentality in many of our rural communities, not just in counties, is that we’re just going to lose out to Philadelphia and Pittsburgh every time, and that is a barrier to pursuing different opportunities,” he said.
Kyle Kopko, who chairs the commission, said this summer the body will dig into models and programs in other states and mull suggestions to address capacity challenges.
“There’s a strong consensus among the commission members that we don’t want to reinvent the wheel,” he told Spotlight PA. “We really want to be deliberative about this and show that a recommendation isn’t harmed by evidence.”
The commission is required to release proposals for legislative and regulatory changes every two years. But Kopko, who also directs the General Assembly’s Center for Rural Pennsylvania, hopes those recommendations — which could include legislation or procedural shifts within state agencies — are ready sooner rather than later. The commission aims to release more reports with stakeholder feedback and possible solutions on a rolling basis.
While the commission likely won’t draft legislation directly, it will outline what a bill should include to address a specific issue, Kopko said. The hope is to have bipartisan support for anything requiring action from lawmakers and introduce identical proposals in both chambers.
State Rep. Dan Moul (R., Adams), who sits on the Center for Rural Pennsylvania’s board, said he’s confident the commission will come up with proposals that can make it through the legislature and become law.
But bill proposals and increased spending aren’t the only suggestions he hopes to see. He also wants the commission to target efforts to remove red tape within state agencies like the Department of Environmental Protection.
“If you make it too difficult for that entrepreneur to build his building, to start his business, to maybe hire half a dozen people, he’s never going to make it,” Moul told Spotlight PA. “It’s too expensive. It all has to work together.”
