Local Government
| Committee Chair: | Jane M. Shields |
| Committee Members: | Hon. Thomas King Kistler |
| Michael E. Libonati | |
| Andrew B. Cantor | |
| John A. Hanna | |
| Steven E. Riley, Jr. | |
| Laura C. Tallarico |
The Task of the Local Government Committee
Article IX of the Pennsylvania Constitution provides in Section 1 that "The General Assembly shall provide by general law for local government within the Commonwealth. Such general law shall be uniform as to all classes of local government regarding procedural matters." Article IX also addresses County Government and various optional plans for local government, as well as intergovernmental cooperation and consolidation, merger and boundary changes and some special provisions for Philadelphia.
The Local Government Committee intends to examine the following issues:
- Protection of municipalities (which includes counties as defined in Article V of the Constitution) from unfunded state mandates
- Fragmentation of municipalities and inefficiency of delivery of services
- Poor financial health of municipalities due to funding structure
- Providing a mechanism for consolidation of municipalities
- Whether consolidation or elimination of row offices is desirable
Written Submissions
Written submissions to the Local Government Committee are welcomed. The Committee will gather as many written submissions as possible, and will carefully study and weigh all that are submitted as part of the process of examining the structure and role of local government under Article V of the Pennsylvania Constitution. You will find guidelines for submission of written statements and oral testimony on this web page.
Oral Statements
Applications to present testimony at the Local Government committee hearing must be submitted prior to the hearing. If you wish to present your views in person at our Local Government Committee public hearing, please complete an Application to Appear form and transmit it, together with your written statement and any exhibits, by U.S. postal service and, if possible, by email to the CRC addresses below, so that it will be received by the due date listed in the schedule of meetings. The Application to Appear form can be downloaded from this CRC Local Government web page. Applications must be accompanied by a written submission covering the nature and scope of the testimony to be presented. Appearances to testify will be scheduled solely at the discretion of the Committee. A witness schedule will be posted on the CRC website at least one week in advance of the scheduled hearing.
Public Hearing
The Local Government Committee anticipates holding a public hearing between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Friday, March 25, 2011 at the Pennsylvania Bar Institute, 5080 Ritter Road, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055.
To contact the Local Government Committee, please send an email to: Jane M. Shields at [email protected].
Send Applications to Appear and written statements to:
Lindsay A. Still
Pennsylvania Bar Association
100 South Street
P.O. Box 186
Harrisburg, PA 17108
[email protected].