| 1. |
I am opposed to county taking over
planning and zoning. I would be in favor of it if local townships
and residents had more input than what the current system has. In
my personal business I have dealt with many townships across the
state. I believe that township government is the ABSOLUTELY the most
CORRUPT form of government. There is not enough checks and balances
currently in place. Supervisors and secretary's get in office , are
uneducated , bias , and create and maintain their own little kingdoms.
The few honest public servants ( and there are many honest people
out there) that get elected either are voted out after one or two
terms or resign in disgust. The state ethics commission should be
expanded and have the willingness to investigate wrongdoing. possibly
there could be regional ethics commissions with copies of their complaints
and reports copied to the state ethics commission. I know of 5 townships
in York county that officials should be removed from office for their
actions. By the way , I am one of the few honest people that is resigning
in disgust. |
| 2. |
Metal Twp. does not have a tax
mileage for our Township and we haven't had one since 1994. |
| 3. |
I DO NOT THINK THAT TOWNSHIP EMPLOYEES
GET ENOUGH CREDIT OF THE JOBS THAT THEY DO. THE COUNTIES COULD NOT
HANDLE MANAGING ALL THEIR AREA, NOR COULD THE STATE HANDLE ALL THE
COUNTIES, YET PEOPLES OPINION OF TOWNSHIP WORKERS IS NOT VERY HIGH.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THEM GET JUST A LITTLE MORE CREDIT FOR A JOB
WELL DONE. MOST PEOPLE WOULD NOT DO THIS JOB IF IT WAS THE ONLY JOB
LEFT ON EARTH. |
| 4. |
We need to have radar as an approved
method of speed enforcement. |
| 5. |
The state government has not increased
the liquid fuels money to the townships, and restricts how this money
is spent. An example is not certifying ciders from any source and
therefore making townships buy them from their general fund. |
| 6. |
I feel local Government is effective
however there are some municipalities who don't act responsibly.
Our Township has an excellent record in responsiveness to citizens
needs and complaints, concerns, etc. I feel we are outstanding in
many areas and we have made great strides in the last 3 years in
recreation, road maintenance, land use and development, police & fire
protection and many others. One of the problems in Cambria County
is junk vehicles and just plain old piles of junk mainly on private
property. I would be in favor of a county wide or state wide program
that would not allow private property owners to accumulate junk and
junked vehicles. |
| 7. |
Our township needs more money to
get the citizens out of the mud. The citizens cannot afford to pay
more taxes, therefore, it is going to be years before all the roads
are adequately maintain. |
| 8. |
I think that the local government
should have a stronger say in the law and policies of the state government.
The Township Officials are on the firing line everyday and not only
live but work with the people and know thier needs and wants. |
| 9. |
Twps need a mix of tax options
to pick from. The 2 cent increase in gas tax is the most important
item the State Legislature could do for local government. Brookings
report-Twp government is not the problem with Pa. Is what is right
with Pa. The report listed the problems but did not list the correct
solution. |
| 10. |
Key issues in Solebury are: 1.
Traffic, roads 2. Sprawl 3. School taxes and disproportionate State
funding |
| 11. |
Need to find a way to get qualified
intelligent people to serve in local government. Most people don't
want to be bothered. Some have personal agendas. |
| 12. |
Since you're asking: -School taxes
are out of control. Foreclosures in PA are at a record high because
people cannot afford their school taxes. -Intermunicipal agreements
are a good idea if executed porperly, however I have never seen one
that isn't a cash-cow for the consultants involved. -State Police
are spread way, way, way too thin due to the fact that the costs
for a municipality to maintain or create a local police department
are insanely high. As a result, most rural municiaplities (in my
neck of the woods at least) are lawless. My township has been called "The
Wild West" for years. -It is political suicide to raise taxes. Period.
Even if the amount of services is dropping off as a result of increasing
consultant, insurance, and fuel costs. -DEP is an out of control
regulatory agency with unchecked power to sink your municipality
financially. -Legalized slot machines are only going to benefit the
areas that have the licenses. The rural townships are going to see
little if any benefit from this plan. -The new UCC construction code
is the biggest tax increase ever handed down by our state. The law
is confusing at best. It favors suburban municipalities. The only
groups that are going to benefit from this unfunded mandate are the
consultants that are looking for our business as inspectors. -Good
luck if you want to repair any local roads because of the increasing
fuel costs, a lot of asphalt plants are closing down, and the few
that are remaining open are extremely expensive. You had to ask. |
| 13. |
I have served on both the planning
commission and the board of supervisors for thirty years. Unfortunately
we do not have zoning. In the past thirty years our population has
more than doubled, Open space is not an issue because we still are
rural in nature. |
| 14. |
The most difficult issue we have
is being able to afford police. With the recent legislation passed
of Act 30, this complicated our ability to neogitate these issues
with the bargaining unit. It also placed additional financial burden
on an already increasing expense to keep up with the liability. Our
MMO for the police pension has risen dramatically since I have been
in office and continues to rise at a rapid rate. In 1995, we were
overfunded. Today, our Actuarial consultant has indicated that in
2005, our MMO will be $132,000. In addition, with Act 111, we continue
to see the Bargaining unit uncooperative when negotiating because
when we go to arbitration we are responsible for our arbitrator AND
the third party (impartial)arbitrator. The Association has NO expenses
and nothing to loose and actually want to go to arbitration to see
what they can get! The third arbitrator should be a shared cost as
with grievance arbitration so both parties are eager to negotiate
in good faith! In addition, the list of arbitrators should not be
a you strike one, I strike one, it should be a list that you get
the next arbitrator. Each County should have a list of arbitrators,
not someone out of Philadelphia that has no idea of the makeup of
your community. |
| 15. |
Most of the problems that are created
are due to lack of education and lack of enforcement. PA passes many
laws but does not apply them equally to all areas. Residents want
not understanding the financial impact that they will expereince.
All government offices must learn how to say no once in a while.
Then explain the ramifications of the requests as made. If everyone
deserves special treatement then why are the laws created? |
| 16. |
Local municipalities are doing
a great job. Keep control there - don't give it to the County or
State. |
| 17. |
If the state or feds.are going
to impose laws on townships they should also pay the price it cost
us to do it. |
| 18. |
Although Open Space preservation
is vitally important to our community's future well-being, I would
like to express our displeasure with the lack of increase in LIQUID
FUEL FUNDS over the past decades. I know of no sectors of state government
that have had to make do with funding levels that have had such low/non-existent
adjustments for cost of living or inflation than what townships have
had to handle with respect to the maintainance of our roads. Please,
please, please find a way to increase our Liquid Fuel Allocations
so that we can maintain our roads without having to tax our residents
further. A larger gasoline tax, which many out-of-state drivers would
pay, seems to be a reasonable way to address this shortcoming. Thank
you. Jay Sletson, Gregg Township, Centre County |
| 19. |
Getting qualified Supervisors to
run for office is a real concern because of the tiny pay and large
problems...thus "nitwit" people run and abuse the system and put
the township in debt! It's a JOKE to be a non-employee supervisor.
Part time job with a Full time position. The Supervisors are on the
FiringLine and the state Reps hide out in Harrisburg controling the
money and making it nearly imposible to get local funding for infa
structure. We at the Township level are suppose to work as volanteers.
excuse my spelling... |
| 20. |
Less control from Harrisburg for
schools and Townships. Allow impact fees for development. Tell Harrisburg
to get a spine and taise the Income Tax, not pass the burden to school
districts and local municipalities. |
| 21. |
allow a business tax so they pay
for the services they need. example Wal-mart only pays $800 to township
services but the twp cost just for that area is to serve Wal-mart
is over $5,000 each year. Also allow twp to place the cost where
it is created - give us a easy way to impose impact fees on new development |
| 22. |
Mosst rural townships have plenty
of open space because of state owned land. rural areas need money
to improve aging infrastructure, upgrade equipment and create a positive
land area for industrial growth and tourism where warranted. |
| 23. |
We do not have a real estate tax
and haven't since 1974. We collect the earned income tax, plus realty
transfer and occupation. We don't have zoning (yet) or a local police
force. The combination of a growing community and low operational
costs allows for no real estate tax. Having said that, I feel federal
and state government mandates that require the local level to assume
new and complicated responsibilities are wrong and costly. Local
govt used to be people friendly, but no more thanks to state and
federal levels imposing their agendas and then requiring the local
government to enact and pay for it (UCC, Sewage, Traffic Signals,
Environmental Regulations, Emergency Management, Flood Plains, Land
Use Planning, etc). If they want new policies or regulations, then
adopt and enforce them at the state level and hire the people to
get the job done. According to Brookings, that should be the most
cost effective way of handling any problem because operating everthing
at the state level is the ultimate "regionalization" plan......Just
some thoughts/rants. |
| 24. |
Two key things Harrisburg must
give local government to improve its operations: 1. Tax reform that
allow muncipalities to choose from a wide range of taxing options;
and 2. Completely rewrite the Municipalities Planning Code to transform
it into enabling legislation for local government not the building
industry. |
| 25. |
Transportation improvements take
unreasonably long time to construct (buget concerns & excessive
red tape regulations). Sewer improvements need more governmental
subsidies due to excessive costs to meet enviromental regulations & standards |
| 26. |
The Brokkings |
| 27. |
Property taxes account for a relatively
small part of a township's budget therefore the issue of voter referendums
before increasing the property tax is not as important as the issue
of expanding the EIT as a revenue source for townships. This is the
most fair tax for supporting township programs and should be structured
to allow for replacing the property tax. |
| 28. |
The UCC as it now stands from SB1139
is an improvement over the original bill, but when are you going
to allow individual to be more responsible for their own affairs.
This is an invasive bill that will add a great deal of cost and unnecessary
other additions to building. Borrowing to cover anticipated gambling
revenues is also putting our children and grandchildren in debt.
Don't spend the money until you have it. This is how I run my township
and it has served us very well. |
| 29. |
Change the law that allows the
township to pay in full or co-pay health insurance for the elected
officials and their famlies |
| 30. |
We had our first millage increase
this year since 1992. |