State Representative Thomas Caltagirone proposed legislation that would: the basic unit of local government would be the 67 Counties in Pennsylvania.
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This could include jurisdiction over personnel, law enforcement, land use, health and safety. The legislation, House Bill 2431 also proposes that the legislation determine the relationships between the County and the municipalities within that County.
As an amendment to the constitution, it would require passage by the current session of the Legislature and the next one. State Representatives are elected every two years. After two sessions of the Legislature pass the legislation, it must be submitted to the public for final approval. This is the process of amending the Constitution in Pennsylvania.
The Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors consider the action to be "a slap in the face of every resident of our Commonwealth". In a press release, Executive Director of PSATS, David Sanko commented, "The most onerous measure, House Bill 2431, is nothing short of a slap in the face to our founding fathers. Proposed by Rep. Thomas Caltagirone of Berks County, the bill would make Pennsylvania’s community-based system of governing unconstitutional — unconstitutional! — and replace it with something he says is better: an out-of-sight mega-bureaucracy overseen by the county."
The rationale behind the legislation is effeciency and effectiveness. Many states have a County based system of management. Under this system the basic services now provided by Townships and Boroughs would be provided by the County. There are many issues to sort out under such a proposal, and its passage is a long and tedious process.
Regional cooperation would likely be expanded, which has some good benefits. Local control of issues like Zoning, Planning, Safety and Schools would be changed, fundamentally.
For this to get any real traction, there must be a conversation and the public must understand and be excited enough to push their legislators to act. With jobs, the economy and so many other issues at the fore front of most of the public, it is hard to imagine this will gain ground.
It is an idea worth considering and the dialogue of providing services that are ethical, effecient and effective is worthy.
