Home Rule Meeting
Windsor Township had a meeting tonight on Home Rule. Seeing how I'll be asked to vote on if the township should for a commitee to study and recommend if we should switch to Home Rule, I figured it was a good idea to attend, as I had a number of questions. Inside, you'll find what I've learned.
What is Home Rule? Home Rule is basically forming a new township charter, or constitution, instead of using the existing governance rules set down by the state. Instead of the normal 3 person township supervisor committee, any number of permutations can be decided upon, and the main selling point, allows lots of issues to be placed on the voting ballot as initiatives or referendums.
Why are we voting on Home Rule? Basically, because the township supervisors voted to allow Walmart to Build a Super Center on Capehorn Rd. This is about 4 miles from my house. There are already 3 Walmarts within 20 minutes driving distance from my house, one of which is only about 10 minutes away. An article in the York Daily Record earlier this year outlines a lot of the complaints about Walmart. The article doesn't appear to be on YDR's site anymore, but the google cache is available.
What the Home Rule group wants, is since we can't vote out current supervisors for a few more years, we can change the rules of the game and take a lot of the decision making away from them.
The meeting tonight was conducted by Ken Johnson, a representative from the Governor's Center for Local Government. He gave a very good overview on what Home Rule does and does not allow. Home Rule does not allow law changes that would change or conflict with state laws. Home Rule does not give the Township any say over school board matters. Home Rule does not allow for recall or removal of Elected officials. Home Rule does not govern changes to zoning rules.
So, with all those restrictions, what is it good for? Home Rule's main benefit as opposed to the tradition manner that a type 2 township is governed, is adding more community hearings and formally add petitions as direct method of adding a referendums to the ballot.
The ballot question I'll be voting on in 2 weeks is this: Should the township form a commission to study the possibility of home rule, and submit a recommendation to form a charter in 9 months. If the commission does not recommend the township proceeds with looking at home rule, the issue is dead for the next 4 years. If they decide that the township should proceed, a number of public hearings will result in the drafting of a town charter, eventually a vote on that charter, and a transition period to the new rules.
Will all those changes prevent the Walmart from being built? No. The current supervisors could stop the Walmart development if they wanted. Home Rule won't even get rid of the current supervisors. Even if the new charter eliminates the supervisor's positions, they will still carry out their full term of office. The person from the state that gave the presentation on Home Rule indicated that it's the electorates job to vote for people who they trust to do what is in the community's best interest. Changing to a Home Rule charter won't change that responsibility. That said, a charter with a formalized petition and referendum process would allow a bit of a end-run around whatever elected officials want, assuming you can get the votes.
The lawyer that is working with the Home Rule committee spoke a little at the meeting. He came off as a little rude, but I think that's because he was having a bit of fight with the Township solicitor. He made some very good points and his website has a lot of good public works information.
So, what do I think of Home Rule? I really am not sure at this point. Home Rule allows the possibility of more referendums and petitions, which I think is a good thing. But if we elected competent Supervisors to begin with, there wouldn't really be a need for a Home Rule Charter. Do I think the Walmart can actually be stopped, I sure hope so. I'd rather they build a business park so their would be some more white collar jobs in the area. Most of my neighbors and I commute to Baltimore for decent jobs. I definitely need to research this some more.
Relevant Links:
Jay-
Home Rule in Pennsylvania permits municipalities to write a Charter which is akin to a local constitution. The Charter is subordinate to the Constitution of the state, and otherwise only to laws that apply to ALL municipalities in the state. State agencies seem loathe to explain to citizens just how much self-governing power that makes available to them. Can Home Rule stop sprawl? Can it stop a Wal Mart? That depends on what goes into the Charter, and writing a Charter depends on first electing a Government Study Commission to consider the options. The possibilities are real, but the current government has not explored or implemented them. So, what can a Home Rule Charter do for Windsor Township? The answer is: plenty. Should you vote for the Home Rule Government Study Commission? Yes, if you think the options should be explored and new options placed before the people of the Township.
Comment by Ben Price — 10/28/2005 @ 1:33 pm