As many as 5.4 million Pennsylvanians
live in townships, and you’re one of
them. But what do you really know about
the place you call home? Do you know the
names of your township supervisors? Have
you ever been to one of their meetings?
Do you know where the municipal building
is and have you ever visited it?
If you are shaking your head “no,”
you’re not alone. Townships remain a
mystery to some people, despite the fact
that nearly half of the state’s
population has put down roots there.
So what exactly is a township? Well,
here is some valuable information to
help you better understand this form of
local government.
Townships are in a class by
themselves
Before discussing townships, though,
it’s probably best to start with an
overview of Pennsylvania’s entire local
government system, which is divided into
four types of political subdivisions:
cities, counties, boroughs, and, of
course, townships.
Pennsylvania’s founder, William Penn,
established these units of government,
which share the same basic statutory
powers and public service
responsibilities. Under law, the
commonwealth’s political subdivisions
are divided into classes, which are
based strictly on population. Currently,
there are nine classes of counties, four
classes of cities, and two classes of
townships. Boroughs are not classified.
Pennsylvania has 1,456 townships of
the second class, which encompass more
land and have more residents – 5.4
million – than any of the state’s other
political subdivisions.
“Townships are the choice of
Pennsylvanians,” says Richard Hadley,
president of the Pennsylvania State
Association of Township Supervisors and
a supervisor for Cranberry Township in
Butler County. “Why? Because people can
live the American Dream there. The land
is plentiful, the homes affordable, and
the quality of life exceptional.”
An elected board of supervisors,
whose members serve six-year terms and
must live in the township, governs your
community. Although each board has a
chairman, this person has no more power
than the other supervisors.
Townships are the oldest form of
municipal government in the United
States and have a deep-rooted history in
Pennsylvania, with some dating back to
the 1600s. In the early days, township
supervisors primarily oversaw the
maintenance of local roads. And while
this continues to be one of their top
priorities, township supervisors today
have many more responsibilities. Jacks
of all trades, township supervisors in
the 21st century are hands-on local
leaders who must be well-schooled in a
wide range of complex issues, such as
land use management, budgeting,
transportation planning, and
environmental concerns.
Always on call
And because they live and may even work
in the communities they represent,
township super-visors are on call around
the clock. In fact, it’s not unusual for
supervisors to field phone calls from
residents during dinner and to plow
roads into the early hours of the
morning.
Township supervisors hold public
meetings at least once a month, and it
is at these sessions that they discuss
the issues and make the decisions that
have the most impact on you and your
neighbors. Under the law, citizens have
the right to address the board about
matters before it. When deciding on a
course of action, the super-visors will
weigh your concerns along with their
responsibilities under state and federal
laws.
“Township government is the
government closest to the people,”
Hadley says. “Residents can speak up at
a township meeting and have a profound
impact on what happens in their
community. This happens every day in
Pennsylvania because township
supervisors are responsive to the needs
and concerns of their neighbors.”
To help with the administrative side
of running a local government, most
townships have full or part-time
secretaries, secretary-treasurers, or
managers. And depending on their size,
they may also have additional staff,
including road workers, police officers,
zoning and code enforcement officers,
engineers, and park and recreation
professionals, to help with the
township’s day-to-day operations.
Is bigger really better?
Still, despite their popularity with
Pennsylvanians, townships have come
under fire in recent years.
Special-interest groups claim that the
commonwealth has too many local
governments and would be better served
by a centralized system of fewer, bigger
governments.
This, however, goes against the grain
of what the public says it wants.
According to a survey of registered
Pennsylvania voters by the Lincoln
Institute of Public Opinion, 80 percent
of the respondents said that their local
government should not be replaced with a
countywide government; 81 percent said
that merger decisions should be made
locally and should not be required by
the state; and 70 percent said that
their municipality should not merge with
a surrounding one.
“Pennsylvania has so many local
governments because that’s what the
citizens want,” says Lowman Henry,
chairman and CEO of the Lincoln
Institute.
Wendell Cox, a government
consolidation expert who has studied
Pennsylvania, agrees, saying that state
lawmakers should listen to their
constituents and reject proposals that
would force local governments to
consolidate with larger, urban areas.
Why? No one would benefit, especially
taxpayers, Cox says. In fact, the only
thing that forced consolidation would
do, he says, is spread the higher costs
and inefficiencies of the larger
jurisdiction over a larger area.
Cox’s conclusion: “When you
amalgamate, it’s not the best that
emerges; it’s the worst.”
‘A crucial mistake’
Howard Husock of the John F. Kennedy
School of Government at Harvard
University supports Cox’s conclusions.
“In the U.S., the amalgamation idea
is seen as a means to redirect some of
the wealth of current suburban
jurisdictions to our deteriorated
inner-city neighborhoods,” Husock says.
“At the same time, it’s claimed that
bigger cities will be better able to
compete economically, presumably by
recruiting big employers.
“Crucial to this point of view is a
crucial mistake, the mistaken idea that
bigger government can be more efficient
and effective government,” he adds.
“Yet, study after study has shown that
the efficiency gains of bigger
government do not materialize.”
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Pennsylvania voters were asked recently if they would be
willing to pay higher local income taxes in exchange for
reduced property taxes. Across the state, in school district
after school district, the answer was a resounding “no” to
Act 1, also known as the Taxpayer Relief Act.
“No measure like this goes down for a simple reason,”
says Dr. G. Terry Madonna, professor of public affairs for
Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster. “Sure, the
initiative was confusing to some, but many others understood
it all too well.”
For years, Pennsylvanians and politicians have been
clamoring for true property tax reform. However, the results
of the May primary made it clear that many voters want
assurances of lower taxes for the long haul before they
shift the financial burden from homeowners to wage earners.
That means that until something better comes along, the
real estate tax — despite its controversial nature — will
most likely be the primary vehicle for generating revenues
for local governments and school districts statewide. And
this brings up an even bigger issue: Do you really know
where most of your property tax dollars are going?
If you think it’s to your township, read on.
A taxing situation
In Pennsylvania, property taxes help to fund services
provided by school districts, counties, and municipalities,
including the township you live in, and everyone who owns
real estate must pay them.
Your tax bill is based on a combination of your assessed
property value (as determined by the county assessment
office) and the millage rates established by your
township supervisors, county commissioners, and school board
directors. One mill is equal to 1/1,000 of a dollar, which
is one way of saying that you, as a property owner, will pay
$1 for every $1,000 in taxable value of your land and
buildings.
And while it may not be the only tax collected —
Pennsylvania’s tax system includes other levies, such as the
earned income tax, the emergency and municipal services tax,
and the real estate transfer tax — the property tax is
important because it continues to be a leading source of
revenue for our communities and schools.
In fact, the state Department of Community and Economic
Development reports that the real estate tax generated a
total of $9.8 billion in 2000 and accounted for 67 percent
of the taxes collected in the commonwealth. These revenues
have helped to pay for such things as textbooks,
recreational programs, local road and bridge repairs, and
police protection.
All things are not created equal
But there is something else you should know about the
property tax: When it comes down to who gets what, all
things are not created equal. And the reality is,
Pennsylvania’s townships get a much smaller piece of this
funding pie than their county and school district
counterparts.
Under state tax laws, school districts may levy up to 25
mills in taxes and, depending on their classification,
counties can set their rates as high as 30 mills. Meanwhile,
townships are only authorized to impose a maximum of 14
mills in property taxes.
Of course, these rate caps were enacted to protect
homeowners from outrageous tax burdens. Still, very few
taxpayers may be aware of an exemption in the law that
allows school boards to levy unlimited additional
millage to pay salaries, benefits, and debts. Townships and
counties, on the other hand, must go to court for approval
to impose an additional 5 mills in taxes, if necessary.
Given this scenario, it’s not surprising that in 2000,
real estate taxes accounted for 97 percent of county
revenues, 85 percent of school district revenues, and only
31 percent of municipal tax revenues, according to DCED.
However, despite their limited financial resources,
township supervisors continue to face pressure from
residents to improve and expand services, a situation that
has prompted them to get creative with their funding,
instead of increasing taxes.
Townships do more with less
In fact, some townships have gotten so good at managing the
public’s money, they have reduced and even eliminated the
property tax while adding programs to meet residents’ needs,
says R. Keith Hite, executive director of the Pennsylvania
State Association of Township Supervisors, which represents
the common-wealth’s townships of the second class.
“When property taxes are increased, much of the time it’s
to fund education, which relies heavily on these dollars,”
Hite says. “This has created a lot of public unrest and
dissatisfaction with the system. The people of Pennsylvania
want tax reform, but there is something they should also
recognize: Townships are keeping taxes in check, being
responsible, and truly doing more with less.”
Hite says that township officials across the commonwealth
have found inventive ways to solve costly problems without
dipping deeper into their taxpayers’ pockets.
“Whether they’ve rebuilt a bridge on their own, purchased
second-hand equipment, or partnered with a neighboring
community to recycle or build a park, township officials
have done a solid job of squeezing every cent out of their
limited tax revenues,” he says. “And along the way, they’ve
proven that they are frugal stewards of the public’s money.”
In one of the fastest growing townships in Pennsylvania,
officials estimate that 9 cents out of every property tax
dollar goes to the municipality, 17 cents to the county, and
74 cents to the school district.
“Yet, for that 9 cents, this township’s residents are
getting an incredible bargain because they are getting a
wealth of services, including a well-stocked public library,
an expansive park system, around-the-clock police and fire
protection, well-maintained roads and traffic signals,
infrastructure maintenance, and land use management,” Hite
says. “And this township isn’t alone.”
Dick Hadley, a supervisor for Cranberry Township in
Butler County and the State Association’s president, agrees:
“Townships will go to extraordinary lengths to avoid raising
taxes. They will maintain a piece of equipment or a truck
for 20 or 30 years before replacing it. They will find ways
to cut back and still deliver the services required and
demanded by their residents.
“Townships do this because they appreciate the value of a
hard-earned dollar,” he says, “and isn’t that what good
government is all about?”