By MARCIE SCHELLHAMMER

marcie@bradfordera.com

Do your homework and spread the word about the City of Bradford exploring the possibility of changing to a home rule form of government.

That was the message at a Bradford City Council work session Tuesday, conducted by Terri Cunkle with the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED). She explained an overview of what the form of government is, how it is created and its potential benefits.

‘Home rule transfers the basic authority to act in municipal affairs from state law, to a local charter, drafted, adopted and amended by the municipal voters,’ she said. ‘Home rule is created by the people for the people.’

It’s a months-long process, not an overnight change, and it depends on citizen interest and involvement.

‘There are charters out there that you guys can read,’ she said, referring to other home rule municipalities like St. Marys, New Castle, Lancaster, Allentown, Altoona, Beaver Falls and more.

She recommended a publication by the DCED on home rule that can be downloaded to learn more, at dced.pa.gov/ download / home-rule-papdf.

‘It walks you through the process in layman’s terms,’ she said.

Talking about the benefits of the home rule process, Cunkle said, ‘It’s an opportunity to create a government that better meets the needs of a municipality.’

The process would begin with council putting it on the ballot for a referendum question — should a government study commission be elected to review the existing form of government and consider the advisability of adopting a home rule charter?

And how many members should there be, 7, 9 or 11?

If it fails to pass, it cannot be on the ballot for

another five years. ‘This is an 18-month process,’ she said, adding it’s important to make sure citizens participate.

‘If they choose that seven people should serve on the commission but only five run, it’s done,’ Cunkle said.

Should the referendum pass, the DCED will be there to steer the commission, which has nine months to study the form of government to see if it is currently meeting the needs of the municipality.

Rule… page A-8

Bradford City Council held a work session Tuesday to further explore a potential move to a home rule form of government.

Era file photo “If it passes, there is once again a transition,” she said.

Mayor Tom Riel said, “Eighty-seven municipalities have done it. In many cases it’s about survival.”

He said that since word came out last week about the prospect, people have “jumped all over” potential millage increases, he said. “That’s not it.”

The point is not to have to raise millage rates to cover expenses. Riel said the city’s commission form of government is rare today.

“I don’t see it very often,” Cunkle agreed. “Third Class cities are struggling. People are moving out. You have a lot of real estate that is down in city limits. You don’t have a lot of (area for economic growth).”

Many people work in the city but live elsewhere, leaving high costs for the city to provide services, but few ways to recoup costs.

“The Greenville Borough Council were able to lower their real estate property tax for the people that live there,” she said. The home rule form provides a different taxing structure that can help address modern issues — ones that have come about since the 1965 state tax structure that Third Class cities must use.

“The city of Erie is thinking about putting it on the ballot in November,” she said.

Riel said, “If we were able to put a commuter tax on people who work here, we would be able to bring in $1.4 million.”

Yet that isn’t possible for Third Class cities.

There were questions about the commission, and whether it would replace city council. No. Its purpose would be to study city government, not to run the city.

Another citizen questioned if the townships of Bradford and Foster would be included, merging services with the city.

Riel said, “Nobody’s looking to merge anything. This is just the city of Bradford looking to explore home rule.”

Someone mentioned that St. Marys had consolidated for home rule, and more recently, DuBois consolidated with Sandy Township. Councilman Terry Lopus mentioned there had been discussions in the past about shared services, but never came to fruition.

Another person asked Cunkle to describe the benefits of home rule.

“You are going to create a charter for a more fair taxation,” she said, “that takes the tax burden out of your home and puts it on people that you can’t (tax) now.”

It starts with education.

Cunkle said, “Find out who are your super voters, you start to target them.”

The people who vote in every primary and election are the ones who care the most about how things operate, she stated. Get them involved. “You become transparent. You’ve got to engage the community in the beginning. They have to bring people in to serve on committees.

“It’s engagement from Day One.”