traditions dating back to
William Penn
The
Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania has a tradition of local government rule that dates back to a
charter from King Charles II of England to William Penn who divided the colony
into counties, boroughs, townships and cities, each with unique
characteristics.
Pennsylvania state law determines
the type of municipality on the basis of population with nine classes of
counties, four classes of cities, and two classes of townships. Boroughs are
not classified. Each municipality class operates under its own laws, determining
its structure and powers.
Home Rule Charters determine the operating
structure of a community. A home rule municipality drafts and amends its own charter
and exercises powers not denied by the Pennsylvania state constitution.
Over 70 Pennsylvania Municipalities have Home
Rule Charters
William
Penn
established Philadelphia, Bucks and Chester Counties in 1682. Lancaster was
established in 1729; the 67th and last county dates back to 1878.
Today, each commonwealth resident lives in and comes under the jurisdiction of
one county with Lycoming County the largest in size and the city-county of
Philadelphia is the smallest geographically but the largest in population.
County Government governing bodies are typically three-member board of county commissioners with many other elected officials independent of the commissioners who form the legislative and executive branches of the county, authorized to administer human services, land use planning and local law enforcement. They also pass ordinances, assess all real and personal property for tax purposes, register voters, and maintain county buildings.
Townships were the First
Political Subdivision in the New World
Townships are the oldest form
of organized government in the United States, dating back to the 17th
century. William Penn began establishing townships in Pennsylvania as early as
1683, with about 10 families to each. The Industrial Revolution brought development
around cities and boroughs that began to annex the developed portions of
adjacent townships without the need for citizen approval. Today, 1,456 second
class townships represent nearly one-half of Pennsylvania’s residents.
Boroughs before the American
Revolution, one borough was established in each of the three original counties.
Since then, the number of boroughs has increased to 961, making them the second
most common form of municipal government in Pennsylvania. A borough mayor has
no power to hire employees or direct programs but can veto decisions of the
borough council. Responsibilities include executing and enforcing borough
ordinances and regulations, representing the borough at community events and
other functions, and taking charge of the police department. The governing body
is an elected council of seven members that serve four-year overlapping terms.
Philadelphia Pittsburgh and Scranton have
Elected Mayor with Broad Powers
Cities Philadelphia,
Chester, Lancaster, Easton and York were the state’s first cities; Altoona and
Reading grew with the railroad industry, while Johnstown, Bethlehem, Clairton,
and Coatesville became steel industry towns. The other 53 remaining cities are
operate mostly under a government commission in which residents elect a mayor
to serve as commission chairman with four other council members, each heading
one commission department.
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