Three studies support consolidation

A far-reaching study of taxes, commuting and economics in Pennsylvania supports the idea of radical changes in local government, similar to the revolutionary "home rule charter" being pushed by the Cameron County Board of Commissioners.

Three separate analyses have found that outdated laws governing how boroughs and townships function result in duplication of services and wasted tax dollars. Cities, townships and boroughs must pool their resources to adapt to social changes, say the studies, which were conducted by the Pennsylvania Economy League, Penn State University and the Washington-based Brookings Institution.

The Economy League found a "fundamental mismatch" between today's mobile adult, who often works, shops, lives and recreates in different municipalities, and the system of providing services and levying taxes, which is based almost entirely on where taxpayers live. The organization analyzed municipal revenue over three decades and found the financial well-being of communities is declining.

Brookings Institution found that the state is still struggling with slow population growth, anemic economic development and the loss of high-quality jobs. The Penn State study, focusing only on rural communities, reinforced the conclusions of the two other reports.

All three studies found that the real estate tax is unjust because real estate values do not grow proportionally with costs.