Clearing confusion
Governor's office chimes in on government consolidation issue
BY JAMES MOATE ENDEAVOR NEWS

A member of Gov. Ed Rendell's staff came to Cameron County Monday in an effort to help clear up confusion and controversy over the proposal to dismantle the local government system and replace it with a new one.

During a public meeting of Emporium Borough Council, Howard Brush from the governor's regional office in Erie said he and Lance Simmens, special assistant to the governor, want to work with borough and township officials to devise a new plan that is satisfactory to borough council members and township supervisors.

Six counties in Pennsylvania -- all of them more populous than Cameron -- have already adopted a home rule charter, said Bill Bogart, a small business consultant and member of the Cameron County Area School Board.

Simmens will coordinate a follow-up meeting on Sept. 10, to which township and borough leaders will be invited to explore options in the wake of the home rule charter's rejection by some municipal officials in July. The date coincides with annual township supervisors' meeting at the Emporium VFW.

Among the discussion topics will likely be the option of a citizens' initiative, which is a possible method of placing the home rule issue on the ballot through petition.

Councilman Max Narby was critical of the Cameron County Commissioners' rush to place the consolidated government issue before the voters without sufficiently involving township and borough officials.

"We were being asked to approve a home rule charter we had no input on," Narby said.

Should supporters of a home rule charter choose the initiative option, petitions may be circulated no earlier than Dec. 4 and must be filed by Feb. 22 in order to place the question on the May 2008 primary election ballot.

Narby said he also had concerns about outside organizations taking an interest in the Cameron County home rule issue. "Did somebody have a hidden agenda?" he wondered aloud.

Council Vice President LuAnn Reed suggested to Brush that one way to reduce local government expenses would be changes in state mandates.

Citizens who want to make comments or ask questions about the state's role in assisting with possible changes in the local government may contact Howard Brush at (814) 881-8820 or Lance Simmens at (717) 787-2500.