North Franklin to consider board size
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North Franklin Township supervisors are considering creating a larger local government.
Supervisors on Wednesday authorized township solicitor Dennis Makel to contact the Washington County elections office for information about preparing a voter referendum to expand the board of supervisors from three to five members.
The suggestion was brought to the table during the public comment period of the meeting agenda by Joe Karnes, a member of the township road crew and planning commission.
Township Manager William Boucher said the deadline had passed to place such a referendum on the ballot for the May primary.
Boucher said the main reason for expanding the board involves avoiding a deadlock in the event a supervisor would resign and the two remaining supervisors couldn’t agree on a replacement.
Expanding the role of government went beyond the board of supervisors Wednesday.
The board voted to authorize the township planning commission to review the operations of the North Franklin Township Recreation and Business Improvement Authority, which collects a tax for improvements in the vicinity of Washington Crown Center and Consol Energy Field.
“I’m putting the monkey on the planning commission,” supervisor Chairman Jim Huff said. Huff said he placed that item on the agenda to “put a third party in there.”