Jul 31, 2021 2 min read

The Washington County commissioners have voted to place the question of establishing a government review commission on the November ballot. The 11 members of a nonpartisan review commission will be chosen at the same time. The committee will meet, investigate and study our county commissioner form of government. They will then put together a report and recommendations about our county government, one of which may be to retain its current form.

Most county governments in Pennsylvania are subject to state law and to the first, second or third class county codes adopted by the general assembly in Harrisburg. Home rule counties enjoy the opposite situation, that is, unless expressly forbidden by state law they are governed according to their own unique charter.

Since home rule legislation was adopted in 1972, seven counties have adopted it: Allegheny (2000), Delaware (1976), Erie, Lackawanna and Northampton (1978), and Luzerne (2012). The counties have adopted a wide range of county government structures: one retained the three commissioner form it had prior to adopting the home rule charter, but by adopting home rule, they took control of their future.

The charters of most of the counties are available on the internet. There are also several overviews of home rule in Pennsylvania available. Anyone contemplating running for the review committee, I would think, would avail themselves to this information. In 2001, when a county government review commission approved by the voters recommended no change in the county government, internet availability may have been limited, thus the charters and overviews were not part of the discussion by the commission, as I observed by attending the commission meetings.

Information about getting on the ballot for the review committee is available from the county Board of Elections. Interested in transparent and accountable county government and one that is responsive to citizen concerns? Please consider getting on the ballot.

Martha L. McFadden

Washington