Jul. 15, 2020
HARRISBURG – By unanimous votes this week, the House passed two bills sponsored by Rep. Dan Moul (R-Adams) that would make technical changes and clarify provisions in the Borough Code to better assist local governments, and would help distressed municipalities better manage their financial condition.
Moul, chairman of the House Local Government Committee, sponsored
House Bill 2122, which would bring Borough Code provisions for the accumulation, collection and disposal of municipal waste and recyclables, and contracts, rates and charges in line with the Third Class City Code and Second Class Township Code, making the law governing these local government services clear and consistent.
House Bill 2141 would help distressed municipalities in the Act 47 fiscal recovery program to adopt a home rule charter to diversify their revenue structure or pursue professionalism and financial controls to address the causes of financial distress. It would also help the Local Government Commission to study the recovery objectives of municipalities under home rule in Pennsylvania, and permit enforcement of voter adopted taxpayer protection provisions contained in a home rule charter. Tax rates adopted prior to the clarification language in this bill would be grandfathered.
“I am pleased with the unanimous passage of both of these bills in the House,” said Moul. “They would provide some consistency in the implementation of our local laws and would make the home rule process more efficient for distressed municipalities, helping them to adopt a charter more consistent with the goals of the municipality’s financial recovery,” he said.
Both bills now go to the Senate for consideration.
Representative Dan Moul
91st District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Donna Pinkham
717.260.6452
dpinkham@pahousegop.com
RepMoul.com