INTRODUCTION:
Lower Paxton Township is one of the most populous municipalities in Pennsylvania with a 2000 census count of 44,424 people. Most of Pennsylvania's townships possess much smaller populations - usually less than 10,000 people. Although individual townships may represent comparatively small municipal constituencies, townships as a whole are the most common forms of municipal government in Pennsylvania. The 1,459 townships of the second class represent over half of the 2,569 municipal governments within the state. Serving 35% of the state's population, townships generally encompass rural areas and provide fewer governmental services than other forms of municipal government.
FUNCTIONS OF MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT:
Townships like Lower Paxton are a specific form of local or municipal government defined by an act of the state legislature known as the Second Class Township Code. There are other forms of local government in Pennsylvania, such as cities, boroughs, villages, and home rule municipalities. There even exists one town, the Town of Bloomsburg, within our politically diverse commonwealth. Further, some of these general municipal classifications are further defined within specific operating categories. For example, Pennsylvania possesses townships of both the first and second class and several classifications of cities.
Through their respective operating codes, municipalities are given power to act for the good of society at large. As a municipal government, townships have the ultimate responsibility for public health, safety, and welfare, which may include police and fire protection, emergency medical services, emergency management, highway maintenance and codes enforcement. Townships may also provide other services, such as parks and recreation, water and sewer service, and refuse collection, in the furtherance of their legislated responsibilities.
Municipal government is an important factor in maintaining a suitable quality of life within a community. Townships can promulgate health and safety regulations to protect their citizens and often have a role in enforcing state health and safety regulations. This may be accomplished through the removal of nuisances, control of noxious activities, regulation of building activities, control of development through zoning and subdivision ordinances, animal control, and other similar regulatory activities. Furthermore, municipal government can influence the general appearance and desirability of a community. This may be achieved through sponsorship or encouragement of local cultural or recreational activities, such as libraries, museums, parks, playgrounds, swimming pools, community centers, and senior citizen centers, as well as community based activities.
THE FUNCTIONS OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS:
Three-member boards of supervisors govern Second Class Townships. The term of office of a township supervisor is six years. Responding to demands for additional representation in large townships, the state legislature authorized expansion of boards to five members, upon approval by the voters of the township through referendum. Lower Paxton Township has voted to increase its board to five members. To qualify to serve as a township supervisor an individual must be a registered voter of and maintain residency within the township during the term of office. Of course, these qualifications are germane to most other local, state, and federal elected offices.
The Second Class Township Code places the general supervision of the affairs of the township in the hands of the Board of Supervisors. As such, supervisors are required to assume many of the roles found in separate branches or levels of state and federal governments. Specifically, supervisors serve in legislative, executive, and administrative capacities.
The Board of Supervisors serves as the legislative body of the township, setting policy, enacting ordinances and resolutions, adopting budgets and levying taxes. However, a supervisor's role as a legislator is not confined solely to matters of public policy. As elected officials, supervisors represent the township and its concerns before other municipal governments, the state and federal governments, and private sector entities.
Since there is no separately elected executive in Townships of the Second Class, the Board of Supervisors also performs executive functions, which include preparation of the annual budget, the proclaiming of significant municipal events, hiring employees, and appointing members to various township authorities, boards, and commissions. Certain executive functions, such as representing the township at official functions, are often performed by the chairman of the Board of Supervisors.
Finally, township supervisors play a large role in the administrative activities of municipal governments, overseeing the day-to-day township operations. A limited number of townships in Pennsylvania, including Lower Paxton, have hired a professional township manager to direct general operations on behalf of the Board of Supervisors. In their administrative capacity, supervisors provide for enforcement of local laws, investigate methods of taxation, prepare the annual municipal report, and provide for the purchase of materials and supplies. In addition, a significant portion of the management of a township involves the raising and spending of public monies, which enables the municipality to perform its governmental functions. Supervisors, as administrators, are actively involved in the fiscal management of townships, and are responsible not only for collection of monies earned through taxes, service charges, and grants, but also for seeing that municipal funds are spent in accordance with approved municipal budgets.
Under the broad scope of administration, a township supervisor possesses many other duties. Some examples of these duties are:
The administration of townships and other forms of municipal government have become very complex. As such, most townships delegate some administrative responsibilities to appointed officials. The Second Class Township Code allows the Board of Supervisors to appoint individuals who possess a specific expertise to employed administrative positions. Townships may appoint a Manager, Solicitor, Engineer, Treasurer, and Secretary, although appointment of other specialized professionals is also permitted.
The township code and other state legislation also permits the Board of Supervisors to enlist the capabilities of its citizenry through formation of authorities, boards and commissions. Such bodies allow the governing body to draw upon citizens with particular expertise and to directly involve citizens in their government. Some of the more common authorities, boards, and commissions operating in Second Class Townships are water and sewer authorities, planning commissions, park and recreation boards, zoning hearing boards, shade tree commissions, and boards of health.
SUMMARY:
Local government is becoming more complex every day. Citizens expect effective and efficient services, and federal and state governments are placing ever more responsibility at the local level. The successful operation of a township, borough, town, or city requires the time and effort of many people.
To better explain its complex governmental
functions Lower Paxton Township offers several educational and informational
services. These services range from televised coverage of the meetings
of the Board of Supervisors; distribution of a bi-monthly newsletter to
all residents; periodic publications such as the "Community Report" and,
of course, this web site.