Bills meant to streamline government, save Pennsylvania taxpayers money clear House committee
(The Center Square) – The Pennsylvania House Local Government Committee has advanced several bills designed to cut costs for taxpayers and streamline local government operations.
Committee Chair Rep. Jerry Knowles, R-Berks, announced the approval of four bills Wednesday to reduce the cost and burden associated with state laws regarding public notices, electronic document transfers and township and prison management.
“These bills are about enabling taxpayers to keep more of the money they earn by empowering local governments to operate without unnecessary burdens,” Knowles said.
House Bill 2148 aims to protect local governments and school districts from costs associated with a newspaper’s failure to publish legal notices. Current law requires governments and schools to publish legal notices before taking action on certain proposals, such as loan approvals and land transfers. When a newspaper fails to publish the notice, the delay can become costly for taxpayers. HB 2148 would allow governments and school districts to post the legal notices on their websites if a newspaper fails to publish the notice.
The change is spawned from an incident in Lancaster County that left county officials unable to move forward with a proposal after a local newspaper was hacked and failed to print a notice, Knowles said.
“This bill would enable local governments and school boards to take advantage of a backup plan in an effort to protect taxpayers against unnecessary costs,” he said.
House Bill 1592 clarifies that large documents such as local comprehensive plans and land-use ordinances can be transferred electronically to local governments. State law is silent on electronic transfers, and allowing them removes ambiguity for local officials, which will save money on the cost and time to print out the documents.
“This bill would save taxpayers money by enabling local governments to become more efficient by taking advantage of modern technology,” Knowles said.
House Bill 2143 allows Lancaster County to maintain its county prison board despite a transition to a different county classification after the 2020 census.
“This bill would save taxpayers money by enabling the current county prison board in Lancaster County to continue instead of requiring a costly reorganization,” Knowles said. “This is a case where we can help a county save taxpayers money by removing a potential bureaucratic burden from its shoulders.”
A fourth bill, Senate Bill 673, allows townships to partner with corporations to manage township affairs. State law currently only allows townships to hire individuals to serve as township manager.
“Local governments are continuously changing, and that applies to the position of township managers as well,” Knowles said. “Township managers used to exclusively be one individual who was known and recognized in the community. We are now seeing townships use more innovative approaches to filling this position in a way that can better serve residents and taxpayers. This bill would enable townships in Pennsylvania to take advantage of these new, innovative arrangements.”
All four bills passed out of the committee unanimously, with the exception of HB 2148, which received one vote in opposition from Rep. Bob Brooks, R-Murrysville.
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