City Council should remain at seven members rather than nine, and its members should not be eligible for benefits, Mayor Danene Sorace and a string of city residents advised the Home Rule Study Commission Thursday evening.
“I do not see the value-add to residents of having nine members,” Sorace said. Lancaster would end up having more council members than any of its peer cities, with one representative per 6,400 residents, she said.
As for health benefits, they are a significant cost driver for Lancaster and one of the main reasons home rule is under consideration in the first place. No other part-time city employee is eligible for them, the mayor said, and preserving the option for City Council members would leave the city open to a significant ongoing expense.
Sorace’s testimony led off the public comment portion of the commission’s hearing Thursday. The day before, the commission had released the full version (PDF) of the charter it has been working on since early this year.
Sorace made two other recommendations as the commission considers its final revisions: That it should implement limits of two terms, or eight years, for City Council, the mayor and controller; and that it should not impose residency requirements for city department heads.
It’s healthy to have turnover in elected positions, Sorace said, and eight years are enough. She herself announced last month that she will not seek a third term as mayor.
As for residency requirements, the draft charter’s current wording would oblige department heads to live in Lancaster, but allow City Council to grant exceptions. While that may seem like a reasonable compromise, it adds uncertainty and risks dissuading qualified candidates, the mayor said. People have many valid reasons for choosing where they live, she said, none of which diminish their commitment to public service.
Commission member Darlene Byrd has been the most vocal advocate of residency requirements, contending that when leaders are paid six figures out of residents’ taxes and fees, they should live in the jurisdiction impacted by their decisions.
Overall, Sorace had plenty of positive things to say about the draft charter. The provisions requiring greater transparency, an earlier start to the budget process, capital budget planning and limiting year-on-year revenue growth to 6% are all good things, she said.
Citizens offer input
Of the 13 people who followed Sorace to the podium, nine called for keeping City Council at seven members, echoing Sorace’s view that it would add cost without offering a clear benefit.
Many also spoke against allowing benefits and against increasing members’ salaries from $8,000 to $12,000, as the draft charter proposes.
Kendra Saunders, a former councilwoman, said it “seems somewhat unfair” to make council members the only category of part-timers eligible for benefits, and said the funds could be put to better use elsewhere.
City renter Kathlene Sullivan said giving City Council a 50% raise “makes the commission look out of touch” and could jeopardize voter approval of the charter. That would be a shame, she said, because people all over Lancaster are struggling to pay their rent and living in fear of eviction, and the charter’s fiscal reforms are desperately needed.
The commission’s decision on City Council’s size followed an intense debate on whether to shift to elections by district, an idea that was defeated 4-5. Byrd then proposed expanding council by two, saying it would increase representation. Her motion carried 5-4.
Commission member Tony Dastra has advocated a nine-member council as offering the most flexibility to move to districting in the future. Pennsylvania law allows home rule jurisdictions to shift to district elections by referendum, whereas changing the number of City Council members would require empaneling a government study commission all over again.
Former Berks County resident and Realtor Brad Bentz offered the commission a “word of caution” about Reading’s experience with home rule. Under it, Reading raised its realty transfer tax to 5%, which is the highest in Pennsylvania. That depressed Reading’s housing market, allowing absentee landlords to move in, Bentz contended. Reading is now looking to get rid of home rule, he said.
Other observers offer a different take on Reading’s situation. While realty transfer taxes do increase downpayment costs, low local homeownership rates stem more from factors such as poor credit, limited financial literacy and student loan debt, Realtor Juan Zabala told the Reading Eagle in 2019. Meanwhile, Reading’s City Council voted 5-2 last month against moving forward with home rule, with opponents saying it’s not clear it’s something citizens want.
A couple of speakers Thursday raised other concerns. Lancaster’s former chief planner, Paula Jackson, argued against eliminating the requirement to have a city engineer. It’s essential to have someone in-house who understands Lancaster’s infrastructure in depth and can collaborate with other city staff on a daily basis, she said.
Tom Hassler expressed reservations about the charter’s referendum provisions, which would allow citizens to bypass City Council to enact legislation. “That really bothers me,” he said.
What’s next
The Home Rule Study Commission has two more meetings scheduled this month, on Aug. 15 and Aug. 29. It can choose to make further revisions to the charter in light of the feedback it has received, or to leave the document as-is. Members of the public can continue to offer comment via the commission’s online feedback form, a link to which is available on the commission’s home page.
The commission must vote no later than Aug. 29 to approve the charter to put it on the Nov. 5 ballot for citizen ratification. If citizens approve it, it would take effect next year.
The commission has pledged an intensive public education and outreach process in the runup to Election Day. In her testimony, resident Kate Ahmann urged the commission to do everything possible in that regard: Most people in the city still don’t know about the charter or understand what implementing it would mean, she said.
