If you want to offer input on Lancaster’s draft home rule charter before it’s finalized, now is the time to act.
The Home Rule Study Commission is offering four opportunities for public comment over the next two weeks: Two in-person information sessions, one virtual information session and a public hearing.
At the information sessions, commission representatives will give a short presentation, followed by a Q&A, said Amy Ruffo, chairwoman of the commission’s public engagement subcommittee.
After that, participants will have the opportunity to break out into small groups and discuss individual home rule topics. Their ideas and comments will be collected for the commission’s consideration.
All three sessions will follow the same format, so people interested in offering input need attend only one.
The public hearing is required under the home rule charter law and is a more formal process. It is an opportunity for members of the public to make comments on the draft, which will be transcribed by a court reporter.
The three in-person events are all scheduled for Polite Council Chambers in City Hall, 120 N. Duke St., Lancaster.
The dates and times for all four events are as follows:
- Information Session: 6 p.m. Monday, July 29.
- Information Session (Virtual): 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 31. via Zoom. To register, click here.
- Information Session: 6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 6.
- Public Hearing: 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 8
Following the hearing and information sessions, the commission will decide whether to make any further revisions to the home rule charter. The final version will then be posted publicly.
Information on the Home Rule Study Commission is available on the commission’s home page. It includes a “resources” section with links to draft charter chapters and other materials.
City voters will vote on whether to adopt the charter in a referendum on Election Day: Tuesday, Nov. 5. In the weeks leading up to it, the commission is planning a robust outreach effort to educate the public on the charter and its provisions.
