Concord Township’s Government Study Commission began part two of its mission with a discussion on how the township might be sectioned into wards as part of a home rule charter form of government. Members also discussed the need for more money.
In July, the commission voted to recommend the township operate under a home rule charter and is now tasked with writing the document.
The Aug. 20 meeting was also the first meeting at the new time, 4:30 p.m. instead of the previous 7 p.m. start time. In addition, three members had conflicts and did not attend.
Commission President Jim Gray said the change in start time resulted because members of the Pennsylvania Economy League would start coming to meetings and they have a two-hour drive. Starting earlier is a way to accommodate them.
When asked whether the time change would prevent residents who work normal hours from attending, Commissioner Matt Houtmann said that the meetings would likely end about 6:30 and residents who want to know what happened could show up and be given a recap of the meeting.
When the year began, the commission had an operating budget of $20,000 but, with the commission likely to retain the Economy League for help in drafting the charter, more money is needed. The commission is looking to get an additional $100,000 from the supervisors.
The Economy League contract, if accepted, is for $68,000. There would also be $24,000 needed for the services of commission solicitor Mike Maddren.
A decision on the Economy League’s contract would likely be made at the commission’s Sept. 3 meeting.
Gray said the actual expenditure for the Economy League would likely be less since the league has indicated the township is much further along than other municipalities who call the league for assistance. He also stressed that the request for extra money would be worded to say, “not to exceed” the $100,000 mark.
During discussion on how the township might be structured under a home rule charter, Gray said he is imagining a seven-member governing body with one representative each from four different wards and three at-large representatives.
He explained that such a structure would allow every voter to vote for a majority of representatives. Voters in every ward would vote for their own representative, but also vote for three at-large reps.
Houtmann said he started with the idea of having three wards, but is moving toward four.
All is speculative at this point as there’s been no final decision. One of the challenges is to create wards with equal population sizes.
Commissioners also looked at voting precincts and questioned whether they would still exist if the township were sectioned into wards. Maddren clarified the matter, saying precincts would be for voting purposes, but wards would be for representation. There are currently 10 voting precincts in the township.
Initially, the only resident attending the meeting was Supervisor John Gillespie. That changed about 40 minutes into the session when Dan Levin, a member of Concord First, arrived.
Concord First is the citizens’ group whose petition drive last summer for a ballot question regarding a change fro township of the second class to one of the first class, spurred the township to have its own referendum on creating the Government Study Commission.
The group acquired enough signatures for the question to be on the ballot, but the petition was challenged in court. Concord First was denied, but they appealed to the state Supreme Court, which last month, remanded the case to Common Pleas for reconsideration.
While the commission was reviewing suggestions for a draft of a preliminary report, something not required, according to Maddren, Levin challenged the commission to make the drafts and written suggestions public. Maddren said that was not required, but that a final draft would be made public before commissioners vote on whether or not to approve the report.
Levin also challenged the members for not notifying the state Supreme Court that they wanted to withdraw an amicus brief and a petition to intervene that were filed in their names but without their knowledge and permission.
Gray told Levin that he and other members thought the matter was finished when the brief and petition were denied.
Maddren said the decision to take no action was based on his legal opinion. He said if that decision was wrong, it was his fault.
The commission’s next meeting is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. on Sept. 3.
About Rich Schwartzman
Rich Schwartzman has been reporting on events in the greater Chadds Ford area since September 2001 when he became the founding editor of The Chadds Ford Post. In April 2009 he became managing editor of ChaddsFordLive. He is also an award-winning photographer.
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