Government Study Commission to hold public hearing

Posted by Press Release on May 6, 2015

The Concord Township Government Study Commission will hold a public hearing at the Concord Municipal Complex on Wednesday, May 13, at 7 p.m. The purpose of the hearing will be to accept input from the public as to whether the township should continue its current form of government or either adopt an optional plan or create a home rule charter pursuant to Pennsylvania’s Home Rule Charter and Optional Plans Law.

Since its election, the commissiomn has held regular public meetings the first and third Thursdays of each month to hear from experts with regard to various forms of government. It has also interviewed a number of Concord Township employees and officials to gain an understanding how the township’s government operates.

“I believe we have gained an understanding of the options before us and the current operations of Concord Township” said commission Chairman Jim Gray. “At our meeting on May 7, we will engage in an open discussion of our thoughts as to the future of our township government. This will be the first opportunity for such a discussion among the commission as a whole.”

Gray added that the aforementioned discussion would provide the public with an expression of the current position of commission members ahead of the May 13 public hearing.

The commission has until Aug. 4, nine months after the date of its election, to choose to either allow the township to retain its current form of government or recommend either one of the optional plans provided under the law or a home rule form of government. If it chooses to recommend home rule, the commission has an additional nine months to develop a home rule charter, with an additional two months added to that period if it chooses for its governing body to be elected, in whole or in part, by regions of the township.