00:00 - This program has been paid for by the sponsor and does not reflect

00:03 - the views of PCN.

00:10 - Today we're going to explore

00:12 - the role of local government in your daily life,

00:15 - from the white House to the State Capitol to Borough Hall.

00:19 - That's right, Borough Hall.

00:21 - That's where a lot of activity happens

00:23 - in government that you probably don't even know about.

00:25 - But don't worry, you probably aren't alone.

00:33 - Hello?

00:34 - I'm Jenn.

00:36 - While some say local government is the form of government that is close

00:39 - to the people.

00:40 - It's the one form of government people seem to know the least about yet.

00:44 - It's the one that affects your life on a daily basis.

00:47 - If your parents have ever added an addition to your house,

00:49 - they had to get a permit from Borough Hall.

00:52 - Perhaps you or a sibling

00:53 - is on a baseball team and you play at the local ball field.

00:56 - It's likely that ball field is at a municipal park

00:59 - that is maintained and managed by the local government.

01:02 - When there's a foot of snow outside its local government, you rely on

01:06 - to clear the street in front of your house so you can get to school in the spring.

01:10 - It's the local government you rely on to fix the potholes caused by the snow.

01:15 - And you know all that soda or pop that you drink.

01:18 - It's the local government's

01:19 - responsibility to manage programs, to recycle those cans.

01:23 - And it's local governments

01:24 - who deploy fire trucks and police to scenes of accidents and fires.

01:28 - You may even see them at high school football games, helping to direct traffic.

01:33 - These are just a few examples

01:34 - of the many things that local governments are involved with.

01:37 - Now, I'm sure you know more about state and federal government,

01:41 - and that's because you see and hear about them on the news

01:43 - a lot more than you may with your local government.

01:46 - So let's start in Washington, D.C..

02:15 - The federal government is composed of three branches of government

02:18 - that makes laws, carries out the laws, and evaluates laws.

02:22 - The executive branch is comprised of the president,

02:25 - vice president, and cabinet officials who are appointed by the president.

02:29 - The president is also commander in chief of the US Armed Forces.

02:33 - You might be interested to know that if you want to run for president,

02:36 - among other qualifications, a person has to only be 35 years old.

02:40 - The legislative branch is comprised of the US House and US Senate.

02:45 - Each state has two U.S. senators.

02:48 - The number of House members is determined by the state's population.

02:51 - Finally, the judicial branch is made up of the supreme and federal courts.

02:56 - So by now, I'm sure you know who the president of the United States is.

03:01 - How about your congressmen or U.S. senators?

03:17 - Time's up.

03:18 - If you don't know, maybe you can ask a friend.

03:20 - Or look it up on your phone because we're moving on.

03:24 - A state government is the body that leads the entire state.

03:28 - Although no two states have rules that are exactly alike,

03:31 - each state has its own constitution.

03:33 - However, a state constitution cannot conflict with the national constitution.

03:38 - All state governments are headed up by a governor

03:41 - directly elected by people like your mothers and fathers.

03:45 - The governor oversees all aspects of state government.

03:48 - And in Pennsylvania, that's for 12 million people.

03:52 - All states also have legislatures that are elected by the people in Pennsylvania.

03:56 - The House of Representatives has 203 members, and the Senate has 50

04:02 - senators must be at least 25 years old and House members 21.

04:06 - An average district size for a state representative is about 60,000 people.

04:11 - And the average senator represents 250,000 people.

04:16 - So what do members of the legislature do?

04:18 - In general, they are elected to make decisions about public education,

04:23 - collect taxes, run state parks, protect state land and water,

04:28 - maintain state roads, and operate jails.

04:31 - Unlike many other states, these are full time jobs in Pennsylvania.

04:35 - But local government is much different from police services to street repairs.

04:40 - Local government

04:41 - has a wide range of responsibility that can also change from day to day.

04:52 - Understanding local government can be complex.

04:55 - Pennsylvania is even more complex because it has the second

04:58 - most local government units in the country.

05:01 - Only Illinois has more, with more than 8000.

05:04 - There are six types of local governments listed in the Pennsylvania Constitution.

05:09 - County. City.

05:10 - Township.

05:11 - Borough. Town and school district.

05:14 - So let's break this down.

05:16 - All of Pennsylvania is included in one of the state's 67 counties.

05:21 - Most counties are governed by a board of commissioners consisting of three people.

05:26 - Two of these people must be of the majority party, either Republican

05:29 - or Democrat, and the third must be of the minority party.

05:33 - This is determined by who receives the most votes

05:36 - during the election, which is held in November.

05:38 - There are also 500 school districts in Pennsylvania.

05:41 - Some school districts are small and some are much larger.

05:45 - Each school district has its own group of school board directors, who set policies.

05:50 - Then there are 2561 municipal governments

05:54 - of different sizes and structures just in Pennsylvania.

05:58 - There are a total of 56 cities in Pennsylvania, the smallest being Parker

06:03 - in Armstrong County with a population of 840.

06:07 - There is one first class city, Philadelphia,

06:10 - which has more than 1 million residents.

06:13 - Pittsburgh and Scranton are the only second class cities

06:16 - with populations of more than 250,000.

06:20 - There are 50 three third class cities, including Harrisburg and Allentown.

06:24 - Harrisburg also serves as the state capital.

06:27 - Townships are the oldest form of government.

06:30 - Dating all the way back to the 17th century.

06:33 - There are 93 townships of the first class

06:36 - and 1454 townships of the second class.

06:40 - Pennsylvania also has one legally designated

06:43 - town, Bloomsburg, plus villages, which are small communities

06:47 - located within townships which have no governmental structure

06:51 - but the form of government.

06:52 - We are going to focus on Is boroughs.

06:55 - There are 956 boroughs in Pennsylvania,

06:58 - representing 37% of the state's population.

07:02 - Unlike other forms of local government, boroughs are not classified by population.

07:07 - The first borough of record in Pennsylvania was Germantown,

07:10 - which was incorporated in 1684.

07:13 - It is now part of the City of Philadelphia,

07:16 - currently the oldest existing boroughs are Kennett Square in Bucks County,

07:20 - which was incorporated in 1705, and Bristol

07:23 - Borough in Bucks County, incorporated in 1720.

07:26 - I hope you are taking plenty of notes because it's time for a pop quiz.

07:31 - Of course, I'm just kidding.

07:32 - But let's quickly recap.

07:34 - In Pennsylvania, there are 67 counties, 500 school districts,

07:39 - one first class city, two second class cities,

07:43 - 50 three third class cities, 93 townships of the first class,

07:47 - 1454 townships of the second class,

07:51 - 956 boroughs, and one town.

07:55 - These municipalities may also have planning commissions, zoning,

07:59 - hearing boards, parks and recreation boards, and other committees to.

08:09 - So how do

08:10 - people become involved in these parts of local government?

08:13 - Municipal elections are held in odd numbered years.

08:16 - Council members and mayors are elected to four year terms.

08:19 - Only half of the governing body is up for election every two years.

08:23 - Each borough.

08:23 - Aleksa mayor and a council of three, five, seven or more members with many powers.

08:29 - But what council members and mayors

08:30 - do is quite different in Pennsylvania compared to other states.

08:34 - Borough council members establish the budget and tax rates for the borough.

08:39 - If you think about it, it's like your mom and dad establishing a budget at home

08:42 - for paying their bills and setting aside money for vacation.

08:45 - And of course, your allowance.

08:47 - They hold public meetings to conduct business.

08:50 - They cannot hold their meetings in secret or private.

08:53 - They provide municipal services like fixing streets and parks.

08:57 - They manage and pay bills.

08:59 - They hire and fire employees.

09:01 - They delegate duties to the borough employees,

09:03 - and they ensure that records and minutes are kept.

09:07 - Mayors administer the police department, declare emergencies

09:11 - such as tornadoes, floods and blizzards, and mayors vote on business.

09:15 - If and only if there is a tie so they can break the tie.

09:19 - Mayors also can, but are not required to perform marriage ceremonies.

09:24 - There are a few basic qualifications you must meet to serve

09:27 - as a borough council member or mayor.

09:29 - You must be a registered voter.

09:32 - You must be a resident of the borough.

09:34 - Council members must have resided in the borough continuously

09:38 - for at least one year before their election to continue serving.

09:42 - A person must retain residence within the borough to qualify as a voter.

09:47 - A person must be 18 years of age and a resident of the election district.

09:58 - Local officials are

09:59 - governed by the Pennsylvania state borough code.

10:02 - Pennsylvania boroughs have operated under a state code since 1834.

10:07 - In 1851, the General Borough Law, later referred to as the Borough Code,

10:12 - was passed, which defined the duties of the borough officials.

10:16 - Borough officials also must follow a number of other laws,

10:19 - including the open records

10:21 - and Sunshine Laws, which require them to advertise their meetings to the public,

10:25 - so the public knows their meetings aren't being conducted in private.

10:29 - They are also bound by the Ethics Act to help prevent

10:32 - fraud, bribery, theft, or conflict of interest.

10:36 - The Borough Code only requires one position or job

10:39 - that of the borough secretary.

10:41 - That person is responsible for taking minutes at meetings

10:44 - certifying ordinances, which are local laws passed by council

10:48 - and is the keeper of the borough seal and all records.

10:57 - So what do borough

10:59 - officials do in addition to a secretary?

11:02 - Some boroughs also may have a borough manager who has additional tasks,

11:06 - including serving as the treasurer and managing money,

11:09 - and of course, other duties as assigned by council.

11:12 - Typical duties of managers and secretaries may also include

11:15 - answering phone calls from constituents about issues

11:18 - such as potholes and burned out streetlights.

11:21 - Filing all the required reports that the state government requires

11:24 - applying for grants to pay for projects, supervising other employees,

11:29 - preparing the budget, processing bill payments,

11:32 - writing newsletters, or maintaining the borough's website.

11:35 - Administer during the borough's ordinances,

11:37 - such as for loud noise or snow removal, and so much more.

11:41 - Many boroughs also have police chiefs and police officers.

11:45 - Codes, enforcement officers and finance directors,

11:48 - but those positions are not required since every borough is different.

11:52 - Each borough can decide what is best for it.

11:55 - Borough Council members are responsible, directly or indirectly

11:58 - for the operation of all functions of the borough government.

12:02 - One of the primary responsibilities of local governments is to provide

12:06 - public safety.

12:07 - Police protection includes patrol services, crime

12:11 - investigation and traffic control.

12:13 - Do you ever notice police departments patrolling at high school football games?

12:17 - You may also notice them monitoring for speeders inside school zones.

12:21 - Patrol officers stop citizens suspected of illegal activity and investigate

12:26 - or monitor suspicious people, unusual situations or safety hazards.

12:31 - Not every town has a police department.

12:33 - In that case, a town will

12:34 - either work with the state police or a neighboring municipality.

12:38 - In most communities, it is the local fire department

12:41 - that is the first to respond to emergencies, whether they are

12:44 - small day to day type or large disasters.

12:48 - Many councils provide financial support to their local fire departments.

12:53 - One of the

12:53 - primary functions of boroughs is the maintenance of streets and roads.

12:57 - The borough code requires boroughs to keep the roads and bridges and repair broken.

13:02 - Council has the power to maintain

13:04 - sidewalks, curbs, gutters, and water drains within the borough.

13:08 - This means cleaning off

13:09 - storm drains after a flood or repairing cracks in the sidewalk.

13:13 - Recreation. Activities on a local scale

13:15 - are carried out in both large and small municipalities.

13:19 - Playgrounds. Swimming pools. Camps.

13:21 - Stadiums, parks, senior citizens centers

13:24 - and other facilities are provided according to the need in each community,

13:29 - but paying for maintenance and equipment can be costly.

13:33 - Boroughs also assist with libraries and cultural services for their residents.

13:38 - Boroughs often contribute to the funding of a local public library to ensure

13:42 - their citizens have access to resources, including books, magazines, and internet.

13:47 - Building and housing codes dictate the way boroughs

13:50 - exercise their power to regulate, construction and maintain

13:53 - the quality of existing structures so they don't become rundown.

13:57 - Council members enact local laws that become building codes

14:01 - in an attempt to assure the construction of sound structures

14:04 - to protect their occupants from injury resulting from collapse, fires

14:09 - or other problems with new construction.

14:11 - Land use planning and

14:13 - regulation are becoming a higher priority for many boroughs too.

14:17 - Comprehensive plans establish a community's goals

14:20 - and objectives for future growth over the next ten years or more.

14:24 - Zoning divides

14:25 - the community into residential, commercial, industrial, or other uses.

14:29 - Zoning is extremely important.

14:32 - Can you imagine

14:32 - if a mall was built in between homes or in the middle of a neighborhood?

14:37 - Local governments also must budget and levy taxes and it's never been easy.

14:42 - Through the years, costs have risen and so have budgets.

14:45 - Here is what it costs look like in 1935.

14:49 - The average cost of a new house was $3,450.

14:54 - Average wages per year were $1,600.

14:58 - A gallon of gas was $0.10.

15:00 - The cost of a new car $625.

15:04 - Today, the cost of living is adjusted considerably.

15:08 - The average cost of a new house is $188,000.

15:12 - Average wages per year are $48,000.

15:15 - A gallon of gas is $2.35,

15:19 - and the cost of a new car is $33,560.

15:24 - So all of these services that your borough provides might cost

15:27 - hundreds of dollars per year.

15:29 - Every municipality is different, so it might be more or less.

15:33 - But if you think about it,

15:34 - paying for these services could average just a couple of dollars per day.

15:38 - That's the cost of paying for two fast food sandwiches,

15:41 - or two of your favorite songs downloaded on your favorite app.

15:51 - There are many challenges facing local governments.

15:54 - Local governments are being forced to do more with fewer resources.

15:58 - As the population gets older, there is less tax money being paid,

16:01 - so it's harder to pay for things.

16:03 - And there are services that the borough must provide.

16:06 - And then there are things that may want to provide.

16:09 - Infrastructure is a critical part of your daily life.

16:12 - Yet the infrastructure in your town, the roads and bridges are getting older.

16:16 - In fact, the average age of a bridge in Pennsylvania is 50 years old.

16:20 - Borough communities are home to some of these aging bridges and roads.

16:24 - Paying for infrastructure maintenance and repair is costly.

16:28 - In 2013, the legislature voted for a $3.8 billion

16:33 - transportation plan to invest in roads and bridges throughout the state.

16:37 - By now, you've probably seen these dollars at work in your community.

16:41 - On the local level, borough officials are actively seeking out ways

16:44 - to maintain infrastructure through grants and other creative partnerships.

16:49 - Infrastructure is a vital part of a community's economic success.

16:53 - Municipalities are also facing technology changes, which are very expensive.

16:58 - Years ago, business was conducted with typewriters, pen and paper,

17:02 - and landline phones.

17:04 - Today, Burrows maintain websites except bill payments through online credit card

17:08 - processing and maintain borough records through online records management systems.

17:13 - Yet in some parts of the state, broadband access is very limited,

17:17 - so some rural communities only have access to dial up service,

17:21 - which can be slow and with online communication systems in place.

17:25 - Local governments are under tremendous pressure to secure

17:28 - critical data infrastructure and services.

17:32 - Local governments must also meet an array of regulations.

17:35 - Rural communities will also be faced with implementing regulations

17:39 - and associated risks related to the use of drones.

17:42 - Drones can assist police departments with search and rescue operations

17:46 - and can assist governments with property appraisals.

17:49 - Just to name a few examples.

17:51 - One thing for sure is that drones are not a fad.

17:53 - They are the way of the future.

17:56 - Also in the borough's future is the use of GIS to help map communities

18:00 - for zoning purposes or to create an inventory of assets.

18:04 - Some boroughs, even use GIS to map its utility poles and trees.

18:09 - And driverless vehicles will soon be navigating Pennsylvania roadways.

18:13 - All of this is costly and must meet government compliance and regulations.

18:19 - What's perhaps the biggest

18:21 - financial challenge for boroughs is planning for the unknown.

18:24 - There can be unplanned expenses that result from natural disasters

18:28 - like sinkholes, floods and tornadoes that can strike at any time

18:32 - and without warning.

18:33 - Let's face it, as elected and appointed officials in your community,

18:37 - you need to be prepared for a disaster at any time.

18:41 - As the leaders in your borough, your residents will look to you

18:44 - to prevent panic.

18:46 - To implement a plan of communication

18:48 - and to lead a strategy to rebuild if necessary.

18:51 - You may remember Tropical Storm Lee in 2011,

18:55 - which dumped 7 to 15in of rain on much of Pennsylvania.

18:59 - Rivers overflowed their banks.

19:01 - Communities flooded and bridges were washed away.

19:05 - A total of 15 people lost their lives

19:07 - as a result of the flooding, including seven from Pennsylvania.

19:11 - In Pennsylvania, over 16,000

19:14 - homes and businesses received at least minor damage,

19:17 - including over 1000 homes and businesses that were completely destroyed.

19:22 - Officials have the responsibility of creating emergency

19:25 - operation plans to prepare the borough and protect residents.

19:28 - In such instances.

19:30 - What if there is a massive power outage for a week?

19:34 - What do you do with hundreds of displaced homeowners?

19:37 - What if the water system in the borough is contaminated?

19:40 - How many hospitals can your medical facilities hold?

19:43 - What do you do with thousands of visitors who may be in your borough for an event?

19:48 - If a disaster occurs during a winter snowstorm,

19:51 - does the borough have a plan for a salt shortage?

19:54 - And most importantly, is having a plan for rebuilding.

19:57 - If a disaster strikes, getting people back into their homes

20:01 - and getting businesses open is a priority.

20:04 - But what boroughs need to think about now is the future,

20:08 - and that means the public must have a voice in its future.

20:11 - There's often a lack of public engagement.

20:14 - Many boroughs are having a hard time finding people who want to run for office

20:18 - or serve on different committees, and sometimes there are challenges

20:22 - when it comes time to engaging the public on budget decisions or community

20:26 - projects, for example.

20:28 - So boroughs are using various resources to engage citizens.

20:33 - Some boroughs communicate with newsletters

20:35 - to engage and solicit feedback on important borough matters,

20:39 - such as proposed ordinances, construction projects, and street paving projects.

20:44 - In addition to using it as a tool to advertise

20:46 - such things as borough events and street cleaning schedules,

20:50 - many boroughs also use the website as an interactive tool.

20:53 - They include forms such as contact us to allow residents

20:57 - to easily email questions to the manager or council.

21:00 - There can also be a variety of sub options, including how to report

21:04 - a pothole, report a broken streetlight or report an anonymous tip to police.

21:10 - These engagement methods will also help them

21:12 - realize the bigger picture come budget time.

21:15 - There are many reasons local government officials want to engage the public,

21:20 - including to inform them about a service or program,

21:24 - gather information or data, develop solutions to community problems,

21:29 - engage residents in long term planning

21:32 - and notify them of an emergency and contingency plans.

21:36 - But residents have to take a responsibility

21:39 - to try to stay informed regularly.

21:41 - Two borough

21:42 - council meetings are open to the public and allow for a public comment period.

21:53 - So what can you do to get involved?

21:56 - First, when you turn 18, you should register to vote.

21:59 - When people vote, they learn about concerns and issues in their communities,

22:03 - and they vote for the person they think will represent their views

22:06 - and do the best job in Pennsylvania.

22:09 - You can now register to vote online at

22:14 - votes Paycom here.

22:16 - You can also find out where to vote, learn about registration

22:20 - deadlines, and view demos on voting systems.

22:23 - Elected officials represent the people

22:25 - and their goal is to address the needs of the people they represent.

22:29 - But you don't need to wait until you turn 18 to get involved in local government.

22:33 - First, you could consider getting involved in your school

22:36 - student council or student government association.

22:39 - The student council helps share students ideas, interests

22:43 - and concerns with teachers, principals, and school board members.

22:47 - The Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs has also developed

22:51 - a junior councilperson program to engage youth in local government.

22:55 - In that role, you can be active in borough government

22:57 - and have a say in shaping the laws that govern its future.

23:01 - In fact, many council members serving in office

23:03 - began as junior council members in their communities.

23:07 - Whether you live in a city, township or borough,

23:10 - you may want to check with your local government

23:12 - and see if they participate in a similar program

23:14 - or would be interested in creating one.

23:16 - After all, today's youth are tomorrow's leaders.

23:26 - What issues are important to you?

23:29 - The Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs, PA Borough Council's

23:33 - Association and Cross Street Institute can provide resources to help engage

23:37 - you in these issues.

23:38 - Visit Borough Sorg.

23:41 - There are many resources available to help you learn more.

23:45 - You can even watch a webinar on your phone if you want.

23:48 - Mayors, council members, managers and secretaries attend training often.

23:52 - Training is important because local government regulations

23:56 - are constantly changing.

23:57 - It's also a good opportunity for them to learn

23:59 - more about upcoming issues they will need to tackle, like drones.

24:03 - They know that the power of learning is their best resource.

24:08 - Have you ever pictured yourself as a local government leader?

24:12 - Think about it in a few years.

24:14 - You could be a council member or mayor in your borough.

24:18 - Now that you understand the role of local government,

24:21 - you can play a vital role in your community.

24:24 - Will you be a part of its future?

25:03 - This program has been paid

25:04 - for by the sponsor and does not reflect the views of PCN.