Eight councils opt into new association of Perry boroughs

Publication date: 06.26.08

By Bonnie Swinehart

Staff Writer

Eight of the nine boroughs in Perry County have joined to form the Perry County Boroughs Association.

Ann Simonetti, a member of Marysville Borough Council, sprang into action when she learned that boroughs in Cumberland, Franklin and Perry counties, which were represented by the Central Tri-County Boroughs Association, were considering starting their own associations.

“I was worried about what was going to happen, so I sent a letter to all of the boroughs in Perry County to see if there was interest in forming our own association,” said Simonetti, who also is active in the Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs (PSAB). “Eight of them immediately said yes.”

Council members from Bloomfield, Newport, Duncannon, Landisburg, Liverpool, Marysville, Millerstown and New Buffalo have met several times to brainstorm and share items of interest before officially organizing. After looking at some sample bylaws, they drafted a set of their own and sent them to county solicitor William Bunt for review and suggestions.

The bylaws since have been adopted and officers elected. They are Simonetti, president; Pete Clouser, New Bloomfield, vice president; and Tami Halstead, Newport, secretary/treasurer. Each county boroughs association is given a seat at PSAB, which is being filled by Simonetti.

“We are meeting the first Thursday of each month,” said Simonetti. “It’s an open forum and all council members from the eight boroughs and residents are welcome.”

At this point, Blain has opted not to participate.

A topic of great concern which has been discussed at recent meetings is the staggering cost of unfunded mandates imposed on boroughs by the Environmental Protection Agency’s Chesapeake Bay Agreement. EPA’s mandates are being enforced by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).

At the House Republican Policy Committee hearing on March 26, Rep. Mike Fleck recognized the financial burden being placed on local municipalities and its residents.

“The cleanup of the Chesapeake Bay is vital to the environment and the quality of life in central Pennsylvania; however, it shouldn’t come at the expense of local governments and residents living in the watershed,” he said.

“We all have aged infrastructure that needs updated and we all have money problems,” said Simonetti. “Normally when we have an increase in costs, we need to pass those costs onto our users who already are paying lots. How much more can we take from them?”

Rep. Scott Perry is introducing legislation which includes appropriating $750 million over 10 years to help local governments fund needed sewer plant upgrades.

“This legislation helps to remove the burden placed on local governments by this federal unfunded mandate agreed to by DEP,” said Perry at the hearing. “It is unrealistic to require municipalities located within the watershed to overhaul their plants and treatment programs without any type of assistance.”

Other topics discussed at the Perry County Boroughs Association meetings are local police forces; joint grant writing to better chances of receiving a shared municipal services grant; pending legislation, such as switching to a countywide earned income tax collection system; better rates for major medical insurance for borough employees; the Open Records Act which will require boroughs to have a trained records officer beginning Jan. 1, 2009; and the junior council person program to bring a youth perspective to borough projects, such as skateboarding parks, pools, etc.

“One of the wonderful things about these meetings is the networking,” said Simonetti.

At the July meeting, which will be held on the 10th instead of the 3rd, there will be a guest speaker from PSAB who will talk about the Open Records Act.

Simonetti has been involved with Marysville Borough since 1999. “I like helping people, and find the experience very intriguing, It’s amazing how much things are thought out and how slowly projects go.”

Among the organizational benefits the county boroughs association hopes to gain are:

— addressing special and unique issues/interests of rural core communities;

— interacting collectively to garner much needed financial support/resources;

— enhancing intergovernmental cooperation and collaborative partnership between member communities and neighbors;

— becoming the agent to secure monies for its members on projects of a uniform nature;

— promoting the core communities and their revitalization projects;

— establishing a “think tank” so common and unique solutions to problems can be addressed and improve local governance; and

— providing a forum for the discussion of good governmental practices and present “hot issues.”

For more information about the Perry County Boroughs Association, readers may contact Simonetti at 957-3110 or asimonetti@comcast.net.

Ann Simonetti (pictured above), a member of Marysville Borough Council and the Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs, has been instrumental in forming the Perry County Boroughs Association.