Franklin Park delays question about home rule

Switching to a home rule charter could be a possibility in the future for Franklin Park Borough, But just not yet.

Franklin Park council initially passed an ordinance in July to place a question on November’s general election ballot that would ask its residents to approve a government study commission of seven members to be elected to study the existing form of government, and the pros and cons of a home rule charter.

Council members, though, voiced concern at an Aug. 7 meeting that the process was moving too quickly and residents should be better informed before the question appears on the ballot. Also, voters may already have a lot on their mind in November.

“This is a big election year, and perhaps this is something that could happen in another election time,” said council member Tom Schwartzmier.

The borough went through the process of advertising, enacting, and transmitting the Ordinance 685 to Allegheny County, as required, so it could be placed on the upcoming ballot.

But council had to pass another ordinance on Aug. 21 to officially rescind the ballot question for this November.

Several reasons could support switching to a home rule, but a major one is preparing financially.

A home rule charter would benefit Franklin Park when planning for future expenses, specifically those associated with unavoidable costs associated with aging infrastructure, according to discussion at the Aug. 7 meeting.

Franklin Park is not in any dire financial situation. But those costs are coming down the pipeline, so to speak, according to borough manager Regis J. Ebner Jr.

If development were to slow significantly in the borough, there needs to be some other revenue source because expenses will continue to increase, he said. Stormwater infrastructure in Franklin Park is older and very expensive to replace. Many of the pipes are metal and are clogged or broken, according to Ebner.

High costs projected

On Aug. 7, CEC Engineering provided an informal, basic report showing that with a municipality of Franklin Park’s size, the borough eventually could face an estimated $750,000 per year in addressing stormwater issues until the entire system is updated.

That’s just to fix failing infrastructure, Ebner said, without taking into consideration normal operating expenses or other possible capital projects in the future.

As crews work to fix pipes, they are finding many to be blocked. Newer communities have plastic piping opposed to metal piping.

“We’re going to get to a point where the expenses are going to exceed the revenue,” Ebner said, and Franklin Park is being held responsible for fixing some stormwater issues on certain PennDOT-owned roads as well.

The borough is looking at grant funding and borrowing money, but that’s not a long-term solution, Ebner said.

Home rule may help with preparing for those costs.

Other Pennsylvania municipalities that are in distress situations needed to “go this way to diversity their tax base,” said Robert Max Junker, Franklin Park solicitor, who referenced Bellevue and Mt. Lebanon as switching to home rule in the 1970s as a way to set up their own constitutions to avoid financial problems.

The city of Duquesne is going through the process and posted a related memo that includes some specifics about home rule and a list of municipalities that have the status, including Bradford Woods and McCandless.

Much like the name implies, home rule transfers authority over municipal matters from state laws to a local charter that’s drafted, adopted and amended by voters in the municipality, per the memo.

‘A complicated process’

Franklin Park Mayor Dennis O’Keefe agreed with delaying the ballot question, noting the study work is very involved.

“It’s not like we’re in a total emergency and having to change the way we do government, and it’s a complicated process, obviously,” he said.

Also, government study commission candidates, who are required to be residents of Franklin Park, must have 164 signatures to appear on the ballot.

Council member Laura Czejac said the home rule issue has been on the agenda and discussed openly throughout the past year, but it still needs more communication to the public.

“I don’t think we have messaged it clearly to residents,” she said. “We just want everyone to be as educated as they can be, and I also want to make sure those people … who are running to be on the commission have a full understanding of what is going on, and quality candidates and people who fully understand the task.”

Uday Palled, council president, said he was at Franklin Park’s Festival in the Park in June disseminating information to residents who attended.

Council has the option of hiring a third-party organization, such as the Pennsylvania Economy League, to help coordinate and manage the process for the borough.

“I really want to do this, but really want to do this as a team,” council member Brian Malkin said. “We need to work as a team to get this done, or it’s not going to happen.”

Jiang Li, another member of council, expressed concern about the borough’s financial outlook:

“We really need to take some action, or we are facing some difficulties in the near future.”