On Thursday evening. President Joe Biden signed another stopgap measure into law that extends federal Fiscal Year 2023 funding levels from November 18 to January 19, 2024 for some federal agencies and programs and to February 2, 2024 for most…
Reminder: Presentation Available on Local Share Account Grant Application Process
The state Department of Community and Economic Development is accepting applications for Local Share Account Grants until November 30. Townships, municipal authorities, and councils of governments are eligible to apply. DCED has a presentation available to help applicants walk through the applications,…
Question of the Week Correction
During yesterday’s video on taxes, the audio should have stated that the earned income tax must be shared with the school district, not the county, if the school district also levies the tax. We apologize for the misstatement and will…
Township Resolution Barring Display of “Thin Blue Line” American Flag on Township Property Struck Down
A federal judge ruled this week in Pennsylvania State Lodge Fraternal Order of Police v. Twp. of Springfield, 2023 WL 7547494 (E.D.Pa. Nov. 13, 2023), that a resolution by a township of the first class prohibiting the display of the…
Report Compares PA Transportation Funding, Spending with Peer States
A new report by the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee compares Pennsylvania’s transportation funding and expenditures to several peer states. The report found that while Pennsylvania spends more for state-administered highways than peer states, Pennsylvania has more total lane miles…
Inflation Rate Slows
The Consumer Price Index was unchanged in October after a .4 increase in September, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Over the last 12 months, the-all items index increased 3.2% before seasonal adjustment. That is half of the…
Commonwealth Court: Local Agencies Prohibited from Adding Non-Emergency/Non-De Minimis Items to Agendas During Meetings
Last week, in Coleman v. Parkland School District, ___ A.3d ___, 2023 WL 7171857 (Pa.Cmwlth. Nov. 8, 2023), a divided panel with a 2-1 vote of the nine-member Commonwealth Court ruled that local agencies may not add non-emergency and non-de minimis items to…
Reminder: PSATS Service Recognition Certificates Available, Request by 11/21
As 2023 draws to a close, we know that many townships have supervisors who are retiring or departing effective December 31, 2023, and that you may want to recognize them for their years of service to the township and your…
Apply to the 2024 Citizen Communication Contest!
PSATS’ 2024 Citizen Communication Contest recognizes townships efforts to communicate with residents in seven categories: • Printed Newsletters (population under 5,000 and population 5,001 and over) • Electronic Newsletters • Most Improved Newsletter • Other Publications • Multimedia Communications •…
Reminder: Applications for Stream and Watershed Enhancement Grants Due 11/30
The Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC) has a new Stream & Watershed Enhancement Grant program aimed at environmental and water resources projects that improve, restore, or protect the Susquehanna River Basin’s waterways. Townships are eligible to apply through November 30, 2023. Funds may be…
