In 2021, the Lehigh Valley was awarded a $21.2 million RAISE grant – one of the few successful grant applications outside of major metros in Pennsylvania. Hear from the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission staff on how they navigated the Federal…
Emergency Test Alert at 2:20 PM Today
Today, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Federal Communications Commission will be executing a nationwide test alert as a part of routine emergency management. Alarms will ring through TVs, radios, and cellphones starting around 2:20pm EDT. This will be…
Record High Mortgage Rates Impacting Property Transfer Revenue
The average interest rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rose to 7.31% this week, signaling a high not seen since the year 2000, according to the latest data by Freddie Mac. That’s an increase from last week’s average of 7.19%. …
Secretary/Manager Summit
The Secretary/Managers Summit being held in Montgomery County is a wonderful opportunity for your to network with colleagues from around the state, share best practices, and learn how other experienced secretaries, managers, and administrators have tackled challenges. The event will include…
SBA Approves Low-Interest Loans for July 9 Disaster
Gov. Josh Shapiro announced yesterday that the U.S. Small Business Administration has granted an administration declaration of a disaster, making low-interest loans available for businesses and homeowners impacted by July flooding in Berks County. Impacted residents in the contiguous counties…
State Collections Below Estimates for September
The Independent Fiscal Office and State Department of Revenue have released the revenue reports for September. The state collected $4.06 billion in General Fund revenues for September, 3.9% below the IFO’s official estimate. Personal income tax quarterly collections were 5.1%…
Townships Urged to Comment on Mandatory Overtime Regulation
The U.S. Department of Labor has issued a notice of proposed rulemaking that would require overtime to be paid to all workers earning less than $1,059 per week or about $55,000 annually. Currently, employees earning less than $684 per week…
Nationwide Test of the Emergency Broadcast System Set for 10/4
The next national test will consist of two portions, testing WEA (wireless emergency alert) and EAS (emergency alert system) capabilities. Both tests are scheduled to begin at approximately 2:20 p.m. ET on Wednesday, October 4. The purpose of the October…
FEMA Denies Shapiro’s Request For Federal Disaster Aid
On September 26, the Federal Emergency Management Agency denied Gov. Shapiro’s request for a Federal Disaster Declaration for the flooding that occurred on July 9, 2023 in Berks County. The July storms caused seven deaths and property damage in Berks,…
Federal Shutdown? What Would it Mean to Townships
The vast majority of Pennsylvania township services are not reliant on federal funds. In general, townships have their own sources of revenue and should be able to continue providing essential services such as law enforcement, emergency response, and waste management if a…
