The Pennsylvania Local Government Commission, a legislative agency, is studying municipal property maintenance code enforcement on behalf of the Statewide Blight Reform Task Force. The Commission is asking township officials to complete a survey that is expected to take about…
Commonwealth Accepting Fire/EMS Grant Applications Until October 20
The Office of the State Fire Commissioner is accepting applications for the Fire and EMS Grant Program until October 20. Written instructions and guidelines for the 2023-2024 program are now available under “Resources” at www.osfc.pa.gov. All fire companies, emergency medical services, and volunteer rescue squads may apply for…
Office of Open Records Training Available on RTKL Basics
The Office of Open Records (OOR) has scheduled a free training series on the Right-to-Know Law. Tomorrow, September 20, the OOR will host a “Basics of the Right-to-Know Law” webinar at 10 a.m. The presentation slides are available here, and…
Looking for Township Wage and Benefit Information? 2023 Results Available!
Wondering how your employees’ wages compare to those townships most like yours? Curious about what types of employee benefits similar townships provide? All of this and more is available as a member service in the 2023 PSATS Salary Survey Plus! This online…
PSATS Executive Director Dave Sanko appears on today’s episode of “Behind the Headlines,” a program from the Susquehanna Valley Center for Public Policy, an independent, non-partisan, non-profit public policy research organization.
Dave discusses PSATS’ top legislative priorities, from ending unfunded mandates and curtailing nonsensical regulations to encouraging municipal cooperation, along with transportation funding and how the state budget impacts townships and local governments. Dave also gets into the need for greater…
Celebrate Healthy Lands Week, September 23 – October 1
Healthy Lands Week is a statewide initiative to raise awareness of stewardship of the commonwealth’s cultural and natural resources through volunteer activities, events, educational and recreational programs, and more. It’s an annual observance that celebrates Pennsylvania’s public lands. Healthy Lands…
PSATS Announces New PSATS Scholarship Program
The PSATS Scholarship is a new program that offers four $1,500 scholarships to high school juniors and seniors in Pennsylvania townships of the second class. The Local Government Achievement scholarship and the Academic Achievement scholarship can be used to fund…
Murderer/Fugitive Captured
Former PSATS staffer and now Deputy Commissioner of the PA State Police George Bivens led the manhunt and successful capture of Danelo Calvalcante after his escape from Chester County prison. He was awaiting transfer to the PA Department of Corrections…
Inflation Continues
The Consumer Price Index rose 0.6% in August after increasing by 0.2% in July, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The amount equates to a 3.7% annual increase that prices rose over the past year, the fastest increase since…
Townships Receive Grants for Planning, Shared Services
The state Department of Community and Economic Development announced nearly $500,000 in Municipal Assistance Program grant awards to support local governments with planning for zoning and updating of comprehensive plans. Delano, Mahanoy, and Ryan Townships for example, will receive funds…
