Should Pennsylvania loosen its annexation laws for cities like Pittsburgh and Philadelphia? (West Norriton: neighborhoods, school district)

[gwillyfromphilly]

Should Pennsylvania loosen its annexation laws so that cities like Pittsburgh and Philly could increase their tax revenue base by adding more people to their city population?

[kanling]

what?

What are the laws currently? When was the last time this happened?

I would hope that any annexation would be based on mutual agreement by a supermajority of both the annexer and the annexees.

I would suspect more current Philly and Pitt residents would prefer to be de-annexed to the surroundings than the other way around.

[Blackbeauty212]

Yes Allegheny County and Pittsburgh definitely need this.....There are over 100 different Muncipalities, Townships, and Boroughs within Allegheny County but not part of the City of Pittsburgh...all with separate broke struggling governments...

[pman]

you dont need to be annexed to share services. no municipality is going to vote to join pittsburgh with those outstanding liabilities unless the cost savings outweigh those. the idea is doa anyway.

[Ohiogirl81]

Originally Posted by kanling

I would hope that any annexation would be based on mutual agreement by a supermajority of both the annexer and the annexees.

It would have to be. Aren't all townships and boroughs in Pennsylvania incorporated?

So then those suburban areas that are incorporated would have to have an overwhelming majority approve first the dissolution of the corporation, and the subsequent annexation to the adjacent city.

Which probably ain't happening.

[Blackbeauty212]

Originally Posted by pman

you dont need to be annexed to share services. no municipality is going to vote to join pittsburgh with those outstanding liabilities unless the cost savings outweigh those. the idea is doa anyway.

they may have no choice...Not like the Municipalities are flushed with cash....Many of them are hanging by threads...The City is already providing essential services to neighboring districts...

There's too much government in Allegheny County and not enough tax dollars...Pittsburgh and Allegheny County needs to be one Government

[pman]

Originally Posted by Blackbeauty212

they may have no choice...Not like the Municipalities are flushed with cash....Many of them are hanging by threads...The City is already providing essential services to neighboring districts...

There's too much government in Allegheny County and not enough tax dollars...Pittsburgh and Allegheny County needs to be one Government

then there would be no need to change the laws. the OP would be picking a larger fight than is necessary. there is no need nor desire at the moment for neighboring counties in the Philadelphia area to join the city which is just as broke...but politics there are different, the city and county are already unified (Philadelphia county) even if it's a much smaller county. OTOH, losing your borough isn't exactly necessary to get cost savings since you can contract with the neighboring municipality like pittsburgh for, say, poilce and fire, but keep your school system rather than be part of the pittsburgh district....OTOH, politics in a small town are different where you are voting for cost savings that put the guy down the street out of a job.

[BPP1999]

I don't see any of Philadelphia's suburbs voting themselves to be made part of the city. However, there absolutely should be more local consolidation, such as, in Montgomery County, for example:

East Norriton Twp with West Norriton Twp
Whitpain Twp with Lower Gwynedd Twp
Collegeville Boro with Trappe Boro

This is only a small list of municipalities that could be merged. I only mention these 6 because I know they are each part of the same school district.

The problem is with the vocal minority who spout off all sorts of nonsense about how local government and control is such a good thing.

[pman]

Originally Posted by BPP1999

I don't see any of Philadelphia's suburbs voting themselves to be made part of the city. However, there absolutely should be more local consolidation, such as, in Montgomery County, for example:

East Norriton Twp with West Norriton Twp
Whitpain Twp with Lower Gwynedd Twp
Collegeville Boro with Trappe Boro

This is only a small list of municipalities that could be merged. I only mention these 6 because I know they are each part of the same school district.

The problem is with the vocal minority who spout off all sorts of nonsense about how local government and control is such a good thing.

eh. there are pros and cons to everything. some towns suffer from.township mgmt while others may gain. of course everywhere is the same...the cost of government has outstripped inflation. why is it death now and not 50 years ago? and just looking at philly itd be hard to argue consolidation has served all areas well...of course there are examples of the other extreme as you mentioned

[Blackbeauty212]

Originally Posted by BPP1999

I don't see any of Philadelphia's suburbs voting themselves to be made part of the city. However, there absolutely should be more local consolidation, such as, in Montgomery County, for example:

East Norriton Twp with West Norriton Twp
Whitpain Twp with Lower Gwynedd Twp
Collegeville Boro with Trappe Boro

This is only a small list of municipalities that could be merged. I only mention these 6 because I know they are each part of the same school district.

The problem is with the vocal minority who spout off all sorts of nonsense about how local government and control is such a good thing.

Even that would work for Allegheny County...even if there's not one branch covering the entire city/county...Allegheny County desprately needs some consolidation...but even the City needs to annex some innr-ring suburbs...Some "suburbs" feel just like city neighborhoods more than actual suburbs...