Has any part of Philadelphia ever tried to secede (leave) the city, and join a neighboring county (or form its own)?) (Harrisburg: car insurance, crime)

[selhars]

If so, how long ago was that? And what part of town?

Could it be possible?
I know it's not likely. But what would be the legal political process (locally, with Harrisburg etc)?

[FamousBlueRaincoat]

Northeast Philadelphia in the 1980's toyed with it. Search Liberty County.

[itshim]

Yeah, somewhat.

Lamott, PA has always been Montgomery County which borders Philly on Cheltenham Ave, but it always used the zip code 19126 which was a Philly zip code. So all mail addressed to Lamott had to go through the Philly mail station and whenever a letter was addressed it was to Philadelphia, PA with that zip code, despite the fact that it was technically in the county.

In 1992 they changed it to 19026 because of the mail problems that it caused. And now mail can be addressed to Elkins Park, or as Lamott (both are Mont. Co.) Originally it was proposed to make LaMott officially apart of Philly--but the idea was shot down.

THat's all I got.

[MarketStEl]

Originally Posted by itshim

Yeah, somewhat.

Lamott, PA has always been Montgomery County which borders Philly on Cheltenham Ave, but it always used the zip code 19126 which was a Philly zip code. So all mail addressed to Lamott had to go through the Philly mail station and whenever a letter was addressed it was to Philadelphia, PA with that zip code, despite the fact that it was technically in the county.

In 1992 they changed it to 19026 because of the mail problems that it caused. And now mail can be addressed to Elkins Park, or as Lamott (both are Mont. Co.) Originally it was proposed to make LaMott officially apart of Philly--but the idea was shot down.

THat's all I got.

There were several communities located outside the city limits that had ZIP codes in the Philadelphia SCF (191xx). Rockledge (19116) and part of Bala-Cynwyd (19131) also fell into this category.

The reason all three were moved out of the Philadelphia SCF had nothing to do with mail delivery problems and everything to do with auto insurance premiums - drivers with cars registered to Philadelphia addresses pay higher premiums than those whose cars are parked outside the city because of the higher incidence of both theft of and theft from autos in the city. Largely, it was the residents of those outside-the-city Philadelphia ZIP codes who pushed for the reclassification.

[MarketStEl]

Originally Posted by selhars

If so, how long ago was that? And what part of town?

Could it be possible?
I know it's not likely. But what would be the legal political process (locally, with Harrisburg etc)?

Given that AFAIK, we've never had municipalities combine or shift boundaries via referenda (this state tends to frown on direct democracy), it would probably require an act of the General Assembly to effect the divorce, just as it required one to effect the unification of Philadelphia County's municipalities in 1854.

[NYtoNJtoPA]

I used to think Cornwells Heights for one was a part of Philly until I discovered Andalusia was directly south of it and both showed up on a map within the Bensalem Township limits thus making them not. I know Cornwells Heights and Eddington are currently served by the 19020 post office for Bensalem, not sure about Andalusia though.

[KoNgFooCj]

Philly should annex Delco westward down to but not including Chester. I looked up the pop and area numbers. Philly would have approximately 2 million give or take 50,000.And aproximately 240 square miles.

[selhars]

Uh, no. Philly doesn't need Sharon Hill, Darby, and Marcus Hook.

And if you think the residents of Springfield, Media, Havertown, Newtown Square, Swarthmore, Wallingford, and Broomall,....or even Glenolden, Folcroft, Lester, Essington, Drexel Hill, Morton, Lansdowne are going to vote to join Philly....I think you are uh, the polite way to say it would be -- "off your rocker."

IF anything I think folks in border Philly neighborhoods would vote to leave Philly. I know I would. But would Delco, Montco, or Bucks take these areas? Chestnut Hill, East Mount Airy, The Far Northeast, Wynnefield, Eastwick,.....I know a few people who are just. inside. the. county. by. a. block...who do all their shopping outside the city, most of their socializing outside the city, hardly, ever, EVER go downtown....and would vote -- in a heartbeat -- to join the neighboring county. A block or two over and they'd have NO city wage tax, cheaper car insurance. Just two reasons that I don't think any neighboring county residents would vote to join Philly. They can come into the city any time they want, if they want to, without the taxes, and higher insurance rates (not to mention crime exposure.)

And most of the border areas are higher income than other parts of the city. Heck some of these are were way outside the city's core going back decades. Many -- if not most of these residents moved as far out as possible, but still had to be in the city. Look at all the cops, firefighters, and teachers (and other city employees) who live in those areas.....they had to live in the city.....so they chose areas as close to outside the city as they could get, but still be inside. I'd bet that many of them identify with the neighboring suburb more than the city. The only thing about their life that has to do with Philly is their address and maybe their job.

[soulsurv]

Originally Posted by selhars

Uh, no. Philly doesn't need Sharon Hill, Darby, and Marcus Hook.

And if you think the residents of Springfield, Media, Havertown, Newtown Square, Swarthmore, Wallingford, and Broomall,....or even Glenolden, Folcroft, Lester, Essington, Drexel Hill, Morton, Lansdowne are going to vote to join Philly....I think you are uh, the polite way to say it would be -- "off your rocker."

IF anything I think folks in border Philly neighborhoods would vote to leave Philly. I know I would. But would Delco, Montco, or Bucks take these areas? Chestnut Hill, East Mount Airy, The Far Northeast, Wynnefield, Eastwick,.....I know a few people who are just. inside. the. county. by. a. block...who do all their shopping outside the city, most of their socializing outside the city, hardly, ever, EVER go downtown....and would vote -- in a heartbeat -- to join the neighboring county. A block or two over and they'd have NO city wage tax, cheaper car insurance. Just two reasons that I don't think any neighboring county residents would vote to join Philly. They can come into the city any time they want, if they want to, without the taxes, and higher insurance rates (not to mention crime exposure.)

And most of the border areas are higher income than other parts of the city. Heck some of these are were way outside the city's core going back decades. Many -- if not most of these residents moved as far out as possible, but still had to be in the city. Look at all the cops, firefighters, and teachers (and other city employees) who live in those areas.....they had to live in the city.....so they chose areas as close to outside the city as they could get, but still be inside. I'd bet that many of them identify with the neighboring suburb more than the city. The only thing about their life that has to do with Philly is their address and maybe their job.

ABSOLUTELY! I'm currently in Brookhaven and the mere proximity of being closer to the city pushed my auto insurance UP $700. a year from what it was in Chester County. I was NOT a happy camper!!

[MarketStEl]

Originally Posted by soulsurv

ABSOLUTELY! I'm currently in Brookhaven and the mere proximity of being closer to the city pushed my auto insurance UP $700. a year from what it was in Chester County. I was NOT a happy camper!!

You live in Brookhaven.

Sure the city that caused your auto insurance premium to climb is Philadelphia and not Chester?

Brookhaven shares a border with the latter, but you still have a ways to go to get to the former from it.