|
Before I got involved in local government some 25 years ago, I had a very distorted view of what can and can’t be done by local government. (Legally, at least!) In Radnor Township, there are two separately elected bodies, Township Commissioners and the School Board. Many folks do not understand that these are distinct entities with individual rules and responsibilities. I am primarily interested in the Board of Commissioners and think that you may be interested to learn more about them as well. Radnor Township is governed by seven elected Commissioners and is run in accordance with our, Home Rule Charter, the Township Code and most importantly, the Pennsylvania Municipalities’ laws. The Township can only serve, or punish, within the confines of these rules. Many times you will hear people say, “Can’t the Township do something about that?” and often, the answer is no. The township can operate a police force, plow your streets, pick up your trash and regulate zoning and such. Over-riding all of this is our legal system which favors landowners over the community values and the necessity of due process. By our laws, all decisions and the related deliberations are supposed to be made in the “sunshine.” There are some limited exceptions to this rule; personnel and real estate negotiations, for example. There is obviously a degree of flexibility in the implementation of these laws; however, problems can arise. This can manifest itself in the form of special deals, favoring one party over another, twisting the rules or selective enforcement. This has happened in the past. For this reason, I am involved. I am no Don Quixote, but none-the-less proper government is ultimately the best solution for all of us. This is the key to keeping Radnor a great place to live, now and in the future.
In the last two years we have made great progress in addressing the significant issues facing Radnor Township, however we are not out of the woods on these items. These issues affect your taxes and the quality of life. Amongst these are:
Fiscal recovery / Taxes / Expenses
Unfunded post employment benefits (OPEB)
Implementation and updating of the Comprehensive Land Use Plan
Out of date Zoning and Planning Codes
Full utilization of Township Building
Acquisition and Preservation of Open Space
If these issues are not dealt with properly we can end up with higher taxes for “services” that do not serve our Ward, continuance of the erosion of the quality of our neighborhood, infill housing, monsterization (construction of houses that are out of character for the neighborhood and too large for the lots), disappearing open space and viewscapes, increased problems with stream flooding and traffic, traffic, traffic.
|
