Franklin Park fielding interest on transitioning to a home rule charter community

In November, Franklin Park residents may have the opportunity to vote on whether the borough should form a government study commission to investigate transitioning to a home rule charter community.

Council stressed that the ballot question is only to ask residents whether they want to form a government study commission to investigate whether it’s a value to the borough to pursue a home rule charter status. If the referendum fails, then no more action will be taken.

“Ultimately, it’s up to the voters whether they want this or not,” said Uday Palled, who serves as council president. “This is decided upon, approved and amended by voters.”

Council will officially vote on whether to proceed with placing the question on the ballot for the general election at its July 16 meeting. A presentation about home rule charter status was provided at the June 19 meeting.

In addition to the referendum question, residents will vote for those who successfully petitioned to be on the government study commission, according to the presentation.

If the referendum fails, then the process stops. A referendum on a question for election of a government study commission cannot be held within four years after the question has been defeated, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development.

However, if the majority of residents approve to form a government study commission, those who were voted onto the seven-member board will investigate whether or not a home rule charter makes sense for the borough.

Now through July, informational sessions will be hosted. In August, petitions of interested candidates will be circulated.

In November’s general election, if the referendum to create a commission passes, those commissioners will take an oath of office and begin the process.

The commission must hold its first public meetings within 15 days of being certified after November’s election.

In August 2026, after investigating the pros and cons of a home rule charter, the government study commissioners will present their findings on whether to proceed with home rule or stop the process.

If yes, residents again will have a chance to vote on the recommendations. And if approved again, the commission has nine months remaining to formulate the charter.

A draft of the charter would be presented in March 2027, which would then go to referendum to voters to adopt or not.

If voters pass it, the borough still has to have an ordinance to introduce it.

The state Department of Community and Economic Development defines that “home rule transfers the basic authority to act in municipal affairs from state law to a local charter, drafted, adopted and amended by the municipal voters.”

Council has been looking at this issue for the past two years, said borough Solicitor Robert Yunker.

Council Thomas C. Schwartzmier said this isn’t meant to be a “money grab.”

“It’s meant to preserve what we have today. I’m an NA grad. I’ve had my home in Franklin Park for 47 years. I’m invested in this community. This is just another opportunity to address unfunded mandates. That’s what we foresee,” Schwartzmier said.

Home rule offers flexibility in structure and also opens up other streams of funding opportunities, with the goal of not having to raise taxes. It provides the opportunity of creating a government that best meets the needs of the municipality, according to Palled.

There are limitations to home rule as a new tax or fee can’t be invented. It has to be something existing, Palled said.

With nearly 16,000 residents, much of the borough’s financial woes are due to less growth, aging infrastructure and costly, state-mandated stormwater requirements.

Franklin Park has been operating on a deficit in the past several years of its budget cycles, Palled said.

“Revenue expenses have been exceeding revenue for the last couple of years,” he said.

The community has been borrowing from the reserves, but that is not a viable long-term option. Continuing to do so can affect the borough’s credit rating and borrowing status and create more debt, Palled said.

A chart presented at the meeting showed that, in 2025, there is an approximately $1.25 million deficit.

This has been impacting services, including underpaving in the borough. A chart presented that not quite 3 miles of road paving is planned for 2025, compared to nearly 4.5 in 2023.

“We have been underpaving. We are falling behind,” said Palled, adding road costs also include emergency or other regular maintenance, sometimes having to choose which to address.

Franklin Park residents who want to apply to be on the government study commission can contact the borough. The only eligibility requirement for candidates for the office of study commissioner is that they be registered voters of the municipality.

Other local municipalities under home rule include Bradford Woods, Hampton, McCandless, Pine and Richland.

“We don’t want to do anything that’s going to increase taxes. We don’t want to cut services either,” Mayor Dennis O’Keefe said. “It seems like it will give us additional options in terms of revenue.”

The presentation on home rule can be accessed on Franklin Park’s borough website under the June 19 meeting. For additional details about the charter, visit dced.pa.gov.