Voters in municipality to consider proposed home rule charter changes

Ballot question mulled in fall

Voters in Bethel Park in November will decide whether to approve proposed changes to the municipality’s Home Rule Charter, which is basically the local constitution.

Two main changes are proposed to the charter.

The first question relates to the effect a citizens’ petition would have on ordinances calling for increases or decreases in taxes, said Bethel Park Councilman Jim McLean.

Currently, to challenge an ordinance, a group of citizens can circulate a petition and, if enough people sign it, the matter will be placed on a ballot. Citizens must garner signatures from at least 20 percent of the voters in the last gubernatorial election.

“The Home Rule Charter currently states that if a valid petition is submitted, the effect is to suspend the entire ordinance — even the part that is not being challenged — until the electorate votes on the challenge,” Mr. McLean said.

Mr. McLean said if a tax ordinance is challenged, it would mean the entire tax ordinance would be suspended — not just the part being challenged. Therefore, there would be no ordinance in place for collecting taxes, even at the previous amount, until a vote occurs.

He added that since a vote by the electorate may not take place until a November election, “a suspension of the entire ordinance could prevent the municipality from operating.”

The proposed change to the charter would make it clear that the petitions challenging an increase or decrease in taxes could still be submitted, but the effect would only to be suspend the part of the ordinance that increases or decreases taxes andnot the entire ordinance.

The second change relates to whether citizens can be given a second chance to submit a petition, if the number of signatures on their petition is not sufficient.

Under the current charter, a committee of five or more people wishing to challenge an ordinance must notify the municipality within 30 days after the ordinance is adopted and then submit a petition with the minimum number of signatures — 20 percent of voters in the last gubernatorial election — within 60 days after that.

Mr. McLean said that as the charter reads now, if the municipality reviews the submitted petition and finds it is insufficient, the committee can go out and try to get more signatures.

“The proposed change to the Home Rule Charter removes the part about being able to get more signatures,” Mr. McLean said. “It would eliminate what has been called the ‘second bite at the apple,’” he said.

He added no other provisions in the charter dealing with the submission of petitions are proposed to be changed at this time and the requirements for a valid petition and the 30-day and 60day deadlines would remain the same.

As for why citizens would not be given that “second bite,” Bethel Park Manager Shawn Arbaugh said, “I think the biggest issue is it can lengthen the process, and the requirements for the petition are pretty clear — signed by qualified electors of Bethel Park equal to 20 percent of those voting within Bethel Park for the office of governor in the last gubernatorial election.”

“If a petition is dealing with a change to the tax rate, any delay could become problematic,”Mr. Arbaugh said.

Two other small changes to the charter are proposed on the ballot. One corrects a typo and the other adds a provision to make the charter gender neutral.

Mr. Arbaugh added the administration will be working on simplified explanations to the ballot questions. He said no formal information sessions on the ballot questions are planned at this time, but the items will be discussed at a public meeting as it gets closerto November.

“If a petition is dealing with a change to the tax rate, any delay could become problematic.” Shawn Arbaugh, manager, Bethel Park