ACBA Vice-President's Report: PSAB Annual Conference Update

The PSAB Annual Conference was held April 25-29 at the Lancaster Marriott.  I attended the Board of Directors meeting on the 25^th.  In that meeting, we discussed replacing the sign outside of the PSAB office in Harrisburg, which incorrectly reads Pennsylvania Boroughs Association.  A cost-effective solution was agreed upon, and WJ Strickler of New Oxford had provided the quotes.  It was suggested that we get other quotes, but I successfully lobbied in favor of Strickler handling the changes, as they had built the original sign and were familiar with the delicate materials involved.  After which, a vote was held and I was selected to serve on the PSAB Executive Committee as the Eastern Region At-Large representative of 35 counties, and serving all 916 member boroughs throughout the state, and will also serve on the PSAB Finance Committee.  It was also officially announced that my appointment to the Governor’s Rural Development Council was approved by Gov. Wolf.  In this capacity, I will work with all relevant representatives from several state departments to improve economic and agricultural opportunities for counties like ours across Pennsylvania.

During the Resolution & Policy Committee meeting, we reviewed the submitted legislation and recommendations of the Steering Committee, and those meeting approval went before the General Assembly for consideration and adoption.  There were 23 new resolutions in all.  2015-1 supported amendment to Act 164 of 2014 to exempt municipal employees from tax collector certification and continuing education requirements.  The motion was to oppose adoption, as it was determined that these requirements, which are funded by the individuals and not the municipalities, are essential considering the nature of the position.  2015-2 supported enabling legislation allowing active volunteer fire fighters to receive a tax credit equal to their Local Earned Income tax, which would help offset the financial costs of equipment and other costs paid by the individual associated with their service.  I argued in favor of this legislation after a motion was made to decline support, stating the number of volunteers across the state has dramatically decreased due to financial constraints.  The amount of taxes necessary for these credits would be a minimal loss to the municipalities and would promote increased participation of this vital infrastructure.  The motion to decline support passed; I was the only dissenter. I also expressed support towards 2015-12, legislation requiring municipalities with populations of 4000 or more to pay for PSP service or provide their own force.  With more and more municipalities, such as Red Lion, with greater population densities opting to ease budget concerns by relying on PSP service, we are creating a situation where increased PSP budgets will eventually increase state taxes to provide these services.  I believe we should keep those funds local by keeping our police services in these more urban areas under local control with local and regional police efforts.  The committee agreed and passed this resolution.  The discussion on our own ACBA 2014-2: Industrial Hemp Cultivation involved much debate, as two individuals opposed to the measure tried to make a motion to decline support just as I was making my motion to adopt.  After I gave a lengthy and informative presentation, the committee determined that my motion was entered first, and the resolution was accepted, with only the two original dissenters opposing.  Our resolution passed the General Assembly as well, with only the two original dissenters opposing that vote.

I was also asked to preside over the information session with Senators Daylin Leach and Mike Folmer discussing Medicinal Cannabis (Senate Bill 3).  There was a lot of great discussion, questions and commentary from individuals about their personal experiences.  At the General Assembly, a member of the R&P Steering Committee called upon the PSAB to allow me to draft a resolution in support of SB3, which has passed the Senate 40-7, but is currently being derailed by Rep. Matt Baker who chairs the House Health Committee and refuses to bring it to a vote.  There is significant support in the committee and House to pass the bill, and Gov. Wolf has pledged support to sign if it reaches his desk.  This bipartisan legislation would bring much needed reform to our state laws and allow patients and doctors to decide the best treatment options available for their ailments.  The US Congress, with Rep. Scott Perry in the lead, has promoted legislation preventing the federal authorities from interfering with state law implementation of medicinal cannabis programs.  No one person should have the power to derail the efforts of the majority of lawmakers and citizens, and there is a call to reform the rules of committees in the state Congress to take this power away from the committee chairs. I will be an active advocate for this necessary reform.

I have also been asked to consider running for 2^nd Vice-President of the PSAB at next year’s Annual Conference, as the candidates will be chosen from the Eastern Region.  I am very proud to serve Adams County in these capacities and will continue to safeguard the interests of The People I have been sent to represent.  Thank you for the opportunity.

David Bolton

McSherrystown Borough Councilor and Citizen

Bolton Explores Run for Commissioner

David "Scotty" Bolton, a second term Councilor in McSherrystown Borough, has announced he is eyeing a run for Adams County Commissioner this Spring.

The councilman has assembled an exploratory committee to determine what resources and support are available should he decide to enter the race this coming year. "We have spoken to people across the county this past year who have been very encouraging about a possible run", said Bolton, "and right now we are putting together a game plan to garner support and define the logistics of what a campaign might entail."

Councilor Bolton was first elected via a write-in campaign in 2011 for a two-year term made available due to a vacancy on the seven-member Borough Council. He won re-election in 2013 to a four-year term, with four people vying for three positions.

"Scotty" has been very active in his civil duties since taking his seat three years ago. He has served on the Hanover Regional Economic Development Committee as McSherrystown's municipal delegate since its inception his first year on Council. He was the Sewer Committee Chair his first two years, overseeing the commencement of the Borough's Sewer Upgrades, until he was reassigned last year as the chair of the Civil Service Committee. 

Attending Adams County Boroughs Association (ACBA) meetings since his first month on the job, Bolton was asked to run for and won the seat of Vice-President of the organization in his second year, which he has maintained since. He was also asked to form and chair the new Legislative Committee for the ACBA, which has produced four pieces of legislation over three years, three of which have been adopted by the Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs (PSAB) as objectives in their Municipal Policy Statements. The fourth, the ACBA Resolution 2014-2: Industrial Hemp Cultivation, is quickly gaining groundswell support by municipalities in the county and across the state, and will lend support to a forthcoming PA Senate Bill to legalize the industry in Pennsylvania.  

Bolton also serves as one of three ACBA voting representatives to the Adams County Transportation Planning Organization and has served as McSherrystown's and Adams County's voting delegate to the PSAB General Assembly. He is also a member of the PSAB Board of Directors, serves on their Resolutions and Policy Committee, and is the Region 5 (of six) representative on the organization's Nominating Committee.

In addition to his service, Councilor Bolton has also taken every opportunity to expand his knowledge and understanding of the political process, having attended many courses and seminars in Municipal Procedures, Leadership and Municipal Law offered by the PSAB.

"He has been schooled, trained and proven in successful business management most of his adult life. He has a passion for public service. He has had a lot of opportunities to serve on many levels in public and we believe that his unique and diverse skill set is directly translatable to the successful performance of the duties of a County Commissioner", an anonymous member of his exploratory committee stated. Bolton's current vocation is with RMC, Inc. as a General Manager in one of their 13 locations.

"I have enjoyed working with all three of our current Commissioners at one point or another over the past few years. I believe in the democratic process and I believe that voters should always have a choice of candidates. It bothers me that all too often candidates run unopposed. I believe our voting system serves not only to select our elected officials, but also to open up dialogue between the candidates collectively and the voters as to the expectations and direction of our future.", Bolton added, "I am very grateful and honored to serve in the capacities I have, and am equal to the task of serving as a County Commissioner if given the opportunity by The People of Adams County."

Bolton and his committee hope to make a public announcement sometime prior to the start of the petitioning process, which begins in February of this year.  Adams County will elect three County Commissioners in November to serve four-year terms, beginning in 2016.  Current Commissioners Randy Phiel, Jim Martin and Marty Qually, all serving their first terms, have already announced they will all seek re-election.

Borough Council Meeting Prep Session--Blog Format

Welcome back. As I sit here preparing for the meeting tonight, I thought I would let you in on that process to see what all goes on "behind the scenes". I have three matters to bring before the Council tonight. Under old business, I will be asking what progress is being made to the Borough's Municipal Website. It was discussed in previous meetings last year that the website hosting the 250th Celebration, which ended last August, would be donated and converted over to the Borough website, and plans were established to build content on this site. As of this time, this project is still not complete. I will be asking how I can personally assist in making this happen for The People of our community.  The second matter involves documents from the McSherrystown Moose pertaining to their funding pledge to our "K9 Trust Fund".

The 3rd matter is just an idea that I had to help stimulate the local economy in the immediate future. 

I held a Yard Sale event this past weekend, just for one day, to experience the process first-hand, but also to get rid of some clutter and create some personal revenue! During that process, I pondered a thought to increase local revenues as well. What I developed, I titled "McSherrystown SALES":

McSherrystown Stay of Application for Local Economy Stimulus (McSherrystown SALES) 

Every member of this Council is aware of the dire situation in which our economy is in, not only on a National level but here in our Borough as well. There are fewer jobs to be had, and those available are sometimes not providing enough to sustain a family’s budget. More and more, we see an increase in the participation of such programs as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and other governmental programs designated to lend aid to those who cannot provide for themselves. These programs are designed to help our citizens while they put forth efforts to better their situations and hopefully, eventually, find work that will sustain their families. 

Unfortunately, many of these families do not find adequate employment, and are stuck in the vicious cycle of relying on the government to procure funds for their basic needs. In these instances, there is no way for them to find a path towards independent financial sustainability. It is the true function of government to create an environment in which the individual may utilize their entrepreneurial savvy to better their financial situation and increase their wealth, but not to provide that wealth directly. The Market, which is touted to be Free in this country, is the only viable arena in which an individual may hope to secure a profitable niche amongst his neighbors, and in doing so, obtain the necessary independence to accumulate personal revenues with which to provide for themselves and their families. 

 It is in the spirit of this function of economics that I propose this Council adopt and enact the McSherrystown Stay of Application for  Local Economy Stimulus Under this proposal, the residents of McSherrystown Borough will be exempt from the conditions for sales listed in Chapter 215, Article XVII, Section 113 of the McSherrystown Borough Code during the specified time frame, waiving the current application process and fee associated with the procurement of a Garage/Yard Sale Permit during the month of June. Furthermore, during said time period, there will be no restrictions on the number of days during which a citizen of the Borough may hold a sale at their residence. This proposal will not negate the established regulations associated with the hosting of such an event, and anyone holding a sale will still be expected to abide by those regulations of conduct as denoted in Chapter 215, Article XVII, Section 116 of the McSherrystown Borough Code, and as outlined in the Garage/Yard Sale Information publication; specifically Numbers 5, 7 and 8 of said document. In addition, any sale held during this time frame will be exempt from the 2 sale limit described in the above documents. 

 Not only will this proposal directly aid our citizens in procuring additional funds with which to use towards their pursuits of life, liberty and happiness, but it will furthermore attract those from outside our Borough, bringing in additional traffic and revenues to our local businesses. In turn, the increase in local sales will generate more revenue for the Borough in the form of local sales taxes generated from the increase in business activity. 

 A government FOR The People, which has the ability to create the environment in which our citizens may motivate themselves and better their standing through their own individual efforts, should consider nothing less than that for which this proposal stands. I implore this Council to adopt this proposal to stimulate our local economy and to promote the financial well-being of our citizens. 

David W.S. Bolton 

McSherrystown Borough Council member and Citizen 

Presented this 28th day of May, 2014

I hope that you will attend the meeting in support of my efforts to serve YOU, but if you cannot attend, please let your voice be heard concerning these matters, and let us know if you support these efforts by emailing us at mcstown@comcast.net or call 717-637-1838.  As always, you can contact me directly via the numerous communication channels available to us in this day and age (Phone, email, Facebook, Twitter, or just knock on my door if I'm home). Thank you once again for allowing me to serve you.  DB.

Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs Annual Conference--Initial Report

Thank you for tuning in to my current blog entry. I would like to submit for your perusal a brief listing of highlights from the PSAB Annual Conference. As this was a five day event for me, you can imagine that there are MANY words I could share on the many subjects covered. At this time, I will simply outline my involvements, and hope to expand on the subjects in later entries.

Saturday, April 5, 2014:  Arrive in State College around 12:15pm.

--Board of Director's Photo Shoot.
--Board of Director's Meeting - Annual Report.
--Board of Director's Dinner - Tara and I were invited to sit at the Officer's Table with PSAB President Kathy DePuy, 1st Vice-President Edward Child, 2nd Vice-President Jack Lawver and Linda Book, 2013 PSAB Service Award winner.

Sunday, April 6, 2014:

--Resolution and Policy Committee Meeting - PSAB Resolution 2014-2 (aka Municipal Radar Resolution, submitted by Adams County Boroughs Association's Legislative Committee). I presented copies of the resolution signed by 8 of 13 Adams County borough councils and one letter of support. Measure passed unanimously.
--Opening General Session - Met Dr. G. Terry Madonna from Franklin and Marshall College.

Monday, April 7, 2014:

--State Agency Briefing - Reports from executives from the Department of Community and Economic Development, Department of Environmental Protection, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, PennDot, Department of General Services and CoStars. New funding opportunities available this coming budget year which may benefit our area.
--PSAB Business Meeting - Opening Business
--Association of Mayors of the Boroughs of PA meeting (by invitation) - "Eliminating Gun Violence from Illegal Weapons".
--Roundtable Discussion - State legislation and its effects on Boroughs, the benefits of education for staff and elected officials, the hurdles of police mergers, Fire Department budget shortfalls and solutions, use of internet and social media to keep The People informed.
--Mock Police Contract Arbitration - common impasse causes and mutually equitable solutions.

Tuesday, April 8, 2014:

--I was joined by Dave Wheeler, Littlestown Councilor and PSAB alternate delegate.
--Educational Sessions - Duties and Responsibilities of Council, Preparing for Borough Meetings, Effective meetings using Parliamentary Procedure.
--PSAB Legislative Meeting - Municipal Radar Resolution (PSAB 2014-2) is best served by HB1272, Senate bill being authored and sponsor identified and committed.
--H.A. Thomson seminars (Certified Boroughs Official's credit seminars)
     --PA Worker's Compensation Coverages for Volunteer Fire Companies.
     --Municipal Liability (Protecting your Municipality from Lawsuits).
--Awards Luncheon - surprise guest speaker Penn State Football Coach James Franklin
     --McSherrystown's Fred Walters awarded the 2014 PSAB President's Award for 40 years of service.

Wednesday, April 9, 2014:

--Closing Session
     --Sunshine Act: Adherence and Case Law presentation.
     --Votes on Resolutions by General Assembly - PSAB 2014-2 (Municipal Radar Resolution), Unanimous
     --Next meeting - October 17-19, 2014 in Gettysburg, PA.

I met a lot of very dedicated elected officials who come from many different walks of life, but share the common bond in a love of service to their fellow man. There is so much I learned from this experience, and I hope to share much more in detail in the near future. I want to thank The People of McSherrystown and the Borough Council for allowing me to represent them as the Voting Delegate in the General Assembly, as well as The People of Adams County and the Adams County Boroughs Association for allowing me to represent them as the Voting Delegate to the Conference. I will be sure to use the information presented at these functions to fulfill my duty of service to you all.  Please check back often, reread some of my previous entries, contact me with any questions or concerns, but most of all, please accept my sincere gratitude for the opportunity to represent you.

David "Scotty" Bolton

McSherrystown Borough Councilor and Citizen
councilmanbolton@gmail.com

An Open Letter Addressing the 2014 McSherrystown Borough Budget, Tax and Sewer Rate Increases

"Steamroller Policy" enacted by "The Few"

The votes concerning the Tax and Sewer Rate Increases, and the passing of the 2014 Budget which contained revenues from both, were not unanimous, with Council member David Bolton opposing the tax increase, opposing the sewer rate increases as presented, and also opposing the overall budget, as it included funds from both of the previously mentioned items. 

It is also noteworthy that the replacement costs of the municipal building roof went from $30K (when first discussed at the previous meeting), to $50K-$70K as presented at this meeting, without a single educated quote from any contractors as to the estimated amount it will cost the Borough to have the work done. 

It is also noteworthy that the items in the 5 Year Comp Plan, which were used as the reason for the tax increase, were already accounted for in the first draft of the budget, prior to the revenues from a tax increase being placed into said budget, as the Plan was already presented prior to the formation of the budget.

In addition, if the sewer upgrades are of dire importance (which they are), why did the Finance Chair recommend (and ultimately got approval for) the transfer of $58K from the Sewer Reserves to a "Misc Reserve" fund, replacing it with approximately $27K in NEW revenues from the proposed (and now passed) sewer rate increases?  (It will be noted that the Finance Chair was not present at the meeting to answer questions concerning or to pass the budget he proposed).

Also, why did the Council jettison the plan proposed by the Sewer Committee Chair for raising the funds for the sewer repairs, which would have adjusted the sewer rates to reflect the 2007 Hanover Borough rates (remaining less than Hanover's current rates), while not raising rates on lower-usage, fixed-income residents, and would have returned those rates back to current levels after 2-3 years of reserves to identify and repair the I&I issue?  This would have negated the need to raise the millage tax and would have placed the burden of expense on those who use the system the most, and would again safeguard those responsible citizens in the Borough who are already strained financially with fixed budgets of their own.

The "unfunded mandate" concerning the gas tanks was a new piece of the puzzle only first presented at this meeting, and were not a consideration when the discussion of budgetary matters occurred over the past few meetings, and there has been no documentation shown that says the State is mandating these upgrades at this time.

When Councilmember Bolton raised these questions and opposed the advertising of these new increases, a remark was made after the vote in General Session, "He's allowed to do that; that's his right".  Knowing that the measures would still pass with only one dissenting vote, this comment demonstrated an air of smug arrogance towards any opinion differing from the "Establishment" leaders on Council.

At least we had one Council member in there questioning and opposing this "Steamroller Policy". Kudos to Councilman-Elect Doug Duvall and citizen Rick Groft for standing before Council and asking the tough questions, even if they didn't get the clearest or truest answers.  

One thing is certain; "The way we've always done it" will continue only as long as we have members of the Council that have "Always been there" to do it "The way it's always been done".  With a new member joining the Council next month, perhaps we have finally started to see a changing of the guard.  Hopefully, we will see an increase in the involvement of the public at these Council meetings.  Perhaps the heavy-handed governing of "The Few" will finally give way to a local government "For The People, By The People". 

David "Scotty" Bolton 

McSherrystown Borough Councilmember and Citizen

VP and Legislative Committee Chair, Adams County Boroughs Association

PA State Association of Boroughs Board of Directors-member

Adams County Transportation Planning Organization-member

Hanover Regional Economic Development Committee-member

Contact me with your concerns at:

councilmanbolton@gmail.com

717-634-8726

ACBA Newsletter Article for May, 2013

"Initiative and referendum (I&R) has existed in some form in this country since the 1600s. Citizens of New England placed ordinances and other issues on the agenda for discussion and then a vote utilizing town meetings. These town hall meetings established the precedent which lead to the creation of the legislative referendum process – a process in which the citizens were entrusted with ratifying laws and amendments proposed by their elected officials. 

James Madison said it best in Federalist 49 when he stated: '[a]s the people are the only legitimate fountain of power, and it is from them that the constitutional charter, under which the several branches of government hold their power, is derived, it seems strictly consonant to the republican theory to recur to the same original authority...whenever it may be necessary to enlarge, diminish, or newmodel the powers of government.'", http://www.iandrinstitute.org.

For over 200 years, citizens in our country have come to expect that their voices will be heard by their government leaders, however, when the representative do not fully represent the will of The People, it has become the right of the governed to petition their leaders through referendum, either binding or non-binding, and thus demonstrating the purest form of direct democracy.  

When The People want to enact laws they themselves contrive, it is their right to create Initiatives, gathering signatures to petition their leaders to call to vote all those in their jurisdiction and voice their opinions on such matters they see important to them. The government then creates the referendum to poll the constituency, and the outcome of that vote either influences the leaders to themselves vote on specific policy and law (non-binding referendum), or the results  force the elected to enact said law (binding referendum).

Through the use of referendum, The People have created such laws as women gaining the right to vote and electing their leaders through direct primaries, which we will practice tomorrow. It is an invaluable piece of our American government that many others in the world do not have granted to them, and which we sometimes take for granted ourselves.

We, as elected officials in our boroughs, have been chosen by The People to represent their interests, and trust has been bestowed upon us by them to do what we think is best for our communities. However, that trust does not give us "carte blanche" concerning the imposition of OUR wills on policy and law; it is still the responsibility of each one of us to actively poll the opinions of our constituents...actively and often...and bring to conversation equally those topics which are important to the masses as well as the few. However, it is also their RIGHT, nay, their DUTY, as citizens of a free country, to initiate that process when they so deem such appropriate. Let no elected official forget from whence their powers to govern are derived, and thus, let none restrict the power of Voter Referendum.

David "Scotty" Bolton

ACBA Vice-President and Legislative Committee Chairman

McSherrystown Borough Councilman

Concerned Citizen

Legislation, Information and Appropriation

Thank you for tuning in to my blog. I appreciate your interest and thank you for allowing me to continue to represent you.

I have several topics to discuss in this issue. I would like to begin with the meeting I attended last Thursday with the Hanover Borough Water and Sewer Committee, where I was afforded the opportunity to gain some specific answers on the questions I had previously posed concerning the Inter-Municipal Wastewater Agreement, followed by a recap of my concerns with the Nuisance Ordinance Amendment as it pertains to furniture, then touching on some of the specifics within the 2013 Borough Budget, a few notes on the Hanover Area Regional Economic Development Committee, and lastly looking forward to the Adams County Borough Association meeting to be held this evening.

Hanover Regional Inter-Municipal Wastewater Agreement

I would first like to thank Barb Krebs and Ed Reed for the invitation to attend their committee meeting last week. They were not only cordial and accommodating, but very thorough in their explanations concerning the Inter-Municipal Wastewater Agreement.

Specifically, I had posed the question asking why the audit procedure lumps the municipalities into one audit instead of separately as the original document dictates. The current audit DOES list each municipality separately, however, only one audit is completed in order to reduce the costs of having four individual documents produced. This makes complete sense, and still allows for the proper financial distributions to be displayed for public record.

I had also questioned why, after 25 years, do we need to document these abberations to the original agreement in writing, as opposed to amending the original document. It was explained that some 25 years ago, the relationships between the municipalities were such that an agreement on a handshake was as good as a legal document today. However, in today's legal environment, a handshake agreement does not pull weight with auditors who must abide by the rules to which they are bound. As such, the agreement, which has been in effect since that time, had to be formalized. When I questioned why the original document was not re-written, it was explained that in order to do so would constitute a new document in the eyes of the DEP and other regulatory establishments, and would be subject to the entire process of review and approval. This process would cost the municipalities much time and money, and would also subject the agreement to newer and possibly more restrictive guidelines, as some of the policies and allowances of these regulatory establishments have changed over the years. This also makes sense to me.

My other major concern was in regards to the Conveyance System Charge. It is currently being distributed on a percentage of the original Capital Contribution each municipality gave towards the construction of the system. I wondered why, since we meter the amounts coming from each municipality, do we not charge for this as stated in the agreement the same way we charge for the metered usage. It was explained that this Conveyance Charge is such a small amount compared to the total that it is more intensive to calculate the exact number, which would not actually change enough to warrant the labor it would take to keep track of it. Ideally, we are really talking a matter of several dollars; not hundreds or thousands of dollars. In efforts to streamline the process and reduce costs for its administration, it was decided to fix that amount each year. Once I was given the opportunity to see exactly how that works, this also makes sense.

Had I been afforded these answers PRIOR to voting on the Agreement, I would have been in favor of its signing. However, I will NEVER agree to vote on any legislation without fully understanding its impact on the constituents of this town. I would like to again thank the staff and municipal leaders of the Hanover Borough for affording me the opportunity to gain clarity concerning these matters, and look forward to working with them on the many joint projects we have together in the future.

Nuisance Ordinance Amendment

As this legislation did pass at the last meeting, with myself as the only dissenter, I will not spend a lot of time here in defense of my stance; many of you have read my comments previously concerning this topic. I would like to state that, in the Gettysburg Times, Dick Watson wrote that I was not in favor of it because of the wording. This is somewhat true.

I would have been in favor of passing this Ordinance had it not specfied which type of furniture would be banned, but if it would have stated more about the CONDITION of the furniture being used. Some on Council, after hearing my remarks against the legislation, said that we needed to be able to take action against those who did not keep their furniture in good condition, so as to avoid bugs, pests and disease. My comments were that the current Ordinances already address these concerns and give the Borough power to act when the need arises.

It is my belief still that the wording of this Ordinance is inappropriate and violates the rights of our citizens according to the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. If the furniture you use outside your home creates no threats to the life, liberty or pursuit of happiness of your neighbors, then it is of no concern to anyone what type of furniture you use on your own property. This Ordinance should have identified furniture that posed such threats, and not specific types of furniture.

2013 Borough Budget

I am happy to report that we have reviewed a Borough Budget which will be balanced and will not dictate any sort of tax increase for this next year.  It has been proposed that there will be funds to establish a Borough website, which should come to fruition by mid-next year. I would like to thank the other members of Council for seeing the Borough website as a useful tool to keep the people of McSherrystown informed, and to help promote our town to outside businesses who may want to come establish locations here, as well as attract homeowners and families to live here.

I will have more on the budget specfics once it is voted on and approved later this year.

Hanover Area Regional Economic Development Committee (HARED)

I was also in attendance this past week with members from Conewago Township, Hanover Borough, Penn Township, York County Planning Commission, Adams County Planning Commission, York County Economic Alliance, Adams County Economic Development Corp., and the York/Adams Regional Smart Growth Coalition as we collaborated on the establishment of a Regional Economic Development Plan for these four municipalities. It is the first time in Pennsylvania state history that such a plan is being developed across county lines.

We reveiwed the process needed to put this Plan together, and the associated costs to each municipality. This Plan would help our area identify our facilities, infrastructure and resources which would attract businesses to establish here, creating jobs and expanding the tax base in our immediate area. It would also give us direction as to how to reach out to specific industries in efforts to bring them to our municipalities.

The costs associated with this endeavor would total $16,625. This cost would be distributed among the municipalites, with Hanover and Penn Township giving $4,421.25 each, and Conewago Township and McSherrystown giving $3,891.25 each.  As members of the York County Economic Alliance, Hanover and Penn Township's contributions would be covered by that body.

To these ends, Shanna Terroso of the York/Adams Regional Smart Growth Coalition applied to the National Association of Realtors for a grant to cover the costs for McSherrystown and Conewago Township. If granted, this would mean that there would be no municipal contribution towards this project for the coming year. Shanna is hopeful that the grant will be approved by the end of November, and plans will be made to establish a Steering Committee by February, 2013 to start the Visioning Process and to study the Market Demand and Land Assessment in this region.

I am very excited about the opportunities this presents for local business leaders and residents alike to take an active role on this Committee. I will be actively communicating with the people of McSherrystown to see who is interested in joining me on the Steering Committee this coming Spring.

Adams County Borough Association

This governmental group is made up of representives from all the Borough Councils and Mayors in the county, as well as the local State Representatives Moul and Tallman, Senator Alloway, the Adams County Commissioners, Adams County township representatives and other important County officials. Reports are heard from the AC Radio Communication Group, AC Economic and Community Partnership, AC Transportation Planning Organization, AC Council of Governements, AC Tax Collection Committee and the Penn State Cooperative Extension.

By bringing together the elected leaders from the county municipalities, we gain greater insight as to the pertinent issues facing us individually and collectively. We are able to identify our strengths and opportunities for improvement, and to gain clarity on the impact of the legislation passed down to us by the state government. We are afforded the invaluable occasion to discuss these matters with our County Commissioners and our Congressional leaders, so that they can best represent the voices of our constituents.

At tonight's meeting, I will be accepting the nomination to become the Vice-President of this organization. In doing so, I hope to continue to serve not only the people of McSherrystown, but the people of Adams County as a whole, in efforts to promote the common good and to establish the means of creating an environment in which ideas will thrive, and where the actions that we initiate bring properity to the people, so that they may continue on their personal pursuits of happiness.

I am thankful for this opportunity, and I look forward to the great and wonderful things we can accomplish together for the good of our county.

For Liberty,

David "Scotty" Bolton
McSherrystown Borough Councilman and citizen

Inter-municipal Agreement Auditing and Budgeting Procedure

I'm glad to have you back at my blog. Let me first apologize for not posting sooner after last week's meeting. With the National Elections fast approaching and an increase in personal life activity, it has been a chore to get everything done recently. I do have a very important matter to inform you about, and I hope that you will take some time to consider these points herein, and to garner attention to the facts at hand.

At the October 24th meeting, Council received communications from the Hanover Borough pertaining to the Hanover Area Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility's budgeting, payment and auditing methods. The communication outlines how, for the past 25 years, the Borough has figured these numbers. It also states that some of these calculations and methods are NOT in exact conformance with the Inter-municipal Agreement which all municipalities involved signed on November 15, 1982.

Specifically, the document tells us there are three areas which the auditors informed the Borough of Hanover were not being followed, and they were instructed to inform the municipalities. Those areas are:

1) The Regional Plant funds are being audited as part of the Borough of Hanover Audit and not separately, as required in Article VII, Section 7.04, Audited Statements which requires an audit by March 31st of each year.

2) The cash balance is being applied as a credit against the treatment charge in four equal installments in accordance with each municipality's flow share rather than being applied after March 31st on account of the next succeeding quarterly installments of the estimated Treatment Charge, in chronological order there-of as stated in Article VII, Section 7.05, Payment of Final Charge; Credit for Over-payments.

3) The conveyance system charge is being distributed amongst the municipalities based on their respective capital constributions to construct the conveyance system and pump station rather than being distributed based on the actual flow contribution from each municipality into the respective sections of the interceptor system and the pump station as stipulated in Article VI, Seciton 6.01, Treatment Charge.

As this was a notification from the auditors to the proper procedures to be utilized, which were not in standing with the original agreement, and as it has somehow taken 25 years to identify this anomoly, I had a few questions of my own. Listed under the same numbers as above, the questions I posed were as such:

1) Is each municipality to audit their share each year or is Hanover responsible to do so? I was told that Hanover is to do the audit, but that each municipality is to be audited separately. To date, Hanover has lumped this audit all into one report. I also asked why have these audits not been done according to the agreement and why has it taken 25 years to identify this aberration? As no representatives from Hanover Borough were present, and no one on our staff or Council had the answer, Scott Cook, McSherrystown Borough Manager, said he would talk with Ed Reed, Asst Borough Manager for Hanover, to find out.

2) I was in favor of the method currently employed in the second bullet point. This seems to be a more efficient and accurate method for this procedure. However, I DO NOT like the fact that "This process was agreed to verbally some twenty years ago when it was discussed by the members of the committee who authored the inter-municipal agreement" (text directly from the document). I made the statement that verbal agreements are not a good way for government to do business and this should be amended in the original agreement as an addendum, or the original be re-written and re-signed. I believe we leave too much open to speculation and manipulation when we enter into verbal agreements in government, especially when those agreements were over two decades ago by people who are no longer part of the process.

3) How does the current method used to calculate the conveyance system charge compare to the charges of actual use to our citizens? If it is being calculated on respective capital contributions to construct the system, which is based on a one-time percentage, it cannot fluctuate for the growth of other municipalities and increased flow from them, which would reduce the percentage of use by the smaller, slower growing municipalities. If the original agreement calls for calculations based on actual flow contribution, then we should respect the agreement, as I believe that is a fair and equitable means of charging for the system usage. I was told that the Hanover Borough DOES actually meter the flow, but according to this document, they do not use it to determine the charges as stated in the agreement. One person stated that we are only talking about a few hundred dollars here, but when it comes to taxpayer money, every dollar counts to me. I was told that I would get more information on this before next discussion.

With all of these questions unanswered,  and the fact that I had reached out to several Council members and staff of the Hanover Borough in order to attend their meeting to discuss these questions (I was never given any information on meeting place/times and my questions have since gone unanswered), I moved that a vote on accepting these erroneous procedures be tabled until such time that we can get those answers.

The Council has also been presented with a budget for the 2013 operating year. We will be voting on this budget at our next meeting, November 14th. Anyone with any questions or input may always contact me at councilmanbolton@gmail.com, or can grab me while I'm out for a run.

I hope to see everyone at the polls on Tuesday. It is less important to me for whom you vote as it is that you exercise your right to pick our leaders. A choice not made is a choice in itself, but I truly believe that we get it right more often when more of those who have a say stand up and voice their opinions. That is the only way our leaders can truly represent their people. Thanks for reading, and check back often for updates.

David "Scotty" Bolton
McSherrystown Borough Council member and citizen