PRINTER'S NO. 1550
No. 1321 Session of 2001
INTRODUCED BY T. STEVENSON, MICHLOVIC, RAYMOND, SHANER,
YOUNGBLOOD, PRESTON, CALTAGIRONE, BARD, STEIL, HORSEY,
R. MILLER, PIPPY, READSHAW, ORIE, ROBINSON, TRICH, STEELMAN,
FRANKEL, WALKO AND DIVEN, APRIL 9, 2001
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS,
APRIL 9, 2001
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of July 28, 1953 (P.L.723, No.230), entitled,
2 as amended, "An act relating to counties of the second class
3 and second class A; amending, revising, consolidating and
4 changing the laws relating thereto," providing for the
5 creation of unincorporated districts in counties of the
6 second class; creating unincorporated district administrative
7 commissions; providing for the creation of the Commonwealth
8 Dissolution Fund; and imposing duties on the Department of
9 Community and Economic Development.
10 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
11 hereby enacts as follows:
12 Section 1. The act of July 28, 1953 (P.L.723, No.230), known
13 as the Second Class County Code, is amended by adding an article
14 to read:
15 ARTICLE XXXI-D
16 UNINCORPORATED DISTRICTS OF COUNTIES OF THE SECOND CLASS ACT
17 Section 3101-D. Short title.
18 This article shall be known and may be cited as the
19 Unincorporated Districts of Counties of the Second Class Act.
20 Section 3102-D. Legislative findings.
1 The General Assembly finds and declares as follows:
2 (1) While the electors of this Commonwealth have long
3 had procedures by which to create new municipalities, the
4 General Assembly has not provided a means whereby electors of
5 municipalities may unilaterally terminate their municipal
6 corporations.
7 (2) Certain of the numerous municipalities located
8 within counties of the second class have significantly
9 diminished populations and have become sufficiently
10 economically distressed that their viability as independent
11 municipalities is doubtful, but such municipalities are not
12 attractive candidates at this time for merger or
13 consolidation with other cities, boroughs or townships.
14 (3) The administrative duties and costs of such
15 municipalities could be lessened substantially if State law
16 permitted them to voluntarily elect through referendum to
17 dissolve themselves.
18 (4) The dissolution of such municipalities and
19 subsequent administration by county government will stabilize
20 them, facilitate their economic revitalization and make them
21 more attractive candidates for merger with other
22 municipalities.
23 (5) The dissolution of the existing form of government
24 for such municipalities and the substitution of an
25 unincorporated district as a new municipal form of government
26 administered by the county is authorized by section 3 of
27 Article IX of the Constitution of Pennsylvania, which
28 provides that the General Assembly may provide optional forms
29 of government which may be adopted or repealed by referendum.
30 (6) It is appropriate for an unincorporated district to
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1 transfer administrative functions to the county pursuant to
2 section 5 of Article IX of the Constitution of Pennsylvania,
3 which provides that a municipality may delegate or transfer
4 any function, power or responsibility to another
5 municipality, including a county.
6 (7) In recognition of the severe problems faced by
7 certain municipalities located within counties of the second
8 class, it is appropriate for the General Assembly to
9 authorize the creation of unincorporated districts within
10 counties of the second class, but not within other counties,
11 pursuant to the power granted to the General Assembly by
12 section 20 of Article III of the Constitution of Pennsylvania
13 which authorizes the classification of counties by
14 population.
15 Section 3103-D. Definitions.
16 The following words and phrases when used in this article
17 shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
18 context clearly indicates otherwise:
19 "Chief executive." The chief executive of the county elected
20 pursuant to the home rule charter or any successor or successors
21 to the chief executive.
22 "Commission." An unincorporated district administrative
23 commission created under this article.
24 "County." A county of the second class.
25 "County council." The council of the county elected pursuant
26 to the home rule charter or any successor or successors to the
27 council.
28 "Dissolved municipality." An eligible municipality that has
29 been dissolved pursuant to this act.
30 "Electors." The registered voters of any eligible
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1 municipality involved in proceedings relating to the creation of
2 an unincorporated district as an alternative form of local
3 government and the registered voters of any unincorporated
4 district.
5 "Eligible municipality." Any city of the third class,
6 borough, township, incorporated town and home rule municipality
7 other than a home rule municipality that would otherwise be a
8 city of the second class, located in a county of the second
9 class.
10 "Governing body." The council in cities of the third class,
11 boroughs or incorporated towns; the board of commissioners in
12 townships of the first class; the board of supervisors in
13 townships of the second class; the legislative policymaking body
14 in home rule municipalities except for councils in cities of the
15 second class.
16 "Home rule charter." The home rule charter of a county of
17 the second class which is in effect as of the effective date of
18 this article.
19 "Manager." The manager of the county appointed pursuant to
20 the home rule charter, or any successor or successors to the
21 manager.
22 "Unincorporated district." A municipality created to serve
23 the same area as a municipality that has voted to dissolve its
24 prior form of municipal government and to be governed by the
25 provisions of this article.
26 Section 3104-D. Procedure for dissolution of eligible
27 municipalities and creation of unincorporated
28 districts.
29 (a) General rule.--Proceedings by an eligible municipality
30 to dissolve the current form of municipal government and to
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1 create an unincorporated district may be commenced by any of the
2 following:
3 (1) Ordinance of the governing body of the eligible
4 municipality.
5 (2) Initiative of the electors by filing petitions with
6 the county board of elections, signed by electors comprising
7 at least 15% of the number of electors voting for the office
8 of Governor in the last gubernatorial general election.
9 (3) The court of common pleas upon the filing with the
10 prothonotary of a petition signed by 67% of the electors,
11 provided that the petition stipulates creation of an
12 unincorporated district without a referendum.
13 (b) Filing of ordinances and petitions with the county board
14 of elections.--An ordinance or petition pursuant to subsection
15 (a) shall be filed with the county board of elections not later
16 than the 13th Tuesday before the next general, municipal,
17 primary or special election.
18 (c) Petition requirements.--
19 (1) All papers of a petition pursuant to subsection (a)
20 shall be uniform in size and style and shall be assembled as
21 one instrument for filing. Each signature shall be executed
22 in ink and shall be followed by the printed name, place of
23 residence, including house number, street or road,
24 municipality of the signor and date of signing. Every
25 petition throughout its circulation shall state clearly the
26 name of the municipality proposed to be dissolved. Upon
27 tender to the county board of elections, pursuant to
28 subsection (a)(2) or to the court of common pleas, pursuant
29 to subsection (a)(3), the petition shall be available for
30 examination by any interested person.
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1 (2) No signature shall be counted as valid if it is
2 dated before the 26th Tuesday before the election or after
3 the 13th Tuesday before the election.
4 (3) The petition and proceedings therein shall be
5 conducted in the manner and subject to the provisions of the
6 election laws that relate to the signing, filing and
7 adjudication of nomination petitions insofar as those
8 provisions are applicable and not inconsistent with the
9 provisions contained herein.
10 (4) Signatures on a petition may be on separate sheets
11 but each sheet shall have appended to it the affidavit of an
12 elector, not necessarily a signor of the petition, that to
13 the best of the affiant's knowledge and belief, those persons
14 whose signatures appear on the sheet are electors, that they
15 signed with full knowledge of the contents of the petition
16 and their residences and dates of signing are correctly
17 given.
18 (5) The board of elections, with approval of the court
19 of common pleas, may adopt procedures and requirements for
20 the electronic petitions, including the use of electronic
21 signatures and the electronic filing of petitions in
22 conformity with the provisions of the act of December 16,
23 1999 (P.L.971, No.69), known as the Electronic Transactions
24 Act.
25 (d) Notice to governing bodies affected.--When the county
26 board of elections or the court of common pleas finds that a
27 petition pursuant to subsection (a) is in proper order, it shall
28 send copies of the petition without the signatures thereon to
29 the governing body of the eligible municipality affected by the
30 proposed dissolution.
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1 (e) Public hearing.--No sooner than 30 days following the
2 filing of an ordinance or an initiative petition pursuant to
3 subsection (b), but no later than 45 days prior to any resulting
4 referendum, the governing body of the municipality shall conduct
5 a public hearing on the issue. The governing body shall hold the
6 public hearing at a time and location convenient for the
7 residents of the municipality.
8 (f) Conduct of referendum.--
9 (1) Following initiation of proceedings for dissolution
10 by the procedures set forth in subsection (a)(1) or (2), a
11 referendum shall be held at the first general, municipal,
12 primary or special election occurring at least 13 weeks after
13 either the date of the ordinance adopted by the governing
14 body pursuant to subsection (a)(1) or the date of filing of
15 the petition pursuant to subsection (a)(2).
16 (2) Whenever authorized by ordinance of the governing
17 body pursuant to subsection (a)(1) or upon petition of the
18 electors to the county board of elections pursuant to
19 subsection (a)(2), an election shall be held upon the
20 following question:
21 Shall the (name of municipality) dissolve and become an
22 unincorporated district of the county?
23 (3) If a majority of the electors voting on the question
24 approve, dissolution of the current form of government shall
25 be effective and an unincorporated district created, as
26 provided by section 3105-D.
27 (4) Upon certification of the election results, the
28 county board of elections shall send notice of the results of
29 the referendum to the governing body of the municipality,
30 chief executive, county council, county manager and the
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1 Department of Community and Economic Development.
2 (5) No municipality that has disapproved a referendum
3 pursuant to this section shall vote on another such
4 referendum for a period of five years.
5 Section 3105-D. Effective date of dissolution of an eligible
6 municipality and creation of an unincorporated
7 district.
8 (a) General rule.--The effective date of dissolution of an
9 eligible municipality and creation of an unincorporated district
10 shall be the effective date of approval of the unincorporated
11 district administrative commission's report that closes the
12 business affairs of the dissolved municipality but no later than
13 365 days after either:
14 (1) The county board of elections certifies the election
15 results pursuant to section 3104-D(f).
16 (2) The court of common pleas orders the dissolution and
17 creation of an unincorporated district pursuant to section
18 3104-D(a)(3). Upon its order, the court of common pleas shall
19 send notice of such order to the governing body of the
20 municipality, chief executive, county council, county manager
21 and the Department of Community and Economic Development.
22 (b) Terms of office.--The terms and offices of all elected
23 officials of the dissolved municipality shall cease upon the
24 effective date of dissolution.
25 Section 3106-D. Assumption of power and disposition of
26 property, assets and liabilities.
27 (a) General rule.--Upon the effective date of dissolution,
28 an unincorporated district shall replace the dissolved
29 municipality. The unincorporated district shall constitute a
30 municipality, shall be deemed to constitute a municipality for
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1 purposes of all laws of this Commonwealth relating to
2 municipalities and shall be included within the definition of
3 the term "municipality" as used in all laws of this
4 Commonwealth. As provided by this act, the governing body of the
5 unincorporated district shall be the county council.
6 (b) Powers.--The county may exercise any powers and perform
7 any function in the governing and administration of the
8 unincorporated district not denied by the Constitution of
9 Pennsylvania, by statute or by its home rule charter, and all
10 grants of municipal power to the county in the governing and
11 administration of the unincorporated district, whether in the
12 form of specific enumeration or general terms, shall be
13 liberally construed in favor of the county.
14 (c) Property.--Except as otherwise provided by this article,
15 the county shall assume control of all property and assets and
16 shall become responsible for the administration of the
17 liabilities of the dissolved municipality.
18 (d) Financial aid.--Dissolution shall not prevent the
19 unincorporated district from receiving any grant, loan or other
20 financial aid that the dissolved municipality received under any
21 State law.
22 (e) Financially distressed status.--Dissolution and creation
23 of an unincorporated district shall not in and of itself revoke
24 the financially distressed status of any dissolved municipality
25 that has been determined to be financially distressed under the
26 act of July 10, 1987 (P.L.246, No.47), known as the
27 Municipalities Financial Recovery Act. No unincorporated
28 district shall be determined to be financially distressed under
29 the Municipalities Financial Recovery Act, but an unincorporated
30 district may file for municipal debt adjustment pursuant to 11
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1 U.S.C. § 101 et seq. (relating to bankruptcy) without being
2 determined to be financially distressed under the Municipalities
3 Financial Recovery Act.
4 Section 3107-D. Unincorporated district administrative
5 commission.
6 (a) General rule.--An unincorporated district administrative
7 commission is hereby created for each unincorporated district.
8 The commission shall oversee the closing of the business affairs
9 of dissolved municipalities and be the administrative agent for
10 all unincorporated districts.
11 (b) Membership.--
12 (1) The commission shall consist of five members.
13 (2) The membership of the commission shall vary,
14 depending on the unincorporated district in question. Three
15 members shall be standing members for all unincorporated
16 districts. A fourth member shall be the county council member
17 elected by the county council district in which the specific
18 unincorporated district is located. Such member shall have
19 voting power only on those issues pertaining exclusively to
20 the specific unincorporated district of which he or she is
21 the district representative to county council. A fifth
22 member, to be nominated by the county council member elected
23 by the county council district in which the specific
24 unincorporated district is located, shall be an elector of
25 the specific unincorporated district. Such member shall have
26 voting power only on those issues pertaining exclusively to
27 the specific unincorporated district of which he or she is an
28 elector. If the home rule charter is repealed or amended to
29 eliminate the county council, all of the members of the
30 commission shall be appointed by the governing body of the
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1 county.
2 (3) All commission members shall be appointed by the
3 chief executive with the consent of at least a majority of
4 the seated members of county council.
5 (4) All commission members shall serve three-year terms.
6 (5) The chief executive shall appoint the commission
7 members within 30 days of either the county board of
8 elections' certification of the election results pursuant to
9 section 3104-D(f), or the court of common pleas' order of the
10 dissolution and creation of an unincorporated district
11 pursuant to section 3104-D(a)(3). County council shall
12 confirm or reject the chief executive's appointments within
13 45 days following the appointment. In the event that county
14 council does not confirm or reject an appointment within 45
15 days of the appointment, the appointment shall be effective
16 as though county council had confirmed it.
17 (6) All commission members shall be registered voters
18 and residents of the county.
19 (c) Director.--The commission shall have the authority to
20 designate and empower a director who shall serve at its pleasure
21 with executive authority over the administrative affairs of the
22 unincorporated district.
23 (d) Costs.--The reasonable and necessary costs incurred by
24 the commission shall be included in the county budget and may be
25 recovered by the county from the unincorporated district budget
26 and be charged against the tax base of the unincorporated
27 district.
28 Section 3108-D. Review and closing of business affairs.
29 (a) General rule.--Upon its appointment, the commission
30 shall review the dissolved municipality's business affairs.
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1 (b) Report.--Within 180 days of appointment, the commission
2 shall submit a report to the chief executive, county council and
3 county manager that shall include, but not be limited to, the
4 following information about the unincorporated district:
5 (1) Debts and obligations.
6 (2) Suits, claims and demands against the dissolved
7 municipality.
8 (3) Assets and accounts receivables.
9 (4) Current assessments and taxes levied.
10 (5) Any outstanding taxes and debts due and owing to the
11 dissolved municipality.
12 (6) A plan for the liquidation of the dissolved
13 municipality and reorganization of the unincorporated
14 district, including, but not limited to, terms regarding:
15 (i) The disposition of employees and modifications
16 to or rescission of collective bargaining agreements.
17 (ii) The disposition of all books, papers, records
18 and deeds.
19 (iii) The closing or transfer of all accounts.
20 (iv) Payment of all outstanding debts and
21 obligations.
22 (v) Disposition of contracts entered into by the
23 dissolved municipality.
24 (vi) Recommended changes in municipal ordinances and
25 rules.
26 (vii) The level and mode of delivery of municipal
27 services.
28 (viii) An operating and capital budget for the
29 remainder of the current year, a five-year capital
30 improvement plan and tax and fee rates.
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1 (c) Existing creditors and claimants.--To the extent the
2 report does not recommend that the unincorporated district
3 assume responsibility for any existing debts, obligations or
4 contracts binding upon the dissolved municipality, notice shall
5 be given in writing to any person holding a claim against the
6 municipality, including an unmatured or contingent claim, which
7 describes the manner in which matured claims will be satisfied
8 or adequate security will be provided to satisfy unmatured or
9 contingent claims. Provided that the report provides for the
10 satisfaction of matured claims or provides adequate security to
11 satisfy unmatured or contingent claims, the report may also
12 provide for the modification or rescission of existing
13 obligations or contracts of the dissolved municipality. Notice
14 to claimants required by this subsection shall be provided by
15 the commission to claimants at or prior to the time the
16 commission submits its report to the chief executive, county
17 council and county manager and shall be prominently published in
18 a newspaper of general circulation distributed within the
19 county. Claimants shall be required to submit comments or
20 objections to the report to the chief executive within 30 days
21 of the publication of notice of the report.
22 (d) Approval or rejection of report.--Within 30 days of
23 receipt of the report or within 30 days of the deadline for the
24 submission of any comments regarding a report from claimants as
25 provided by subsection (c), whichever occurs later, the chief
26 executive shall approve or reject the report. If the chief
27 executive approves the report, he shall sign it, and it shall
28 become effective immediately. If the chief executive rejects the
29 report, he shall return it to the commission unsigned
30 accompanied by written objections. Within 30 days, the
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1 commission may revise and submit an amended report or resubmit
2 the report without amendment, which the chief executive shall
3 finally approve or reject. If the chief executive rejects the
4 amended or resubmitted plan, the county council may approve the
5 commission's plan by an affirmative vote of at least two-thirds
6 of the seated members, whereupon the report shall become
7 effective. If the county council fails to approve the amended or
8 resubmitted plan within 30 days of the chief executive's
9 rejection, the chief executive shall administer the
10 unincorporated district directly until the report becomes
11 effective. Copies of the approved plan shall be sent to the
12 chief executive, county council, the county manager, the
13 commission and the Department of Community and Economic
14 Development.
15 (e) Objections to approval of report.--Any claimant who
16 receives notice regarding a proposed report pursuant to
17 subsection (c) may file objections to the approval of the report
18 by the chief executive to the court of common pleas for the
19 county. The court of common pleas may approve or modify the
20 report and may issue an order delaying the effective date of the
21 report pending the completion of its review of the objections of
22 claimants.
23 (f) Effective date of dissolution.--The dissolution of the
24 municipality and the establishment of the unincorporated
25 district shall become effective upon the effective date of the
26 report, and the commission shall close the business affairs of
27 the dissolved municipality and administer the unincorporated
28 district. If, for whatever reason, the report has not become
29 effective within 365 days of either the county board of
30 elections' certification of the election results pursuant to
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1 section 3104-D(f) or the court of common pleas order pursuant to
2 section 3104-D(a)(3), the dissolution of the municipality and
3 establishment of the unincorporated district shall become
4 effective, and the unincorporated district shall be administered
5 directly by the chief executive of the county until such report
6 becomes effective.
7 (g) Collective bargaining agreements.--
8 (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), a collective
9 bargaining agreement, contract or arbitration award in effect
10 in a municipality dissolved under this act shall remain in
11 effect and apply to the unincorporated district created
12 pursuant to this act for the same geographical area as the
13 dissolved municipality until the agreement, contract or award
14 expires. After the expiration of the agreement, contract or
15 award, a subsequent agreement, contract or award shall not
16 impair the implementation of the approved report. The
17 commission may, in accordance with existing agreements,
18 contracts and awards and applicable laws, reduce the number
19 of uniformed and nonuniformed employees to avoid overstaffing
20 and duplication of functions provided to the unincorporated
21 district by the county.
22 (2) The provisions of collective bargaining agreements,
23 contracts or arbitration awards signed or adopted after the
24 commencement of proceedings pursuant to section 3104-D(a) may
25 be ratified, modified or rescinded pursuant to the report.
26 Section 3109-D. Debts and obligations.
27 (a) General rule.--The debts and obligations issued on
28 behalf of a municipality that dissolves that are not discharged
29 by the plan of dissolution and reorganization shall not become
30 debts or obligations of the county and shall remain the debts
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1 and obligations of the unincorporated district, except that the
2 county shall be administratively responsible to ensure that all
3 such debts and obligations are paid.
4 (b) Payment.--The debts and obligations shall be paid by a
5 charge upon the tax base of the unincorporated district. An
6 unincorporated district shall have the same tax base as the
7 dissolved municipality that the unincorporated district
8 replaces.
9 (c) Revenues.--All revenues collected by the county from the
10 unincorporated district for the retirement of debts and
11 obligations shall be applied only to the debts and obligations
12 of the unincorporated district.
13 (d) Additional taxes.--If insufficient revenue is received
14 by the county on behalf of the unincorporated district to pay
15 the debts and obligations thereof, the county council, acting in
16 its capacity as the governing body of the unincorporated
17 district, may levy and collect additional taxes, fees and
18 service charges on the tax base of the unincorporated district
19 to pay said debts and obligations.
20 Section 3110-D. Operations.
21 The commission, or such director it designates under section
22 3107-D(c), shall have the following powers and duties:
23 (1) Upon the effective date of dissolution and
24 thereafter no later than 90 days before the end of each
25 fiscal year, prepare and propose to the county manager an
26 annual operating and capital budget, a five-year capital
27 improvement plan and tax and fee rates for the unincorporated
28 district. The county manager shall incorporate such proposed
29 budget, tax and fee rates, with such modifications as he or
30 she shall deem appropriate, into the county's comprehensive
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1 fiscal plan in accordance with section 2 of Article VII of
2 the home rule charter. If the home rule charter is repealed
3 or amended to eliminate the comprehensive fiscal plan, the
4 proposed budget shall be incorporated into the proposed
5 budget of the county.
6 (2) Administer the day-to-day operations as necessary in
7 the unincorporated district.
8 (3) Procure or provide municipal services, the costs of
9 which shall be paid by charges upon the tax base of the
10 unincorporated district.
11 (4) Continue or discontinue, pursuant to section 3108-
12 D(c), capital projects approved or begun prior to
13 dissolution, the costs of which shall be paid by charges upon
14 the tax base of the unincorporated district.
15 (5) Powers granted to planning commissions under the act
16 of July 31, 1968 (P.L.805, No.247), known as the Pennsylvania
17 Municipalities Planning Code.
18 (6) Within three years of the effective date of
19 dissolution, prepare a strategic plan for the unincorporated
20 district, including, but not limited to, the advisability of
21 merger with or annexation to another municipality.
22 (7) Prepare all reports, if any, required of the
23 dissolved municipality by the Commonwealth.
24 Section 3111-D. Disposition of law and ordinances.
25 Subject to the provisions of the home rule charter, the
26 county council shall be vested with the legislative powers of
27 the governing body of the unincorporated district and shall have
28 the power to amend, repeal or enact local ordinances, laws,
29 rules or regulations governing the unincorporated district.
30 Unless amended by county council, all local ordinances, laws,
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1 rules or regulations of the dissolved municipality in effect on
2 the date of dissolution shall remain in effect as if the same
3 had been duly adopted by the county council and shall be
4 enforced by the county within the boundaries of the
5 unincorporated district.
6 Section 3112-D. Revenue, taxation and assessments.
7 (a) General rule.--The county council shall have the power
8 and authority, acting as the governing body of the
9 unincorporated district, to enact and the chief executive shall
10 have the power and authority to enforce local tax, fee and
11 service charge ordinances on the subjects of taxation, fees or
12 service charges of the unincorporated district at any rate or
13 amount as granted by statute to the class of municipality of
14 which the unincorporated district would be a member were it not
15 for its dissolution.
16 (b) Levy.--The county council shall levy and the county
17 shall collect taxes, fees and service charges authorized by
18 subsection (a) on the subjects of taxation, fees or service
19 charges of the unincorporated district necessary to cover the
20 operating and capital costs of the unincorporated district.
21 (c) Other revenues.--If the dissolved municipality collected
22 or received revenue other than through taxes, fees or service
23 charges, the same shall continue to be paid to the county after
24 the dissolution of the municipality, and the county shall apply
25 such revenue to the costs of the unincorporated district.
26 (d) Uncollected taxes.--If, after the effective date of
27 dissolution, there are uncollected taxes, fees and service
28 charges, revenues or unsatisfied liens, debts or obligations
29 owed to the dissolved municipality, the county manager shall
30 ensure that the debts and obligations are paid and satisfied and
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1 the same shall be paid to the county.
2 Section 3113-D. Financial assistance.
3 (a) Commonwealth Dissolution Fund.--The Department of
4 Community and Economic Development shall create and the General
5 Assembly may appropriate funding for a grant program to assist
6 municipalities in the process of dissolution and formation of an
7 unincorporated district. The grant program shall be administered
8 through the Department of Community and Economic Development.
9 Grants may be used by municipalities to study the costs and
10 benefits of dissolution and formation of an unincorporated
11 district and by commissions to offset the cost of services in
12 unincorporated districts.
13 (b) Priority.--Unincorporated districts shall receive
14 priority in all economic and community development programs
15 funded by the Commonwealth. Each Commonwealth agency authorized
16 to administer economic and community development programs shall,
17 in consultation with the Department of Community and Economic
18 Development, determine the manner in which to provide a
19 preference or priority to unincorporated districts and shall not
20 be required to afford first priority to unincorporated
21 districts.
22 Section 3114-D. Severability.
23 The provisions of this act are severable. If any provision of
24 this act or its application to any person or circumstance is
25 held invalid, the invalidity shall not affect other provisions
26 or applications of this act which can be given effect without
27 the invalid provision or application.
28 Section 3115-D. Effect of dissolution.
29 The fact that a municipality has been dissolved under this
30 act shall not affect its classification as a municipality for
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1 purposes of any other statute.
2 Section 2. All acts and parts of acts are repealed insofar
3 as they are inconsistent with this act.
4 Section 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
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