PRINTER'S NO.  3483

  

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

  

HOUSE RESOLUTION

 

No.

725

Session of

2010

  

  

INTRODUCED BY DRUCKER, FREEMAN, CREIGHTON, BELFANTI, BEYER, BISHOP, BRIGGS, BROOKS, CALTAGIRONE, D. COSTA, DALEY, DiGIROLAMO, DONATUCCI, EVERETT, FAIRCHILD, FLECK, GEIST, GEORGE, GOODMAN, GROVE, GRUCELA, HELM, HENNESSEY, HESS, HOUGHTON, KNOWLES, KULA, LONGIETTI, MAHONEY, MAJOR, MANN, MARKOSEK, MATZIE, McILVAINE SMITH, MELIO, MILLARD, MILNE, OBERLANDER, O'NEILL, PASHINSKI, PAYNE, PHILLIPS, PICKETT, READSHAW, SAINATO, SANTONI, SIPTROTH, STABACK, SWANGER, THOMAS, TRUE, VULAKOVICH, WATSON, WHITE AND YOUNGBLOOD, APRIL 7, 2010

  

  

INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35, APRIL 7, 2010  

  

  

  

A RESOLUTION

  

1

Designating the week of April 11 through 17, 2010, as "Local

2

Government Week" and April 15, 2010, as "Local Government

3

Day" in Pennsylvania.

4

WHEREAS, Local government in Pennsylvania is a mosaic of more

5

than 4,500 individual units with 67 counties, more than 50

6

cities, nearly 1,500 townships of the second class, nearly 100

7

townships of the first class, more than 950 boroughs, one

8

incorporated town, 500 school districts and more than 1,500

9

authorities; and

10

WHEREAS, In addition to county government, every single

11

Pennsylvanian lives, works and plays within a local government;

12

and

13

WHEREAS, While each unit is distinct and independent of the

14

others, they all act in concert to improve the quality of life

 


1

of the more than 12 million residents of this Commonwealth; and

2

WHEREAS, Pennsylvania local government is the epitome of a

3

"grassroots" operation and most local government elected

4

officials are ordinary citizens who choose to serve their

5

community; and

6

WHEREAS, Government service is not their full-time profession

7

or occupation; instead they may be farmers, doctors, steel

8

workers, teachers or local business owners; and

9

WHEREAS, These dedicated individuals bring new ways of

10

tackling old problems and fresh approaches to local government

11

issues from other areas of their life and, through time and

12

experience, develop expertise in both government administration

13

and an intimate knowledge of the unique needs of their

14

communities; and

15

WHEREAS, This "citizen-official" is the backbone of local

16

government in Pennsylvania and local government is the

17

foundation of the American system of democracy; and

18

WHEREAS, On a daily basis, they serve on the front lines of

19

the vast majority of interactions between citizens and their

20

government and are responsible for providing a staggering number

21

of public services directly to Commonwealth residents; and 

22

WHEREAS, The scope of these municipal functions and

23

responsibilities is broad and includes, among other things,

24

police protection, parking and traffic control, maintenance of

25

local streets and roads, water supply, sewage collection and

26

treatment, local planning and zoning, parks and recreation,

27

garbage collection, health services, libraries, schools,

28

licensing of businesses and code enforcement; and

29

WHEREAS, While local government elected officials are at the

30

heart of community activity and in a unique position to get many

- 2 -

 


1

things done for their community, they also face a seemingly

2

never ending list of duties, obligations, tough decisions and

3

thankless jobs; and

4

WHEREAS, To help get the work done, local government elected

5

officials rely heavily on local government professionals who

6

have chosen to make local government their life work and without

7

whom local governments could not exist in a modern community;

8

and

9

WHEREAS, These professionals follow careers in fields such as

10

city and regional planning, community development and housing,

11

public health and hospital administration, parks and recreation,

12

public welfare and community social work, library service,

13

transportation and traffic control, finance, administration,

14

engineering, law enforcement and legal services; and

15

WHEREAS, Together, local government elected officials and

16

local government professionals make important decisions every

17

day affecting the lives of every single one of us; and

18

WHEREAS, It is only fitting that each year we set aside one

19

week as "Local Government Week" and one day as "Local Government

20

Day" in this Commonwealth; and

21

WHEREAS, "Local Government Week" and "Local Government Day"

22

focus attention on the need for these strong, independent and

23

active local governments in Pennsylvania and officially

24

recognize the many valuable contributions made by these citizens

25

who serve their communities in public office; therefore be it

26

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives designate the

27

week of April 11 through 17, 2010, as "Local Government Week"

28

and April 15, 2010, as "Local Government Day" in Pennsylvania.

- 3 -