LGA Lyceum

Reassessments & Your Taxes: Common Myths Debunked

Paul Lalley, Esq., Campbell, Durrant, Beatty, Palombo & Miller, P.C., explains some little known provisions of the law in this blog.

There certainly has been much publicity surrounding Allegheny County’s court-ordered property reassessments and, with that, controversy generated by public fears that property reassessments automatically equate to higher tax bills for everyone. One popular sentiment that has been expressed in various mediums is that local elected officials will be able to automatically increase taxes based on the new assessment figures.

Well, it’s time to put that myth to rest.

Municipalities in Allegheny County are governed by 2005 amendments to the Second Class County Code that set forth a very specific process that municipalities must follow when setting the millage in the first year post-assessment (for those interested, it is 16 P.S. Section 4980.2). Essentially, the law is written to specifically prohibit “hidden” tax increases by a municipality immediately following a reassessment.

Here’s how it works:

First, the municipality must set the millage based on the reassessed property values at a rate that yields the same tax revenue as the municipality received in the year prior to the reassessment.  This is commonly referred to as “equalizing” the millage.  In setting the equalized millage, however, the municipality is allowed to exclude the assessed value of newly constructed buildings and the increased valuations based on new improvements made to existing structures.  The municipality is also allowed to factor in the experience of prior years’ assessment appeals (typically, reductions in assessments due to appeals) over a five-year average when setting the equalized millage. 

So, for example, if this five-year averaging shows a 5% decrease in assessed values due to appeals, the municipality may set the equalized millage by assuming that there will be a 5% drop in values as a result of appeals from the certified reassessed values that the municipality receives from the County. 

However…

Once the municipality has set the equalized millage using this formula, the municipality is permitted to increase that equalized millage by up to 5%.  In order to do so, however, it must have a “separate and specific vote” to increase that equalized millage up to 5% to get the final millage. 

Citizens should keep in mind that The Sunshine Act, as well as other laws pertaining to public meetings and records, still apply in this case – meaning that meetings or discussions about this topic are as open as the meetings and discussions your community had in preparing its 2012 budget.

If the municipality has “good cause” why it needs to increase the equalized millage by more than 5%, it may file a petition to obtain court approval to do so.  But again, this would happen only through a publicly-filed petition and proceedings in open court, with a judge deciding whether the municipality, in fact, has “good case” to set a final millage that is more than 5% higher than the equalized millage. This is an open and public process.

For municipalities in counties other than Allegheny (or Philadelphia), the Consolidated County Assessment Law (53 Pa.C.S. section 8823) contains a similar procedure.  The main difference with the Consolidated County Assessment Law procedure is that after equalizing the millage, the municipality is allowed to have a “separate and specific vote” to increase the equalized millage up to 10% (not the 5% limit for Allegheny County) to get a final post-reassessment millage.  Also, the municipality is not permitted to use a five-year averaging experience of assessment appeals when determining the equalized millage. 

The rules for school districts – regardless of whether they are in Allegheny or another county – are different.  School districts are subject to the anti-windfall provision of Act 1 (Again for those interested, 53 P.S. section 6926.327).  School districts must also equalize millage for the first year post-reassessment, but they are not allowed to factor in any prior experience of assessment appeals.  They then are permitted to increase the equalized millage up to the limit of their prior year’s Act 1 percentage “index” (which is an inflation-based number that is calculated for each school district each year by the Pennsylvania Department of Education).

One major difference between school districts and municipalities is that there is no requirement that this increase be by a “separate and specific” vote of the school board. In other words, a school board can do all of this in one resolution.  If a school board intends to seek any increase of the equalized millage above the Act 1 index, then it must follow Act 1’s procedures to do so, which means seeking either Department of Education approval or voter approval at a referendum.       

There has been much public confusion (at least in Allegheny County) about the reassessment process, but one point should be clear to all:  there is no “windfall” to municipalities or hidden tax increases in a reassessment year.  Any tax increase in a reassessment year must be through the same open, public process that applies to municipal budget adoption and tax levies in a non-reassessment year.

 

Register for the FREE Third Thursdays Roundtable on this topic:
Thursday, February 16, 2012
11 AM - 1 PM
CCAC Adminitration Building
Register On-Line Today

 

Submitted by:

Paul Lalley, Esq.
Campbell, Durrant, Beatty, Palombo & Miller, P.C.

 

What can you do to ensure the health of your community’s pension plan?

Attend Local Government Academy's "Pensions 101" program on February 2nd for a good start!

As we usher in the new year, a common goal among many newly elected officials, appointed leaders and citizen group representatives, is tackling the municipality’s pension problems.  Pension contribution requirements are gobbling up more and more of municipal budgets. These newcomers are eager to learn more about how the pension systems work, who takes care of them, and what can be done to curb the costs going forward.

 In light of all of the national attention focused on government pension benefits in the last few years, an idea that comes to mind is to change or reduce benefits, increase retirement age, or even get rid of the plan altogether.  But in Pennsylvania, constitutional protections, pension statutes and collective bargaining agreements limit or prohibit most obvious solutions to growing pension obligations. The upcoming program, “Pensions 101” for Elected Officials, will help participants better understand what they can do to ensure the property management and fiscal health of their community’s pension plan.

 A local government’s professional service providers who manage and administer the pension plans can be a municipal official’s most valuable tool in assessing whether there is a potential problem with controlling costs, the source of increasing costs and managing risk.  Whether the spike in pension costs is expected to subside once the investment markets recover, or if there are other problems, now is a good time to do a due diligence review of the pension administration, implement cost containment measures (that may or may not involve benefit changes or cutbacks), and lobby state legislators for meaningful pension reform. 

 Find out more about your roles and responsibilities, the questions you should be asking about the safety and soundness of their community’s pension practices and what you can do to improve the health of your pension plans by attending Pensions 101 for Elected Officials on Thursday, February 2, 2012.

 

Submitted by:
Colleen Deer
Mockenhaupt Benefits Group

 

 

Pennsylvania’s Public Sector Pension Crisis: What Local Elected Officials Need to Know to Make the Best Decisions Regarding Their Community’s Plan

The current public sector pension crisis will place huge financial demands on Pennsylvanians for decades; learn about your roles and responsibilities at the February 2nd program, "Pensions 101" for Elected Officials.

Though municipal pension problems have receded from the headlines in recent months, Pennsylvania’s municipal pension funding crisis is far from over.  Across the Commonwealth, there are nearly $7 billion in unfunded pension liabilities, and over 500 municipalities, representing nearly a third of Pennsylvania’s population, have pension funds that are under substantial stress. With the market volatility of the last several years, pension fund assets have seen dramatic losses in value, requiring even greater annual payments from municipalities, many of whom already face annual required pension contributions equal to 5-10% of their revenues.

In the face of these challenges our state government, rather than acting decisively, has avoided the tough decisions and pushed the problem farther down the road. Although the legislature has passed some modest reforms, it is still far too easy for local governments to underfund their pensions, and far to difficult to implement the kind of reforms that can help control the growing mountain of pension debt. Among the challenges that Pennsylvania law place in the way of municipalities that want to control escalating pension costs are:

• Binding arbitration that is heavily skewed against municipal governments. Under current law, when an arbitrator rules on a contract dispute and sets pension benefit levels, there is no requirement to consider the ability of the municipality to pay for those benefits.
• State regulations which mandate benefit levels for public safety employees in many classes of municipality. Although there are many different ways to provide retirement benefits, local governments often have their hands tied and are required to offer difficult-to-plan defined benefit pensions.

While restrictive and sometimes adverse state laws hamstring municipal government in pension issues, some municipal pension problems arise from poor management practices.  For example, in order to keep minimum municipal obligations low, some municipalities assume over-optimistic discount rates that that far exceed actual market returns, resulting in annual contributions that are insufficient to meet obligations. Over time this common practice seriously deteriorates pension fund health.

It is crucial for municipal pension plan health that state laws be amended to allow municipalities to implement the range of best practices available to the non-governmental sector.  But it is also essential that local elected officials learn about and implement prudent management practices so they can at least make the best of a bad situation. Good, sound pension plan management practices are indispensible for the provision of an adequate retirement for employees and to maintain stable and sustainable budgets in their communities.

To learn about these topics, and others related to the management of your community’s pension plan, elected officials, especially those who are new to local office, are encouraged to attend Local Government Academy’s upcoming program, “Pensions 101” for Elected Officials, on Thursday, February 2, 2012 between 6 PM and 9 PM at the Avalon Borough Building. Reserve your spot by registering on-line today: http://tinyurl.com/Pensions101.

 

Submitted by:
Will Bernstein, Policy Analyst, Allegheny Conference on Community Development
Brian Jensen, Ph.D., Executive Director, Pennsylvania Economy League of Southwestern PA, LLC and Senior Vice President, Civic Policy

Why Air Quality is a Local Issue

Local government improves the quality of life for its citizens in a number of areas – parks and recreation, street maintenance and repair, waste management and recycling, community development and public safety – to name a few.  Often, issues related to air quality are overlooked at the local level because enforcement is perceived to be the responsibility of county or state officials.  However, at the Group Against Smog and Pollution (GASP), roughly half of the complaints received relate to problems addressable at the local level.  Usually these complaints are about unnecessary idling of diesel vehicles or biomass burning in one form or another.  In such situations, municipal officials are often caught off guard about the problems they are facing, or don’t understand how to enforce regulations.  However, local officials are in a unique position to improve the quality of life in a community, as emissions from these two sources have their biggest impact in small areas—at a neighboring house, over a few blocks, or throughout a town nestled in a valley.

It is true that “air quality” often falls under the enforcement of county and state health agencies.  But local officials, who are often most in touch with the community, can do much to regulate unnecessary idling and assure the correct use of Outdoor Wood-Fired Boilers (OWBs) in their communities.  Two upcoming webinars hosted by LGA will introduce participants to the how. 

The First Webinar, “What Local Governments Need to Know About Outdoor Burners & Wood Smoke Pollution,” (January 25^th, 12:30 PM, free):  GASP has found that most people don’t give a lot of thought to wood burning, since it often takes the form of a fun outdoor activity, like a campfire.  But outdoor burning can take many other forms and ongoing exposure to wood smoke can result in harmful effects. Residents may observe an increase in a running nose, stinging eyes, and trouble breathing, and these impacts often result in complaints to local authorities.  What is burned and how outdoor burning occurs is important because smoke from wood and other materials may contain a vast number of toxins which can cause or aggravate existing respiratory and other ailments. With the rise in popularity of outdoor burners, local officials are well advised to expand their understanding of these issues.  This webinar will inform local leaders about Pennsylvania laws regulating outdoor burners and wood smoke and what local laws they can adopt.

The second webinar, “Complying With & Enforcing Idling Laws,” (February 15^th, 12:30 PM, free): This webinar addresses a similar problem: that of the economic, environmental, and health impacts associated with unnecessary idling of diesel vehicles.  Responding to citizen complaints and concerns about the toxicity of these emissions, PA recently passed regulations restricting idling in most instances.  Higher rates of cancers, cardiovascular diseases, and other ailments are found among operators of diesel vehicles or those living near areas with diesel vehicle activity.  Learn what the exceptions and exemptions to the idling regulations are, and why keeping a sharp eye on idling can be good for your community in a number of ways.

When citizens are concerned about outdoor wood burning or diesel idling in their neighborhoods, they don’t pick up the phone to call the US Environmental Protection Agency or the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. They call their local police department, or their local elected officials, or the zoning officer or municipal manager.  We invite municipal officials to participate in these webinars to learn how they can respond to such situations effectively. 

 

Submitted by:
Jamin Bogi
Education and Outreach Coordinator
Group Against Smog and Pollution

 

Allegheny County Property Reassessments, Act 32 Implementation Addressed During Municipal Budget Season

Sewickley Borough Manager Kevin Flannery shares his thoughts on how these changes could impact the community’s budget in 2012

 

Members of Borough of Sewickley Council, The Honorable Mayor Brian Jeffe, Residents and Property Owners, Borough of Sewickley Employees, Visitors to the Borough of Sewickley:

It is a privilege to transmit to you the Borough Manager's recommended 2012 General Fund Budget…The budget is designed as a financial plan for all municipal funds…

The 2012 General Fund Budget recommends a 1.1% decrease in expenditures to maintain the level of delivery of municipal services to the residents, and the continuation of joint municipal service arrangements.

…For every real estate tax dollar paid in 2012 by a Sewickley property owner, the Borough receives $0.22 of that dollar. The County of Allegheny receives $0.15, and the remainder of each real estate tax dollar, $0.63, goes to the Quaker Valley School District.

Due to the current state of the reassessment issue within Allegheny County, the Borough Manager’s recommendation for the 2012 tax season is for the Borough of Sewickley to issue real estate tax bills on March 1st and that the bills will reflect the assessed values at the time they were mailed in March of 2011, except for any approved changes in property appeals and settlements.

The following are several factors in making this recommendation:

1. On September 15, 2011, Judge Wettick ordered that the City of Pittsburgh and Woodland Hills School District be the first communities to have their assessments completed by no later than December 1st, as well as the communities in Model Nos. 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. As a point of reference, the Borough of Sewickley is in the north section and is in Model No. 8. There has been much discussion in printed materials regarding the ability of the Assessment Office to complete the task by the date of December 1st given the number of assessments that are completed on a daily basis.

With Sewickley being in Model No. 8, we expect our assessed valuations to be made known in May or June of 2012. During a normal year, Allegheny County would mail out their tax bills in January, the Borough would mail out its tax bills in March, and the School District would mail out its tax bills in July. If the May or June date is the date the assessment valuations are given to the municipalities, that would mean then that all three taxing districts would be sending out tax bills within thirty days of each other. This would be extremely unfair to the real estate tax payer.

2. Based on the three previous assessments, the Borough of Sewickley is likely to have a higher assessed valuation which result in more real estate appeals than many other communities. With the past three assessments, the Borough has escrowed the difference between the previous year and the year in which the property assessments increased. In all three assessment increases, the amount escrowed by the Borough was NOT sufficient to pay back the appeals that were granted by Allegheny County. Some of the appeals lasted for a three year period before they were settled. Given the position of most lawyers who file appeals for property assessments, indicating to their clients that they will take half of what they save; and the fact that Sewickley has a populationwith financial resources, it is likely that the number of appeals is going to be high, with at least being equal to the previous assessments.

3. Waiting for the assessments to be completed within the target May or June date in order that tax bills can be sent out would require the Borough to have a significant amount of cash flow to operate for the first five or six months without its number one revenue resource. Sewickley has in the past utilized Tax Revenue Anticipation Notes in the amount of $500,000. If the tax bills are delayed to mid-year, the Borough would need to borrow $1.5 to $2 million. This will increase borrowing costs significantly and the interest rate may be higher.

4. The fourth reason for the recommendation is the fact that Act 32 and the new procedures for earned income tax collection take effect January 1, 2012. The Borough has prepared a financial analysis indicating that the Borough may be short in earned income tax revenues in 2012, between 7.75% and 21%. This is a significant dollar amount for the Borough, and is based upon the following example:

 The entire County of Allegheny, except for five or six communities who implemented early (2011), will be implementing the new procedures. By way of example: If there were a person who worked in the City of Pittsburgh and lived in the Borough of Sewickley, there is a strong likelihood that it could take several months for the earned income tax payment to reach the Borough. Most private sector businesses pay their employees on the fifteenth and thirtieth of the month.

 Businesses have thirty days to file and process their earned income taxes for their employees.  Most businesses will take advantage of doing a monthly type of remittance; therefore, in January a person could receive a paycheck on the 15th and the 30th, with the expectation that his earned income tax would then be sent to the City’s Tax Collector around February 1st. The City’s Tax Collector, which is Jordan Tax Service, has sixty days to process that payment and forward it to Keystone. Keystone then has thirty days to process it and deposit it into the Borough of Sewickley’s bank account.

I do not believe that this type of time lapse will be the norm once the process is up and running. I believe that employers will process their items after the first year relatively quickly, within 3 to 7 business days. However, I do believe that there will be a strong learning curve by both the employees and the employers on the new procedures. So, if we look at our example, there is a possibility that the payment that the business sent on February 1st may not arrive in the Borough’s account until May 1st. This new process can cause anywhere between a 10% and 25% reduction in cash flow of earned income taxes in 2012. I firmly believe that within 18 to 24 months of using the new system, not only will all payments be caught up, but there will be a significant increase in our income tax payments to all communities.

5. As the municipal manager, and by ordinance, I am required to prepare and deliver to Council a balanced budget by November 1st. As a member of several professional organizations (the International City Managers, the Association for Pennsylvania Municipal Managers, and the Government Finance Officers Association), I have a real ethical dilemma in trying to recommend a financial picture of revenues based upon a number that may not be available for 2 months, 4 months or 7 months after discussion, public review and adoption of the 2012 Budget.

...We look forward to reviewing with you this 2012 Budget Document for the Borough of
Sewickley.

Sincerely Yours,

 

Kevin M. Flannery

Borough Manager & Secretary

Election Winners: Why should you Enroll in the Complete Newly Elected Officials Course?

This time of year LGA welcomes a new class of participants to the Newly Elected Officials Course.  It is an exciting time:  meeting individuals who care so much about their community that they decided to run for office; learning about the most recent issues and concerns in the region; working with experts to develop the most up-to-date and relevant programs.  Invariably, this time is also accompanied by the questions “Do I really need to take the full course?”  or “What are the minimum attendance requirements?”

These questions are always a surprise, because we know the benefits the Newly Elected Officials Course has provided to past participants.  It is an excellent reminder of the duty LGA has to demonstrate the relevance and importance of the program.  After all, people involved in their communities are busy people.  We all know the saying about how to get things done-- get a busy person to do it.  As citizens, we all benefit when “busy people” get involved and busy people want to manage their time.  The course must provide them benefits.

So to the busy community-minded people who have won the vote, we offer this: Let us help by cutting your learning curve in half and improving your performance as an elected official.  This is what investing some time upfront, by taking the whole Newly Elected Officials Course, can do for you.  Save time by expanding your abilities in core responsibilities:

• Powers and Duties of local officials
• Public Sector Budgeting and Finance
• Public Sector Human Resource Management
• Public Safety
• Infrastructure and Public Works
• Ethics
• Intergovernmental Cooperation
• Communications and Conflict Resolution

When we start a new endeavor, we don’t know what we don’t know.  Serving in public office is no different.  Candidates have political opinions and are well informed about the views of the voters who just elected them. Each has personal expertise and life-experience.  These are definite strengths.  To serve the public, those strengths must be built upon by filling knowledge gaps and raising questions that will come up in public service but aren’t necessarily apparent in the campaign. 

Opening Day starts this Saturday, November 19, 2011 at the Pittsburgh Marriot City Center—just across the street from the Consol Energy Center.  The day will provide an introduction to the class and also an opportunity for you to meet fellow winners of the most recent election.  If you are unsure about the benefits of the Newly Elected Officials Course, come to Opening Day and then decide if it’s for you. Walk-ins are welcome and you may register for the full course until January 12, 2012. More information about the Newly Elected Officials Course is available on our website.

Serving in public office is a unique experience and having being elected is an honor and a trust.  Take time to invest in your own leadership development.  The benefits to you and your community will exceed your expenditure of time.  I look forward to meeting you on November 19! 

 

Susan Hockenberry
Executive Director, Local Government Academy

LGA provides comments to GASB's Exposure Draft on Pension Accounting & Financial Reporting through Roundtable Discussion

Local Government Academy hosted a roundtable discussion on September 15, 2011 to gather public feedback on GASB's Exposure Draft on potential changes to Pension Accounting and Financial Reporting Standards. The discussion was lead by Besty Krisher, of Maher Duessel CPAs. Below is the letter that was submitted to GASB, by LGA, based on the comments and ideas that were gathered at the roundtable.

September 27, 2011

 

Dear Mr. Bean:

Local Government Academy, an independent nonprofit organization promoting excellence in local government and serving southwestern Pennsylvania, recently convened a roundtable discussion of the Exposure Draft of the Governmental Accounting Standards Board on Pension Accounting and Financial Reporting by Employers.  Participating in the Roundtable were county and municipal finance officers and 1 actuary.  

The following are some comments for the consideration of the GASB.  We appreciate the ability to participate in this process and thank the GASB for considering our comments.

Net Pension Liability
The proposal that a government would report in its financial statements a net pension liability equal to the difference between the total pension liability and the value of assets set aside in a pension plan to pay benefits to current employees, retirees, and their beneficiaries was met with agreement. 

It was the consensus of the group that it will improve transparency, but not necessarily usefulness.  These concerns about usefulness, however, were more related to general concerns about the government wide statements than to this standard specifically.  Accountability was believed to be improved, but only for those with the knowledge to use the reports.  General public consumption of basic financial statements was believed to be set back by this proposal due to added complexity and disclosures and it was expressed that standards for popular reporting should be forthcoming to provide accessible information for elected officials, citizens, and the media.  Further, it was felt that policy discussions about pensions will continue to be focused on current expenses on a fund level.

Measuring a Government’s Total Pensions Liability
The group agreed with the GASB’s proposal for how the total pension liability should be measured. 

The proposal for the frequency and timing of measurement roll forward provisions were expected to definitely add cost to report preparation despite GASB’s attempts to try to hold down those costs.  However, accountability is expected to improve because of a single preferred calculation method for projecting benefits.  This is because the method applies market rates to “real” money only and uses a more cautious rate based upon what it would cost to borrow the needed funds today to forecast the future rate of return.

Measuring Pension Expense
The group agreed with the factors incorporated in the calculation of annual pension expense and that better matching of expenses and time periods occurs with the proposal.  However, questions were raised about the proposal to use five years and the time period for incorporating the differences between projected earning and investments and actual earnings, as it was unclear as to the basis for this time period being selected.

It was felt that accountability was improved by this proposal because of faster expense recognition but concerns about the complexity of statements persisted. 

Governments in Cost-Sharing Multiple-Employer Pension Plans
The group agreed with the proposal that governments in cost-sharing multiple employer plans report a liability equal to their long-term proportionate share because it is an accurate depiction of their liability.  However there was concern that it would not improve the ability to assess accountability because given the representation and decision-making of public sector multi-employer plans, funding issues may be more political and ultimately, out of the control of a particular participating employer than is the case for single employer plans. 

Note Disclosures and Required Supplemental Information
Other than concerns for the size and usefulness of adding significantly more disclosures to the reports, there was not a lot of disagreement with the proposed notes.  With regard to the discount rate, the benefit of a sensitivity analysis showing the effect of a 1 percentage point increase was not considered significant (while the benefit of showing a 1 percentage drop was). 

Overall Comment
In general, the group expressed concerns about “accounting standard overload” and whether as the increasing size and complexity of basic financial statements and the corresponding additional costs would drive all but the largest governments to turn to regulatory basis reporting and avoidance of comprehensive GAAP financial reporting.  In addition, it is difficult for most local government units to justify the cost-benefit equation of full GAAP financial reporting when it does not seem that there is an educated set of users that appreciate that level of reporting (especially as it relates to the bond market and the lack of understanding of governmental statements by the financial community).

We appreciate the work of the GASB to improve Pension Accounting and Financial Reporting.  Our thanks to Elizabeth Krisher, of Maher Duessel CPAs, for providing technical assistance to the group during the roundtable discussion and in the development of these comments.   

Sept. 8: GFOA To Host Health Care Plan Designs Seminar in Pine Township

The issue of employee benefits faces every employer. On one hand, employers must offer an attractive benefits package to recruit and retain talented and loyal employees. But the price of benefits continues to rise and employers are engaging in the delicate balancing act of trying to rein in costs while attempting to keep employees satisfied. As we all know, local governments are really feeling the pain of these rising costs in the areas of pensions and other benefits packages for employees.

This September, the Government Finance Officers Association of PA will address these concerns at its annual fall seminar. The Health Care Plan Designs seminar will be broken into two sessions with the morning session devoted to cost containment plan designs and the afternoon session will update participants regarding health care reform.

Part One: Cost Containment Plan Designs

The speaker, Mr. Rich Carson, President of Webb Insurance in Hanover, PA, will explore several options available to employers to reduce their “fixed” health insurance costs with the assumption of limited “risk”. The cost-benefit equation will also be explored so that employers can make educated decisions.

Part Two: Health Care Reform Update

Mr. Carson will focus on presenting where we are today regarding implementation requirements that will be effective September 23, 2011. He will discuss items that have been repealed and items that have been suspended pending final regulation. He will also give a brief overview of the legal challenges associated with these new requirements.

The seminar will be held Thursday, September 8 at the Pine Township Community Center in Wexford. The seminars are open to members and non-members and continuing education credits can be earned. Click here for registration information; walk-in registrations will be accepted.

Complete seminar information, continuing education credit information and registration materials can be found on GFOA-PA’s Web site at www.gfoapa.org. 

Q&A with Scott Levenson: How Conway Borough Uses Social Media

Conway is a small borough – about 2,400 residents – nestled along the Ohio River Boulevard in Beaver County. As in a number of similar communities, staff and fiscal constraints leave little room for printing and mailing news and announcements to the community. But, that doesn’t mean that the citizens of Conway Borough don’t have an interest in their local government or the events that are taking place in the community.

Lead by current Council President Scott Levenson, the Borough created a Facebook Group and began using the social media tool as a way to share information with the community (about 10% of of residents have become members of the group).

Read on for a Q&A with Scott to see how elected officials in Conway Borough are using Facebook and for some insight on how you can use social media in your own community.

Register to attend next Wednesday’s program on Social Media. Participants will receive expert insight on the policies that local governments should consider adopting, legal issues regarding social media use and more insight from two local communities who also use social media.

 

LGA: What made you decide to create a Facebook Group for Conway Borough? 

Levenson: Facebook is free!

A few council members had personal Facebook accounts and realized that several hundred residents were users as well. It became an easy and no-cost way to get messages out to a relatively large number of people very quickly and with minimal effort. It’s also a flexible tool because you can post messages from any computer at any time (this also makes it easy to for several people to share the responsibility of posting information).

Many of our younger residents use Facebook, so it’s a viable avenue to start to reach the kids in town. Long-term, we hope that this will increase their awareness of local government and possibly even encourage them to get involved, either by volunteering at events or by serving in one of our recently created Jr. Councilperson positions.

LGA: What role have you, and other elected officials, played in maintaining the group and in posting new information?

Levenson: Any of our elected officials who are on Facebook are named as Group Administrators so that we can all post messages. Announcements are most often posted by me and the council member who chairs our Parks & Recreation Committee. Others, including our mayor, will occasionally post information.

LGA: How do you work with Conway Borough staff to determine what information should be posted?

Conway Borough has a small administrative staff. To assist the staff, council has made it a priority to communicate with citizens about borough events and other community activities. We also maintain a website, where most announcements are posted because it is accessible to more people. Facebook supplements that and gives the borough another avenue to reach users more directly.

LGA: Do you see this as part of your “job” as an elected official – to keep the community informed? What type of feedback have you received from the community?

Yes, very much so. When I first ran for council, citizens didn’t know what was going on unless they went to all of the council meetings. I promised voters that I would make council more transparent by creating a website, which became my first task after being elected. A committee of volunteers researched hosting companies (and found one for less than $240 annually) and made decisions about what information we wanted to post, how we wanted to display it and what type of design we wanted. Each volunteer gathered and formatted the information for a page.

Feedback about the website and Facebook has mostly been good; although citizens without computers will occasionally point out that they don’t have access to the site. Overall, people seem to be more informed and we often get suggestions for other things that they’d like to see posted or shared with the community.

LGA: Do you have any rules or policies for your Facebook group (these could be policies for employees/elected officials and/or other members of the group)?

We do not currently have a policy in place, but we are in the process of collecting samples and reviewing policies that other municipalities have adopted. We are working on Conway Borough’s first-ever employee handbook and I firmly believe that there needs to be a formal policy adopted to govern the use of the Facebook group, website and other means of electronic communication.

LGA: What advice would you give to other elected officials who are considering using social media tools like Facebook?

Use it – it’s the easiest, most cost effective way to reach a significant number of your residents. When you decide to use it, actually use it – people will become members of the group and will stay involved if new information is posted regularly. You don’t have to use it for “heavy” issues, but even using it for emergency notifications or an events calendar can go a long way in improving communication within your community and in letting your neighbors know about events taking place in your municipality.

 

 

 

Ten Reasons to Make Transit Oriented Development a Priority in Your Community

Transit-oriented communities are characterized by a number of quality-of-life benefits, including:

• Improving property values
• Stable real estate revenues
• Stronger local business districts
• Economical use of infrastructure

If learning how to make those four items characteristics of your community isn't enough, here are 10 more reasons to attend LGA's June 9 program, "Transit Oriented Development: Is It a FIT With Your Community?"

1. Now, more than ever, as transit services are limited or cut, making the most of your community's assets is important. You cannot just assume that the service will be there. Local communities must position themselves to be competitive when choices are being made about where to provide service.

2. This program is part of the Sustainable Development Academy. Why? Because promoting transit-oriented development is an important step in building the sustainability of communities. Property values, access to job markets, and reduced carbon footprints are all features of transit-oriented communities.

3. As gas prices rise, having transit available for commuters puts money in their pocket. You want to help citizens save money, right?

4. Walkable communities are popular and are also often TOD communities. Do you have a great Main Street that you would like to see sustained or improved?

5. Let's figure this out: How do we assure the most bang for our transportation buck? How should state policy be written to promote efficient use of existing infrastructure? TOD delivers a lot of value in this regard. Come learn how you can be a part of this conversation.

6. Transit oriented developments tend to meet the needs of a variety of citizens. Ever notice how some really great places have "Granny Babushka" and "Tattooed Teen" often seen side-by-side?

7. The coffee is better in transit-oriented communities. Ok, not really, but sometimes it just seems that way!

8. Think TOD is only for urban communities? Think again! The SPC FIT tool can show you how "commuter" and "edge" municipalities are identified and how to capitalize on the assets that are present in a variety of communities.

9. More TOD equals more clean water. Really. Come to this program to find out how.

10. There is no pot of free money! Come learn how to be your municipality's own best champion.

 

Transite Oriented Development: Is It a FIT With Your Community?
Thursday, June 9, 2011
9 AM - 3:30 PM
Wilkinsburg Borough Municipal Building
Reserve your spot by registering on-line