County & Municipal Research

Selected County and Municipal Research Activities Since 1990

The Pennsylvania Economy League is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization which for more than 70 years has been helping state and local government officials meet the increasingly complex demands placed upon them.

PEL has a long tradition of involvement in matters relating to county and municipal finance and manage­ment.  At the request of the former Department of Commu­nity Affairs and the Local Government Commission, PEL undertook a comprehen­sive examination of local government finance in Pennsylvania in the early 1970’s which produced numerous recommendations for improving tax policy and administration; PEL served as staff to several state level “blue ribbon” panels studying local taxation and finance; PEL recommended and helped create Pennsylvania’s Public Employee Retirement Study Commission; and, more recently, PEL developed, at the request of the former Depart­ment of Community Affairs, a fiscal and management assistance program to help local governments deal with economic and financial hardship; to help them enhance tax bases and nontax revenue sources; to aid in administer­ing real estate and nonproperty taxes; and to guide them in debt management and munici­pal accounting.  In addi­tion, the training programs developed by PEL address the topic of cutback management and provide municipal cost­–saving techniques.

PEL has helped individual counties and municipalities deal with fiscal distress and resolve related financial problems; streamline operations and find more cost–effective ways to deliver services including police protection, volunteer fire protection, public works, and so forth; and address various personnel matters by assisting in making important management decisions relative to collective bargaining and in preparing for and testifying at fact finding and arbitration hearings.  PEL has also aided in such other areas as estimat­ing revenues and expenditures, establishing fees for services, improv­ing the budget process, determining the feasibility of coop­erative services, improving administrative organization including drafting home rule charters and adminis­trative codes, enhancing economic development efforts, improving emergency management and communications, establishing recycling programs, and carrying out land use and strategic planning.  PEL’s personnel­–related activities have included evaluation of individual personnel systems; writing personnel poli­cies and procedures manuals; developing classification and pay plans; and establishing performance appraisal systems.

The common theme of all PEL’s work is to provide facts and objective analyses to government officials and the general public so that sound policy decisions can result.  As an independent nonprofit organization, PEL has been widely recognized for its expertise and experience and as being free of partisan considerations, vested interests, profit motivation, or other factors which can often be perceived as clouding government decision–making.

The following pages contain a partial listing of studies undertaken by the Pennsylvania Economy League since 1990 for counties, cities, boroughs, town­ships, and authorities.  Included in this list is technical assistance and home rule charter drafting services to Government study commissions (most notably, those in Luzerne County, Allegheny County, and Clinton County), assisting in the preparation of administra­tive codes, and numerous studies involving school districts (although examples of our work with respect to personnel management may include some school district clients).

Budgeting, Finance, and Taxation:

City of Scranton:  Act 47 Recovery Plan Coordinator – Underway
City of Nanticoke:  Act 47 Recovery Plan Coordinator – Underway
Borough of West Hazleton:  Act 47 Recovery Plan Coordinator – Underway
Lehigh Valley: Tax Base Sharing and Regional Assets Funding Analysis – Underway
Shared Services in Selected PA Counties and an Economic Analysis of Services – 2009
Altoona City – 2009
Coopersburg Borough – 2009
Shamokin City – 2008
Case Studies of Five Pennsylvania Cities and Municipalities – 2008
Plains Township, Luzerne County – Five-Year Financial Management Plan – 2008
Structuring Healthy Communities – GRA research honorable mention –2007
Hanover Township, Luzerne County – Five-Year Financial Management Plan – 2007
City of Williamsport; Five-Year Financial Management Plan – 2006
Borough of Stroudsburg – 2006
City of Altoona: Five-Year Financial Management Plan– 2006
Bristol Borough:  Fiscal Strategies for the Future – 2002
Birdsboro Borough:  Long-term Financial Analysis – 2002
City of Reading:  Fiscal Analysis and Recovery Plan – 1999
Lehigh Valley:  Tax Base Sharing and Regional Assets Funding Analysis – 1999
Montgomery County:  Fiscal Analysis – 1996
City of Pittsburgh:  Business Privilege Tax Study – 1996
City of Pittsburgh:  Revenue Forecast – 1996
Allegheny County:  Revenue Forecast – 1996
Erie County:  Tax Reform and Regional Assets Funding Analysis – 1996
City of Pittsburgh:  Revenue Forecast – 1995
City of Pittsburgh:  Sale of Water System – 1995
City of Philadelphia: Budget Monitoring Project – 1994
Lansdale Borough:  Estimate of Revenues from the Earned Income Tax – 1994
Union Township:  Tax Increment Financing Proposal – 1994
Erie City:  Assessment of Financial Condition – 1994
City of Pittsburgh:  Revenue Forecast – 1994
Delaware County Reassessment Analysis – 1994
Centre Region:  Tax Collection – 1993
City of Clariton:  Tax Collection – 1993
Allegheny County:  Social Services Funding Formulas – 1992
Bradford Township:  Providing Accounting System Improvements – 1992
City of Washington:  Technical Assistance – 1992
Local Government Auditing in Pennsylvania – 1992
City of Dubois:  Technical Assistance – 1992
City of Altoona:  Technical Assistance – 1992
Tax Base Sharing in Rural Counties – 1992
Borough of Braddock:  Act 47 Recovery Plan Coordinator – 1991
Borough of Rankin:  Act 47 Recovery Plan Coordinator – 1990
Allegheny County:  Projected Yield from Hotel Room Occupancy Tax – 1990

General Organization and Management:

East Manchester and Mount Wolf Borough:  Merger/Consolidation – 2007
Lancaster County Government Study Commission: Consultant Support – 2007
Newburg borough and Hopewell Township: Merger/Consolidation – 2006
Clinton County Government Study Commission: Staff Support – 2006-07
Mount Penn Borough and Lower Alsace Township:  Merger/Consolidation – 2002
Luzerne County Government Study Commission: Staff Support – 2002-03
Spring Township and West Lawn Borough:  Merger/Consolidation – 2001
Wyomissing Borough and Wyomissing Hills Borough:  Merger/Consolidation – 2001
Susquehanna Borough and Oakland Borough:  Merger/Consolidation – 2000
East Cocalico Township Authority/Ephrata Area Joint Authority:  Water Services – 2000
Opportunities for Intergovernmental Cooperation in the Lehigh Valley – 1999
Town of Bloomsburg and Municipal Authority:  Administrative Overview – 1999
Temple Borough/Muhlenberg Township:  Merger Feasibility – 1998
Ligonier Borough:  Manager Feasibility Study – 1996
Mercer County Regional COG:  Shared Services Implementation – 1996
Downtown Pittsburgh:  Business Improvement District – 1996
Wall/Wilmerding:  Consolidation Study – 1996
Warren Area:  Intergovernmental Cooperation – 1996
Blair County:  Cooperative Programs – 1996
Cambria County:  Legal Services Review – 1996
Warren County:  Library System Assessment – 1996
Washington County:  Services Analysis – 1996
City of Philadelphia:  Procurement Manual – 1995
City of Philadelphia:  Health and Welfare Provisions – 1995
State College Area:  Consolidation – 1995
Black Lick Township/Jacksonville Borough:  Merger – 1995
St. Marys Transition – 1995
City of Pittsburgh/County of Allegheny:  Cooperative Service Program––Fleet Operations – 1995
City of Pittsburgh/County of Allegheny:  Cooperative Service Program––Risk Management – 1995
City of Pittsburgh/County of Allegheny:  Cooperative Service Program––Public Works – 1995
City of Pittsburgh/County of Allegheny:  Cooperative Service Program––Tax Based Sharing – 1995
City of Pittsburgh/County of Allegheny:  Cooperative Service Program––Criminal Justice – 1995
Allegheny County:  Tax Claim Bureau Study – 1995
Sandy/DuBois Consolidation – 1995
Ridgway:  Joint Government Study – 1995
Shenango Valley:  Shared Services – 1995
City of Johnstown:  Health Care Cost Control – 1994
Erie Area Council of Governments:  Development and Management – 1994
Various Jurisdictions:  Local Government Consolidation Program – 1994
Blair County:  Joint Bidding Program – 1994
City of Bradford:  Facilitation of Intermunicipal Cooperation – 1994
Fairview Borough/Fairview Township–Municipal Consolidation – 1994
Northwest Pennsylvania:  Multi–County Intergovernmental Cooperation – 1994
Rochester/East Rochester:  Consolidation – 1994
Mercer County:  Public Private Cooperation Initiative – 1994
Tuna Valley Council of Governments:  Formation and Administration – 1994
City of Johnstown:  Loan Guarantees – 1994
Allegheny County:  COG Study – 1994
Allegheny County:  Restructuring of County Government – 1994
Allegheny County Regional Asset District:  Research and Analysis – 1994
Allegheny County:  Fleet Management – 1994
Allegheny County:  Property Assessment Review – 1994
Allegheny County:  Municipal Services Inventory – 1994
City of Johnstown and Franklin Borough – 1993
Cranberry Township and Seven Fields Borough – 1993
City of Williamsport:  Analyzing the Impact of LERTA – 1993
Fairview Borough and Township Consolidation – 1993
Westmoreland County:  Wise III Shared Executive Program – 1993
Boroughs of Barnesboro and Spangler:  Consolidation – 1993
Menallen Sewage Study – 1993
Borough of Grove City/Pine Township Intergovernmental Cooperation – 1993
Eric Area CEO/COG – 1993
Centre Regional Council of Governments:  Tax Collection Services – 1993
City of Johnstown and Franklin Borough:  Consolidation – 1992
Allegheny County:  Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall – 1992
Allegheny County:  Protective Services Review – 1992
Claysville:  Water Study – 1992
Building Leadership Capacity in Distressed Communities – 1992
Brighton Township:  Municipal Authority – 1992
McKean Township, McKean Borough:  Assessing Consolidation – 1992
Uniontown, North Union Township, South Union Township:  Formation of Sewer Authority – 1992
Clariton and Braddock:  Downtown Consolidation – 1992
Rochester Borough and East Rochester Borough:  Consolidation – 1992
Cambria County:  Sharing Technical Support Services Among 21 Water Authorities – 1992
City of Hazleton:  General Operations – 1991
Lawrence County:  Administrative Study – 1991
Rochester:  Consolidation – 1991
Westmoreland County:  Review of Fleet Management Program – 1991
Blair County:  Sales Assessment Ratio Study – 1991
Mercer County:  Evaluation of Human Services System – 1991
St. Marys–Benzinger:  Consolidation II – 1991
Homestead/Pittsburgh:  Consolidation – 1991
Portage Area:  Consolidation – 1991
Canonsburg Borough:  Serving as Interim Manager – 1991
Monroeville Borough:  Serving as Interim Manager – 1991
City of Erie, et al.:  Opportunities for Intermunicipal Cooperation – 1991
Franklin and East Conemaugh Boroughs – 1990
City of Philadelphia:  Human Services; State and Local Responsibilities – 1990
Wyomissing Borough:  Analysis of Organization and Operations – 1990

Public Safety:

City of Scranton:  Police and Fire Operations (in conjunction with Act 47 Recovery Effort) – Ongoing
Kingston and Edwardsville Boroughs:  Merger of Paid Fire Services – 1999
Erie Public Safety Training Center – 1997
Penn Cambria:  Ambulance Services Study – 1997
City of Pittsburgh:  Office of Municipal Investigations – 1996
City of Pittsburgh/County of Allegheny:  Cooperative Service Program––Criminal Justice – 1995
City of Pittsburgh/County of Allegheny:  Cooperative Service Program––Police and Fire – 1995
Southern Blair County:  Regional Police Feasibility Study – 1995
West Shore Council of Governments:  Analyses of Volunteer Fire Services – 1995
Erie County:  Enhanced 911 Emergency Communications Plan/Phase II – 1995
Lackawanna County:  Enhanced 911 Emergency Communications Plan – 1995
Elizabethtown Borough, et al.:  Feasibility of Creating a Regional Police Department – 1994
Lancaster County:  Enhanced 911 Emergency Communications Plan – 1994
Blair County:  Regional Police Consolidation – 1994
Allegheny County:  Enhanced 911 Plan Development – 1993
York Township:  Analysis of Volunteer Fire Services – 1993
Allegheny Township:  Police/Fire – 1993
Nazareth Borough:  Analysis of Volunteer Fire Services – 1993
Springettsbury Township:  Analysis of Volunteer Fire Services – 1993
Bethlehem City:  Enhanced 911 Emergency Communications Plan – 1992
Susquehanna Township:  Analysis of Volunteer Fire Services – 1992
Washington County:  Highway Safety Agency – 1992
ALCOA Ambulance Project – 1992
Allegheny County:  Municipal Police Services – 1991
Allegheny County:  Administrative and Staffing Analysis of the County Fire Marshal Office – 1991
Erie County:  911 Study – 1991
Hampden Township:  Analysis of Volunteer Fire Services – 1991
Donora–Monessen:  Police Community Study – 1991
North Huntington Township:  Analysis of Emergency Response System – 1991
Allegheny County:  Options for Upgrading Communications System – 1991

Human Resources Management:

Labor Management Relations/Preparation for Collective Bargaining, Arbitration, and Fact Finding

Lehighton Borough:  Police – 1997
City of Pittsburgh:  Fire – 1996–1997
Northampton County – Correction Officers – 1992
City of Lebanon:  Police and Fire – 1991
Monroe County:  Correctional Officers – 1991
Tamaqua Borough:  Police – 1991
West Pittston Borough:  Police – 1991

Personnel Policies and Procedures Manuals:

Mercer County (Update) – 1992
Forest/Warren Counties Department of Human Services – 1991
Manchester Township – 1991

Position Classification Plans

Borough of West Reading Nonuniformed Staff – 1999
Bethlehem Township Nonunion Staff – 1999
Mercer County:  Personnel and Classification Study – 1996
alisbury Township – 1994
State Court Agencies – 1992
York Township – 1992
Perkasie Borough – 1992
Borough of Catasauqua – 1991
Upper Saucon Township – 1990

Pay Plans:

Bethlehem Township Nonunion Staff – 1999
Bipartisan Management Committee of the PA House of Representatives – 1994
Lower Bucks County Joint Municipal Authority – 1993
Hempfield Township Municipal Authority – 1993
State Court Agencies:  Nonlegal Staff – 1991
Catasauqua Borough – 1990
Upper Saucon Township – 1990

Salary/Compensation Surveys:

Borough of West Reading – 1999
Lebanon County – 1999
City of Sharon:  Elected Officials – 1993
Mercer County Community Action Agency Comprehensive Compensation Analysis – 1993
City of Philadelphia/Private Sector in Metropolitan Area: Comparative Analysis – 1993
Delaware County Compensation Comparison:  Public School Teachers and Private Sector Positions – 1993
Lehigh County Compensation Comparison:  Public School Teachers and Private Sector Positions – 1992
York County Compensation Comparison:  Public School Teachers and Private Sector Positions – 1991

Performance Appraisal Systems:

Manchester Township – 1991

Other Personnel Projects:

Urban Redevelopment Authority:  Personnel Study – 1996
Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas:  Personnel Study – 1996
Mercer County Area Agency on Aging:  Personnel Study – 1996
Cambria County:  Human Services Needs Assessment – 1994
Washington County:  Human Services Authority Study – 1994
Allegheny County – Human Services Agencies Merit System – 1991

Economic Impact/Development:

Oakland Planning and Development Corporation:  Business Improvement District – 1996
Cambria County:  War Memorial Expansion Feasibility Study – 1996
Southeastern PA:  Philadelphia Jobs Initiative:  A Labor Market Analysis of Manufacturing, Hospitality, and Health
City of Philadelphia:  Improving the Quality of Small Businesses and Employees in West Oak Lane/Ogontz – 1996
Blair County–Altoona Economic Review – 1995
Blair County:  Convention Center Marketing Study – 1995
Butler County:  Arts Feasibility Study – 1995
Performing and Visual Arts Organizations in the Lehigh Valley – 1995
City of Philadelphia:  Factbook on the Philadelphia Economy – 1995
City of Philadelphia:  Survey of the Costs Associated with Illegal Dumping in Philadelphia – 1995
City of Philadelphia:  Economic Impact of the Pennsylvania Convention Center – 1995
Southeastern Pennsylvania:  Five County Regional Assessment––Update – 1994
Southwestern Pennsylvania Growth Alliance:  Research and Analysis – 1994
Blair County Convention Center:  Planning Assistance – 1994
Westmoreland County:  Business Survey – 1994
Cambridge Springs Correctional Institution:  Economic and Sewer/Water Impact – 1994
Southwestern Pennsylvania Growth Alliance:  Analysis of Clean Air Act – 1994
Green County:  Tourism Initiative – 1994
Mercer County Public/Private Cooperative Planning and Economic Development – 1993
Blair County Convention Center Market Study – 1993
Action Plan for Municipal Cooperation in Economic Development in the Lehigh Valley – 1993
Meadville, Crawford County, Corry, Vernon, and West Mead Townships:  Regional Authority – 1992
Blair County Arts Organizations – 1992
Westmoreland Training and Development Center Feasibility Study – 1992
Rural Residential Development – 1992 Warhol Museum Impact – 1991
Allegheny General Hospital – 1991
Abington Memorial Hospital – 1991
Blair County:  Cultural Economic Impact Analysis – 1991
Greene County:  Route 21 and the Waynesburg Bypass Study of Transportation Needs – 1991
Greene County Redevelopment Authority – 1991
City of Philadelphia:  Impact of the Philadelphia Naval Base and Shipyard – 1991

Planning and Related:

Armstrong County:  Joint Infrastructure Planning – 1994
Sandy Township/City of Dubois:  Intercommunity Strategic Planning – 1994
Fayette County:  Strategic Planning – 1994
Tyrone Borough:  Strategic Planning – 1994
Lawrence County:  Strategic Plan – 1996
Mercer County:  Strategic Plan Update Implementation – 1996
National Pike Management Action Plan
Rochester Intercommunity Strategic Planning
Greene County:  Intercommunity Strategic Plan
Cranberry Township Comprehensive Plan – 1993
Erie Area CEO/COG – 1993
Bradford Intercommunity Strategic Plan – 1993
Barnesboro/Spangler Strategic Planning – 1993
Fawn Township Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Ordinance Rewrite – 1993
Latrobe Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Ordinance Rewrite – 1993
Northwest Pennsylvania Regional Planning Commission Strategic Plan – 1992
South Greensburg Borough Ordinance Update – 1992
Centre Regional Council of Governments:  Zoning Regulations – 1992
West Alexander – Strategic Plan – 1991
Mercer County:  Strategic Plan – 1991
Derry Township:  Comprehensive Plan Update – 1991
City of Washington:  Comprehensive Plan Update – 1991