PA Local PA Local

Municipalities are the most local form of government because their offices and meetings are the closest to their constituents. In this episode we discuss the history, purpose, function, and limitations of Pennsylvania municipalities with Patton Township Manager Doug Erickson.

Recycling in Pennsylvania is a state-mandated responsibility that is managed at the local level. We talk with Pam Adams of the Centre Region Planning Agency about the structure and management of recycling in the Centre Region and its sustainability over time.

Libraries are among the last services available to everyone just for being residents. Cathi Alloway, the Director of Schlow Centre Region Library in State College, discusses the history of Pennsylvania libraries, their mission, and their relationship to local governments and the state.

When regions reach thresholds of population and density, they often provide transit. Transit receives funding from federal, state and local budgets but is managed locally. Louwana Oliva, General Manager of the Centre Area Transit Authority (CATA), discusses the strategic and operational challenges of providing regional public transit.

When federal funding is involved in a road project (which is almost always the case), federal law requires that funding to be managed by a Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) or a Regional Planning Organization (RPO) representing the local community. Tom Zilla of the Centre Region Planning Agency, and lead planner for the Centre County MPO, discusses the structure and management of transportation projects at the local level.

Counties are the common denominators of local government. All states have counties of one form or another. Mike Pipe, Centre County Commissioner, joins us to discuss the role of counties in Pennsylvania and how their functions differ from what is provided by municipal government.