LAWRENCE CO. Signs bash home rule

The Lawrence County Demo-cratic Party paid for the signs.
By LAURE CIOFFI
VINDICATOR NEW CASTLE BUREAU
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- Blue and white signs are popping up on Lawrence County highways and roads telling residents to "vote no" for home rule. The signs go on to tell voters that "Home Rule means no limits on property taxes."
Lawrence County voters, however, won't be considering the issue of a home rule charter or taxation when they vote Tuesday.
They will, instead, decide if they want to convene a government study commission that will look at alternative ways to organize county government, which could eventually include a home rule charter.
But that's not how Peter Vessella, chairman of the Lawrence County Democratic Party, sees it.
Democratic committee: Vessella said he had about 1,000 "vote no" signs printed at the expense of the Lawrence County Democratic Party Committee. He explained that he polled a majority of the 27 members of his party's executive committee who authorized the signs. He refused to identify members of that committee.
Vessella said he decided to have the signs made because he felt voters were getting only one side of the story through media coverage.
Vessella said he believes those running for the study commission have already decided they want to change Lawrence County's form of government.
"It's not necessary. We don't need it in Lawrence County. Lawrence County is fine the way it is with three commissioners acting prudently just as they have done over the years. If you don't agree with them, then accountability comes on Election Day," he said.
Commission candidates: However, a majority of the 31 government study commission candidates who responded to Vindicator questionnaires said they plan to keep an open mind if elected to the study commission.
Experts on government study commissions and home rule in Pennsylvania say it's not uncommon to see scare tactics over taxation used when a government study commission referendum is facing voters.
"The opposition to creating a home rule charter study commission in the first place is often by individuals who have a vested interest in seeing the existing system stay in place. They have this feeling if you can scare citizens with the notion that their taxes are going to be raised, they will keep the existing system in place," said David Miller, a professor in the graduate school of public and international affairs at the University of Pittsburgh.
"It's not a surprise that someone who either strongly favors or benefits by the present form of government would want to present the scariest scenario of a new form of government," said Michael Coulter, an assistant professor of political science at Grove City College.
Coulter and Miller agree that a home rule charter could be written with no limit on taxation, but it's unlikely.
"Even if there were not limits, I can't imagine someone coming in and wanting to double tax rates. That seems highly improbable. There would be political realities to keep someone from doing something like that," Coulter said.
Home rule charters: Michael Foreman, local government policy specialist with the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, said the six counties in Pennsylvania that have adopted home rule charters all have limits on millage rates. Most have followed county code, which limits it to 25 mills, he said.
However, Lawrence County voters aren't even close to deciding issues such as taxation or even forms of governments when they vote next week, he said.
The referendum would create a study commission only. That nine member, nonpartisan group would spend its first six months looking at the faults and strengths of the current form of government, he said.
"They could make a recommendation for no change, or they could move on to develop a proposed home rule charter or decide to select one of the [existing] optional plans. Either way, the voters will decided [to adopt or reject a new government] in a referendum," Foreman said.
Limits on taxation would only be an issue if a home rule charter is created, he said. Foreman noted that a home rule charter can put even stricter rules on taxation than already exist, as well as set no limits.