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Bradford council votes to place government study commission question on 2025 ballot
Summary
The City of Bradford approved Ordinance 3300 to place a question on the 2025 general-election ballot asking voters whether to create a government study commission to examine adopting home rule; council and staff stressed the measure would only put the question to voters, not automatically change the city charter.
The City of Bradford on a unanimous vote approved Ordinance 3300 to place a government study commission question on the 2025 general-election ballot and to designate the number of members to serve on that commission.
Councilors debated the measure briefly before the vote and asked staff to clarify its effect. Eric, a city staff member, said the commission question would not itself switch Bradford to home rule. “It doesn't mean we're gonna go home rule. A commission has to be elected and it has to be put up to the public to vote for,” Eric said. “But there's a lot of misinformation going around; the people have no idea what they're talking about.”
The ordinance as read at the meeting describes the measure as “An ordinance of the City of Bradford, Duquesne County, Pennsylvania, placing a government study commission question on the 2025 general election ballot and designating the number of members to serve on the said commission.” The council called for the question to appear on the ballot and proceeded with a roll-call vote that approved the ordinance.
During the public-comment period immediately before the ordinance discussion, a resident criticized the process for limiting comment time and recommended displaying a visible five-minute clock for speakers. The resident also thanked staff for providing notice about the demolition of houses in a neighborhood, saying the notice had been appreciated by nearby residents.
No formal direction to staff beyond placing the question on the ballot was recorded during the council's deliberations; the vote established only that the government study commission question will appear on the 2025 ballot. The ordinance does not itself adopt home-rule governance—any change would require additional steps and a public vote.
