Williamsport council hears state briefing on home rule charter, tax options and timeline

Williamsport City Council received an informational briefing May 27 from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development on the process, timeline and fiscal options for adopting a home rule charter.

The presentation, led by Jonas Kras of the Governor's Center for Local Government Services, explained that a home rule charter replaces portions of state municipal code with a locally drafted charter approved by voters and can alter government structure and local tax authority. "Home rule charters provide a county or municipality with its own unique constitution rather than following state municipal codes, which often could be seen as, like, cookie cutter, really the standard," Kras said.

Why it matters: Council members repeatedly framed home rule as a tool to give the city more flexibility on taxes and governance amid long-term budget pressures, an aging population and a large nonprofit-owned land base. Kras and council members discussed options that home rule can enable — including earned income tax and local real estate transfer tax changes — and the practical steps to place a government study commission on the ballot for voters to consider whether to draft a charter.

Kras told the council that home rule can remove state caps on certain local…