Residents urge county action on homelessness and ask about countywide reassessment process

Several residents used the public comment period on April 16 to urge Franklin County commissioners to address rising homelessness in Chambersburg and to ask questions about the county's reassessment practices and potential costs.

Valerie Jordan told the board she has observed increasing numbers of people experiencing homelessness in Chambersburg and said borough officials referred the matter to the county. She asked what the county could do to address the issue. Jordan also raised questions about the county's lack of a countywide reassessment and said she had researched reassessment costs and financing, citing a PDF about Blair County that described reassessment financed through bonds. She said reassessment programs can be financed through property tax revenue and expressed concern that county tax bills did not fall after a $9 million budget cut.

John Jordan, identified as a volunteer at the Salvation Army, echoed the concern over homelessness and said responsibility should be shared between borough and county governments rather than deflected.

Why it matters: public comments put homelessness and reassessment on the commissioners's radar; speakers sought information about county authority and potential financing mechanisms.

Discussion and response: commissioners acknowledged the comments; no formal action was taken during the meeting on these issues. The transcript shows commissioners thanked speakers and noted stakeholder agencies work on homelessness, but no staff report or directive was recorded on the record during this meeting.

Ending: Commissioners moved on to the consent agenda after public comment.