Government & Politics
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Fights for Control, Snobby Residents Helped to Create Some of Delco’s Strange Borders
Fights for control and snobby residents are two of the reasons Delaware County has a number of municipalities with oddly shaped borders, writes Michaelle Bond for the Philadelphia Inquirer. Upper Darby Township is the best example of this, with East Lansdowne created after Upper Darby Township separated from Darby Township in the late 17th century.…
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State Lawmakers Offer No Relief as Suburban School Districts Continue to Impose Tax Hikes
With no fix forthcoming from state lawmakers, suburban school districts continue to impose annual tax hikes on property owners that drastically outstrip earnings growth, writes Maria Panaritis for the Philadelphia Inquirer. A recent analysis found that over the last decade, “school property taxes in the 60-plus districts in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery counties have…
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Pennsylvania’s Gun Control Paradox Puts Voters, Legislature on Opposite Sides
Despite the majority of registered voters in Pennsylvania supporting some additional gun regulation, the legislature has failed to act on even the least controversial measures, write Dr. G. Terry Madonna and Dr. Michael Young for City and State Pennsylvania. This is not for a lack of options, as scores of gun control measures keep getting…
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Another Year Brings Another Tax Increase in Most School Districts in Delaware County
Property owners in most school districts in Delaware County have seen their school taxes rise once again, increasing bills by an average of $100, writes Meghan Bobrowsky for the Philadelphia Inquirer. The modest $100 million increase in school funding provided by the state for this school year was not nearly enough to stave off another…
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County Council Recognizes East Lansdowne Mayor Who Published Book in Memory of His Son
During a recent meeting at East Lansdowne Borough Hall, Delaware County Council recognized East Lansdowne Mayor John Dukes for the publication of a book in memory of his son. Dukes’s son was diagnosed with autism at birth and sadly passed away two years ago at the age of 25. In May, Dukes published a book…
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Lieutenant in County’s Criminal Investigation Division Retires After 44 Years of Service
After more than four decades of serving in law enforcement, Aston resident William “Scott” Bireley – the Lieutenant and Bomb Squad Commander of the Delaware County Criminal Investigation Division – has retired from the force. Bireley began his career in law enforcement on Dec. 10, 1973 as a Police Officer for the Chester Police Department.…
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County Receives $500,000 in Drilling-Impact Fees
Delaware County received more than $500,000 last year in drilling-impact fees from natural gas operators, writes Kathleen Carey for the Daily Times. The fee, tied to wells and not pipelines, was created by the General Assembly’s passage of Act 13 in 2012. Every year, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission calculates the average sales price of…
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New Filing in William Penn School District’s Landmark Lawsuit Over School Funding
The William Penn School District is one of the plaintiffs in a landmark lawsuit alleging that Pennsylvania’s new school-funding formula has failed to fix the disparity between wealthy and poor public school districts, writes Maddie Hanna for the Philadelphia Inquirer. The lawsuit, originally filed four years ago against the Pennsylvania Department of Education, was reinstated…
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Associated Press: Delaware County Leads the Charge in Fighting Opioids
Delaware County has been at the forefront of the fight against opioids with its police departments pioneering the use of Narcan, the overdose-rescue drug, writes Aubrey Whelan for The Associated Press. When the state legislators first passed the law that allowed first responders to carry Narcan four years ago, police officers in Delaware County were…
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Pennsylvania Still Permits Drivers to Hold Phones While Driving
Despite overwhelming evidence that holding a phone and talking while driving can be dangerous, Pennsylvania has still not banned the practice, writes Justine McDaniel for the Philadelphia Inquirer. The Keystone State is not alone in this, as currently only 16 states have made talking on a handheld cellphone while driving a car illegal. In fact,…
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New Study Suggests Pennsylvania Residents Skeptical of Free Trade Agreements
Pennsylvania is one of the states where residents are most skeptical of free trade agreements, according to a study by the Bucknell University Institute for Public Policy, writes Min Xian for WHYY. The study found negative attitudes in states where voters supported President Barack Obama in the 2012 election and flipped their support to President…
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Change in State’s Fireworks Law Should Light Up the Sky This Fourth of July
A change in state law last October – which allows residents to buy consumer-grade explosive fireworks for the first time in decades – should light up the skies in Pennsylvania this Fourth of July, writes Vinny Vella for the Philadelphia Inquirer. The newly permitted items can now be bought at both brick-and-mortar stores and seasonal…
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Number of People Sentenced to State Prison from Delaware County Increases Dramatically
The number of people sentenced to state prison from Delaware County increased 169.4 percent from 2000 to 2016, writes Samantha Melamed for the Philadelphia Inquirer. This follows a trend that’s seeing mass incarceration move from Philadelphia, which had a 16 percent drop over the same period, to the suburbs. In 2006, Delaware County sent 7.6…
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Republicans Appeal Gerrymandering Ruling to U.S. Supreme Court
Republican lawmakers in Pennsylvania have filed an appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court challenging a ruling that the state’s congressional districts were illegally redrawn and that they benefited Republicans and placed Democrats at a disadvantage, write Jonathan Lai and Liz Navratil for The Philadelphia Inquirer. Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati and House Speaker Mike…
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Delaware County Council Seeks Public Input on Health Study
Delaware County will be seeking a proposal from an accredited institution of higher learning to conduct a study of the health and public health needs of residents and the public health services available to residents of the county. Before the proposal is released, Delaware County is seeking the input of residents in order to ascertain…
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Army Lists Philadelphia Among Five Finalists for New Command Center
Philadelphia is one of the five cities announced by the U.S. Army as finalists for its new Futures Command Center, write Marc DeRoberts and Alison Burdo for the Philadelphia Business Journal. The Futures Command Center is the new fourth command of the Army. The military branch has expressed an interest in being close to experts…
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First Democrats on Delaware County Council in Four Decades Find Acceptance, a Few Disagreements
Since their historic election to Delaware County Council last November, Democrats Kevin Madden and Brian Zidek have found acceptance – and a few heated discussions – on the mostly-Republican, five-member legislative body, writes Vinny Vella in The Philadelphia Inquirer. Madden, a tech entrepreneur, and Zidek, a medical reinsurance executive, were the first Democrats elected to…
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Mayor of Western Pennsylvania Borough, Candidate for Lieutenant Governor Drops 148 Pounds
John Fetterman – a tall man at 6-foot-9 and the Mayor of Braddock, a borough in the Pittsburgh suburbs – was not happy with his weight, writes Ben Schmitt for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. The native of York weighed 418 pounds and his waist size was 56 inches. “I was fat,” Fetterman said. “It’s embarrassing to…
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