A series of hearings on the Corbett Administration’s highly complicated Harrisburg debt bailout plan has been scheduled for this and next week before Harrisburg City Council.
Earlier this summer I was told that the Harrisburg receiver’s office, apparently fearful of adverse public reaction to the plan, would bypass hearings altogether and take the plan directly to Commonwealth Court for approval.
As late as a few weeks ago, I was told that only essential ordinances would be put to city council for a public vote.
What’s changed? As much as Harrisburg city council members would like to simply rubberstamp the complicated plan, the coming political season rules that out.
For example, Democratic Harrisburg city council man Brad Koplinski has announced his intention to run for lieutenant governor next year, and it would not serve Koplinski ‘s hopes for higher office to ignore citizens’ concerns about the Republican governor’s stealth bailout of the capital city.
As well, Harrisburg mayoral candidate Dan Miller has advised council to go slow, and to hire an independent financial consultant to study the complicated plan.
The ad hoc nature of the hearings, and the stated rush of Receiver William Lynch to submit the bailout plan to Commonwealth Court come hell or high water on September 19, is shown in the truncated hearing schedule, which happens to fall on the eve and day of the Jewish holidays of Rosh Hashanah, preventing observant Jews from attending the first two sessions.
It’s also worth pointing out that there will be no hearings for Lancaster County, despite Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority spending close to $200 million of the citizenry’s money to acquire Harrisburg’s troubled incinerator.
Simmering opposition to the deal in Lancaster could make for riotous public hearings in the Red Rose City.
The schedule for this and next weeks’ hearings are as follows:
Wednesday, Sept. 4: 5:30 p.m. Budget & Finance Committee meeting. Legislation up for discussion includes measures to add 88 parking meters and increase rates.
Thursday, Sept. 5: 5:15 p.m. discussion of Keystone Opportunity Zone legislation continued from this week’s Community & Economic Development Committee meeting.
Monday, Sept. 9, 5:30 p.m. : Union contract changes
Tuesday, Sept. 10*, 5:30 p.m.: Parking lease.
Wednesday, Sept. 11, 5:30 p.m.: Incinerator sale
Thursday, Sept. 12, 5:30 p.m.: Sewer transfer
*City Council’s regular meeting rescheduled to Monday, Sept. 16.
All meetings are in council chambers in City Hall, 10 N. 2nd St.
