Could Erie, PA, Become the Next City to Embrace Home Rule? Discover the Surprising Details

Erie: So, there’s some buzz about Erie possibly changing its government setup. The City Council is thinking about asking voters if they want to explore a home rule charter. This could happen as soon as 2025!

During a recent meeting, the council gave the green light for the City Solicitor to draft a resolution. This resolution would set up a ballot question for the May 2025 primary. If it passes, voters would get to decide if they want a commission to look into this home rule idea.

Now, what’s home rule, you ask? Well, it’s a way for cities to have more control over their own affairs, rather than just following state laws. It could give Erie the chance to create its own rules about how the city runs, taxes, and more.

City Councilman Chuck Nelson is all for this study. He believes it’s about letting the people decide how they want to be governed. He pointed out that other cities in Pennsylvania have already made this move, like Reading and Allentown.

But there are still a lot of questions. The City Solicitor mentioned that while home rule could give Erie more flexibility, it’s hard to predict what it would actually look like. The mayor’s office is open to exploring this, but they’re also cautious about the unknowns.

So, it looks like Erie might be on the brink of a big change. It’ll be interesting to see how this all unfolds!