Local Government Mandates in Pennsylvania

How 'Burdensome' are They?

Abstract

Although the issue of state mandates has been off the agenda in recent years, the fiscal constraints imposed by the “new normal” for state and local governments has brought the issue to the foreground once again at the state level. This article examines the impact of state mandates as perceived by local governments in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania, as a Commonwealth, has a unique relationship with its many forms of local government, which results in policymaking by bargaining as well as by statute. This article is the result of a comprehensive 2010 survey of the types of state mandates and their impact and cost to local governments in Pennsylvania. This article focuses upon the different responses to state mandates generated by the varied types of local government in Pennsylvania. In particular, it focuses upon resource and administrative constraints for rural as opposed to urban municipalities.