Municipalities
Townships
Townships were established based on convenient local geographical boundaries within the borders of the 67 encompassing Pennsylvania counties, and typically vary in size from 6 to 40 square miles (16–104 km2). There are two classifications of townships, first class and second class. To become a first class township and operate under the powers of the "First Class Township Code" in Pennsylvania statute law, townships of the second class must have a population density of 300 inhabitants per square mile (120/km2) and voters must approve the change of classification in a referendum.
The principal difference between the two types is the form and the title, and period of office for the township administrators. In the majority and second-class case, townships have three supervisors (can be increased to five by referendum) elected at large (by all voters) for overlapping six-year terms. In first-class townships, the governing body is 5–15 township commissioners—with two variations: either five commissioners are elected at large, or where population densities permit geopolitical wards be set up, an odd number of commissioners (up to 15) may be periodically elected for four year overlapping terms. However, many townships have chosen to remain second-class townships even though they meet the population density requirements to become first-class townships.
Township Formation Chart
Boroughs
A borough (sometimes spelled boro) is a self-governing municipal entity, best thought of as a town, usually smaller than a city, but with a similar population density in its residential areas. Sometimes thought of as "junior cities", boroughs generally have fewer powers and responsibilities than full-fledged cities.
Boroughs tend to have more developed business districts and concentrations of public and commercial office buildings, including court houses. Boroughs are larger, less spacious, and more developed than the relatively rural townships, which often have the greater territory and even surround boroughs of a related or even the same name.
PAGenWeb State Coordinator |
PAGenWeb Assistant State Coordinator (Eastern Counties) & USGenWeb Archives State File Manager |
| County Coordinator Linda J. East lindajane2848@gmail.com |
Assistant County Coordinator Rachel Jones |
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