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City-Boroughs-Townships-Unincorporated Communities
and second class cities – i.e. Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Scranton – have home rule charters,
which further expands their autonomy. Third class cities follow the Third Class City Code.
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.
| Duboistown | Hughesville | Jersey Shore |
| Montgomery | Montoursville | Muncy |
| Picture Rocks | Salladasburg | South Williamsport |
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.
| Anthony | Armstrong | Bastress | Brady | Brown | Cascade |
| Clinton | Cogan House | Cummings | Eldred | Fairfield | Franklin |
| Gamble | Hepburn | Jackson | Jordan | Lewis | Limestone |
| Loyalsock | Lycoming | McHenry | McIntyre | McNett | Mifflin |
| Mill Creek | Moreland | Muncy | Muncy Creek | Nippenose | Old Lycoming |
| Penn | Piatt | Pine | Plunketts Creek | Porter | Shrewsbury |
| Susquehanna | Upper Fairfield | Washington | Watson | Wolf | Woodward |
Unincorporated Communities
When a community is unincorporated, it means that it is not governed by a local municipal corporation
or local government. This can happen for various reasons,
such as the town choosing not to incorporate,
failing to meet the legal requirements for incorporation, or being dissolved as a municipality.
Unincorporated areas are typically governed by the
county or higher-level government
and may have limited local services and representation compared to incorporated towns or cities.
| Antes Fort | Balls Mills | Barbours | Cammal |
| Cedar Run | Chemung | Hoppestown | Huntersville |
| Jersey Mills | Lairdsville | Leolyn | Linden |
| Nisbet | Pennsdale | Proctor | Ralston |
| Roaring Branch | Slate Run | Unityville |
|
PAGenWeb State Coordinator PAGenWeb Assistant State Coordinator/County Coordinator (Eastern Counties) |
Lycoming County Coordinator Linda J. East |
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