Weekend Roundup with Sara Bozich

May 16, 2019 | by Sara Bozich

Happy Weekend!

Hi. Have you ever been like, just let me get through this week — or even a big f, say Harrisburg Beer Week — and then everything will calm down/be smooth sailing. Are you, too, totally naive? I mean I guess if I didn’t have so many things going on I’d be bored and just find new things to do. Right? That’s what I tell myself. ANYWAY. Speaking of Harrisburg Beer Week, we have yet one more event happening this weekend — the previously postponed Mini Golf Tournament. $100 gets you mini golf for 4, free beer, food, guaranteed door prizes, and A DAY IN THE OUTSIDE + SUNSHINE. Guys, it’s for a good cause. And since we had to change the date, some of the original players could no longer make the date and if you’re still reading, THERE ARE STILL TICKETS AVAILABLE. Buy them here to support Harrisburg River Rescue. ALSO OF NOTE, GOOD PEOPLE: sip @ soma. 3rd in the Burg. Also, tonight and Saturday. Pittsburgh’s East End Brewing Co. (as see in Poured in PA – have you watched that yet?)

What are you doing this weekend?

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From Stump to Art: More wood sculptures coming to Harrisburg waterfront.

May 15, 2019 | by Yaasmeen Piper

Brad Heilman at work this morning, carving a wood sculpture from a dead tree.

An old tree destined for the wood chipper is now becoming a work of art along Harrisburg’s riverfront.

With the help of the Harrisburg Riverboat Society, artist Brad Heilman is creating intricate carvings in a hulking stump in Riverfront Park, with a second planned for City Island.

According to Riverboat Society Chairman Jeffrey Tinsman, members heard that the city was planning to dispose of the remnants of some dead trees and decided to step in and make art out of them instead.

“We’re going to preserve these trees for years to come and enhance the grounds with beautiful artwork,” he said.

Heilman’s first chainsaw carving, which is located between Walnut and Locust streets along the riverfront, is a depiction of fish that are native to the Susquehanna River.

The second carving will feature a 40-foot bat, 20-foot baseball glove and a 15-foot baseball next to City Island’s FNB Field, home to the Harrisburg Senators. According to Tinsman, the piece will commemorate the seven athletes who were born in Harrisburg and made it to the Major Leagues.

“As more of these trees fall, we are hoping to carve them into artwork,” Tinsman said.

Heilman started carving trees 19 years ago. As a kid, he loved to draw and then worked as a tree trimmer for 22 years. Now, he gets to combine the two.

Ten years ago, he worked with Harrisburg to create the Susquehannock Native American carving that’s now a familiar site next to the Walnut Street Bridge.

“This is all I do,” he said. “I get to carve all year round.”

The project is also designed to be a moneymaker, with donations going to support the Susquehanna River School, a class on the Pride of Susquehanna where students learn the history of the Susquehanna River, natural wonders and aquatic life.

“Every $10 we raise gives us an opportunity to provide an education cruise for one city school student free of charge,” Tinsman said.

For almost 21 years, the school has provided hands-on activities for students K-12 from certified teachers. According to Jason Meckes, executive director of the Harrisburg Riverboat Society, the school has already taught more than 25,000 students.

Tinsman and Heilman expect the Riverfront Park carving to be finished by Artsfest weekend starting on May 25. The second carving on City Island will be ready by the Kipona Festival in September.

“We’re just trying to do something for our community,” Tinsman said. “We love our city and want to see it enhance and grow and bring art to trees that were being disposed of.”

For more information on The Harrisburg Riverboat Society or the Susquehanna River School visit harrisburgriverboat.com. To see more of Heilman’s work visit his website at www.bdhcustomchainsawcarving.com.

Burg Blog: In a Race

May 15, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

Campaign signs outside of HMAC, where many of the candidate debates were held.

If you’re a regular reader of my columns and blogs, you may be aware of an annual complaint of mine.

When an election comes around, Harrisburg candidates, too often, run what I’ve called “invisible” campaigns. Local races have tended to start late, been low energy and even have featured candidates who never seem to show up for their own campaigns.

As I’ve said many times, if you’re not going to make the effort, why run at all?

This year, though, has seen a marked improvement.

With less than a week to go before the primary, I thought I’d give a quick nod to a number of candidates who have been running solid campaigns—showing, through their actions, that they want the votes and the office.

By far, the most energetic race has been for city school board. However, all that energy has been on one side—the challengers for the five seats at stake in the May 21 primary.

So, kudos to challengers Gerald Welch, Jayne Buchwach, Cory X. Williams, Lewis Butts Jr., Steven Williams, James Thompson and Doug Thompson Leader. They attended every debate that was held, were respectful of one another and gave the public hours of engagement and thoughtful commentary.

Hundreds of people heard the candidates explain, live, what they would do as school board directors—from Buchwach’s insistence on transparency and accountability to Welch’s emphasis on graduation rates to Butts’ predictably imaginative proposals.

Indeed, attending a debate was like taking an advanced course in possible ways to fix the Harrisburg school district. And, while the press coverage (including ours) tried to capture the essence of the events, a few 700-word stories simply can’t do justice to all the information conveyed in the lengthy, two-hour sessions.

Many of these candidates also have campaigned vigorously outside of the debate hall, going door-to-door, engaging voters and showing, through their time and effort, how much they want to serve the district, its students and its residents.

Not all of the candidates have demonstrated equal commitment through their campaigns. Incumbent Lionel Gonzalez burst onto the stage for about 15 minutes of the last debate, then disappeared just as suddenly, and incumbents Patricia Whitehead-Myers, Lola Lawson and Ellis Roy didn’t attend any.

Candidate Welch recorded the final school debate, which was hosted by Friends of Midtown. I strongly urge all Harrisburg voters (who are Facebook users) to watch it before heading to the polls next week. https://www.facebook.com/gerald.welch1/videos/10218918978944656/

The Harrisburg City Council race hasn’t been as high profile, but several of the candidates have been actively campaigning and engaging voters.

Arguably, the highlight of the council campaign was the Friends of Midtown debate, which was attended by four of the six candidates: current office-holders Westburn Majors, Dave Madsen and Danielle Bowers and challenger Christina Kostelecky.

All four, in my opinion, showed considerable knowledge of the issues, concern for the city and a desire to play a role in moving it forward.

I believe that the next four years will be a critical time in the history of Harrisburg, as the city shakes off the last of its post-industrial funk and firmly enters a new, more promising era. Progress, though, comes with its own challenges, with inevitable concerns over growth, housing, traffic, fairness and, of course, finances and taxation (among other issues), especially as the city exits Act 47.

Through their campaigns, the candidates have addressed these issues and many others. In my opinion, it’s too bad that there are only three seats at stake, meaning that one of these qualified candidates will not be able to serve on council–at least not until the next election two years from now.

I’ll conclude this blog with something I’ve said in similar posts before. High-quality, conscientious, energetic candidates often make high-quality, conscientious, energetic office-holders. I stand by that.

Lawrance Binda is editor-in-chief of TheBurg.

Preliminary Harrisburg school district budget proposes 3.4% property tax hike

May 13, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

Harrisburg school district’s Lincoln Administration Building.

For a second straight year, Harrisburg property owners would see their tax bills shoot up under a proposed budget by the city school administration.

The district is proposing a 3.4 percent tax hike that would increase the millage rate from 28.8 mills to 29.78 mills.

The average city homeowner, with a median property value of $42.800, would see the school portion of their property tax bill increase by $41.91, according to budget data. The hike would raise $1.37 million for the district.

Property taxes support about one-quarter of the district’s annual budget, with the remainder originating from a variety of other taxes and fees, as well as state and federal government support.

“I don’t agree with raising taxes to make up for the budget shortfall,” said board member Carrie Fowler, who added that she opposes the proposed budget. “We’ve been taxed enough. We don’t need to be taxed more for this over-bloated administration.”

The $155.5 million proposed budget for the 2019-20 school year is about $5 million more than the current, 2018-19 budget and about $9 million more than the 2017-18 budget.

The greatest increases in expenses originate from faculty pay and retirement contributions. The district, which has 6,540 K-12 students and 936 faculty and staff, also proposes dipping into its reserve (savings), reducing that fund by some $3 million.

Last year, school property taxes rose 3.6 percent, the maximum amount allowable under state law.

Meanwhile, the state continues to withhold $10.9 million from the district after charging that the district was not fully complying with a financial audit. The district since has stated that it has complied with the audit, but the state has not yet reinstated those funds, said Fowler.

The administration plans a series of community meetings to publicly discuss the budget. The next one is slated for May 20 at 5:30 p.m. at Marshall Math Science Academy, 301 Hale Ave.

That meeting, however, is taking place far too late, said Fowler.

She charges that the administration is not in compliance with the state-mandated budget process, as the preliminary budget was supposed to be available for public review by Jan. 31.

“We’re out of compliance,” she said. “I didn’t see a proposed budget until today.”

The deadline to pass a proposed preliminary budget is May 31, with a final budget due to pass by June 30. New tax rates would be reflected on school property tax bills that are mailed in July.

Obituary: Naed Smith

May 13, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

Naed Smith. Photo: Dani Fresh

It is with deep sadness that we learned of the sudden passing of Naed Smith, the long-time manager of the Catholic Worker House on Market Street.

Originally from Wilkes Barre, Edward “Naed” Smith, 52, came to Harrisburg more than 20 years ago and had been a constant presence in Allison Hill since, with his House of Hospitality helping innumerable people throughout the years.

Harrisburg will be a lesser place without Naed’s selfless devotion to helping the city’s poor and destitute. Visitation will be held on Thursday, May 16 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the St. Francis Assisi Catholic Church, 1439 Market St., Harrisburg, followed by a memorial Mass.

Several years ago, Dan Webster, a former managing editor for TheBurg, wrote a lengthy profile of Naed for his periodical “Local.” Dan has kindly allowed us to link to it. Please click here (Naed) to read this wonderful tribute to the life and work of Naed Smith.

In addition, please find below the full obituary for Naed Smith, which offers more information about his life and work, as well as details of the memorial Mass.

Obituary: Naed Smith

Following a challenging struggle with depression, Edward J. “Ned” Smith, Jr., (Naed), 52, ended his life at his home in Harrisburg on Friday, May 10, 2019.

A native of Wilkes-Barre and a resident of Harrisburg, Ned was well known in both cities and internationally for his tireless commitment to promote peace and build strong communities over several decades.

Our family asks that you open your heart and offer compassion without judgement for Ned and those who suffer from mental illness. Ned was a servant leader who was dealing with depression for some time, leaving behind a bereaved community, family, and friends.

Over the last several days, we have received an outpouring of condolences from friends and neighbors who have recounted their most heartfelt memories and stories of Ned. Many have shared that Ned ended every conversation with a simple: “Peace”. And so we say it to you now, Ned, Peace – with the hope you’ve finally found it.

Born March 13, 1967 in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, Ned was the son of the late Edward J. Smith, Sr. and Dorothy Ann (Whitonis) Smith. He grew up in the Mayflower section of Wilkes-Barre, PA where he could often be found playing with his friends at the Huber Street neighborhood park across from his family’s home. He was a member of St. Patrick’s Church, the Heights Packers mini-football team, and later played varsity football as a linebacker in high school.

Ned graduated from the Grand Army of the Republic Memorial High School in 1985 and received his Bachelor of Sociology from King’s College in Wilkes-Barre, PA. During college, Ned was drawn to prayer and contemplation. In addition to sociology studies, Ned was a student of theology and attended Catholic Mass daily. He volunteered in the early programs of the Peace and Justice Center, directed by Sister Constance Kozel, RSM. He credited Sister Kozel with encouraging him to follow his interests in peacemaking. It was in the chapel at King’s College where Ned encountered Catholic Worker literature. He learned about the famed social justice movement, founded by Catholic intellectual, Dorothy Day, who advocated honoring the dignity of the poor by living amongst them.

Following graduation from college, Ned served as a campus minister at Wilkes University, and as a staff member at Vision House in Scranton, which offered shelter and counseling to men who had been released from prison and struggled with addictions. Ned also served as a human rights observer in Haiti during the time the Haitian military seized power, and Ned returned to Haiti and to El Salvador throughout his social justice career to discourage political intimidation and violence. Ned has participated in numerous acts of non-violent civil disobedience, including a protest action at the Ft. Benning School of Americas that led to his arrest, conviction, and six-month sentence in federal prison in 2006.

Despite Ned’s activism, there was a quiet shyness about him. He was a free-spirited, somewhat stubborn soul and in the words of a dear friend “was in the rarest class of humans, one of the quiet walkers”. Ned’s actions spoke louder than his words, he gave of himself and was actively and quietly helping those in need. He planted and cultivated a vibrant vegetable and flower garden and, as one former community member remarked, “Ned struggled to balance his need for regenerative time in nature with his commitment to his neighbors on the Hill”. Ned himself said, “I need some green space to breathe properly.” Over the past 20 years, the St. Martin de Porres Catholic Worker House has been Ned’s primary home and place of vocation and servant leadership. The home is an intentional community that practices voluntary poverty as it addresses the spiritual and material needs of an economically poor neighborhood just a mile from the state’s Capitol Building in the Allison Hill community. Allison Hill had been the center of Ned’s world. He envisioned a dignified, peaceful community and he worked tirelessly to support that vision.

Ned was a member of St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Harrisburg where he was a 3rd Order Lay Franciscan and actively involved in Pax Christi, the international Catholic peace movement for 22 years. He later helped to establish Pax Christi’s USA’s national Youth and Young Adult Forum. In 2013, he was the recipient of the Susan Merrill Constance Kozel Award. This award is presented to individuals whose contributions to society reflects the principles of justice and peace.

Surviving is his mother, Dorothy A. Smith, Hunlock Creek, PA; three sisters: Jennifer Smith, Baltimore, MD, Kristen Prutzman (and her husband, Todd), Forty Fort, and Lauren Siegfried (and her husband, Tim), Shavertown; one niece and one nephew, Lauren and Owen Oechsle, Baltimore (who knew Ned as “Tio”); and many, many friends, too numerous to count, all of whom will miss him greatly.

A Memorial Mass will be celebrated 11:00 am Thursday, May 16, 2019, at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, 1439 Market Street, Harrisburg, PA 17103 with the Rev. Orlando Reyes officiating. Friends will be received Thursday at the church from 9:00 am until 11:00 am and are invited to join the family for a luncheon in the church hall following Mass.

A second Memorial Mass will be celebrated 9:00 am Saturday, May 18, 2019, at St. Patrick’s/St. Andrew’s Church, 316 Parrish St, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702. The Mass will be followed by a luncheon. Directions and venue details will be shared at the Mass.

Burial in St. Mary’s Cemetery, Wilkes-Barre will be held at the convenience of the family.

Friends are encouraged to make contributions in his memory to his church or to the Saint Martin de Porres Catholic Worker House, 1440 Market Street, Harrisburg, PA 17103.

Kimmel Funeral Home is handling arrangements.

The Week that Was: A summary of news and events around Harrisburg

May 10, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

A scene from Wednesday’s school board candidates debate

What happened around Harrisburg last week? Here’s a summary of news and events that you may have missed.

Harrisburg city administration briefed City Council on a proposed five-year financial plan for the city, which shows essentially a flat operating budget through 2023. The city and the state-appointed Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority must approve a plan before Harrisburg can exit Act 47. Click here for the full story.

Harrisburg school board candidates held their final debate before the May 21 primary election. Once again, the stage was left to the challengers, as no incumbents (with one brief exception) showed up to engage in the discussion. Click here for the full story.

Harrisburg voters will experience changes to their polling locations in three wards. Voters in the 6^th Ward, the 11^th Ward and the 9^th Ward, 2^nd Precinct will have new voting sites for the May 21 primary. Click here for the full story.

Sara Bozich listed more than 100 things to do for this weekend, with something to suit about every taste and interest. Click here for the full story.

Sprint soon will open a new store inside of Strawberry Square. The store will occupy space on the first floor recently vacated by GNC. Click here for the full story.

Additional stories from TheBurg Daily over the past week:

Allison Hill stakeholders wonder why their neighborhood was selected for a medical marijuana facility.

Andrew Guth is our “Artist in Focus” for the month of May.

Cost of housing is on our editor’s mind as he ponders the question: What can you buy for $200,000?

Harrisburg Symphony Youth Orchestra will hold its annual Mother’s Day concert this weekend.

Our Musical Notes columnist opines on several shows this month that aren’t exactly youth-oriented.

Do you receive TheBurg Daily, our daily email digest of news and events? If not, subscribe here!

Where Do I Vote? Several polling locations have changed in Harrisburg

May 9, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

The Susquehanna Art Museum will serve as an emergency polling station for Ward 6 in Harrisburg.

The municipal primary is fast approaching, prompting Dauphin County to remind voters that several polling stations have changed in Harrisburg.

Recently, the county changed three voting places in the city due to various issues with the former locations, Board of Elections Director Gerald Feaser has said.

For the 6^th Ward, the board just this week found it had to move the polling location to the Susquehanna Art Museum, 1401 N. 3^rd St., from the United House of Prayer for All People on Reily Street. This emergency move is due to construction at the church that has taken longer than expected, according to the county.

In the 9^th Ward, 2^nd Precinct, the polling station has been moved to the Choice Community Christian Church Social Hall, 1524 Walnut St. This change was made because the former location, the Unitarian Church of Harrisburg, was sold, and the new owner plans to begin construction work. Also, the old site was not compliant with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations, the county said.

In the 11^th Ward, the polling place has been moved to the Governor’s Square Community Room, 2018 N. 5^th St. The former location, the Neighborhood Center on N. 3rd Street, no longer wanted to serve as a polling site, according to the county.

The primary election is slated for Tuesday, May 21.

For a complete list of polling places, click here.

For more information on the candidates for Harrisburg City Council, click here. For more information on the candidates for school board, click here, here and here.

Weekend Roundup with Sara Bozich

May 9, 2019 | by Sara Bozich

Happy Weekend!

Things to know for this weekend, a list.

Wine slushies for charity at Hops, Vines & Spirits Tasting Room – ALL WEEKEND
1st SoMa Block Party of 2019 kicks off Saturday!! FREE + open to the public. Pay-as-you-go. HYP Home Tour attendees get free food & drink.
Goodness, I hope you got your mama something. Sunday is National Brunch Day. I’m still not sure why that’s all mom ever gets, but please treat her to the breakfast/lunch combo of her choosing. May we recommend:

What are you doing this weekend?

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Candidates hash out priorities, policies during Harrisburg school board debate

May 8, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

Lewis Butts makes a point at Wednesday night’s school board candidate debate at HMAC.

There was a sense of déjà vu on Wednesday night as numerous challengers, but few incumbents, crowded the stage during a school board candidate debate in Midtown Harrisburg.

A large group of residents attended the event at the House of Music, Arts & Culture (HMAC), as did all eight Democratic challengers: Gerald Welch, Jayne Buchwach, Cory X. Williams, Lewis Butts Jr., Steven Williams, James Thompson, Doug Thompson Leader and Ralph Rodriguez.

Three incumbents—Lola Lawson, Ellis R. Roy and Patricia Whitehead-Myers—did not attend, though Roy had a surrogate read an introductory statement. One of the incumbents, Lionel Gonzalez, departed after attending only about 15 minutes of the two-hour event.

“We invited all 12, so who showed up, showed up,” said Brian Ostella of Friends of Midtown, the community group that organized the debate, which was held in anticipation of the May 21 primary for five, four-year seats on the board.

The most open-ended question arguably came first when moderator Brandon Flood, secretary of the state Board of Pardons, asked candidates to name a specific goal or two that they would like to implement to improve the district.

Challenger Steven Williams answered first, naming adherence to the state recovery plan and the desire to bring more counselors into the district.

“We have students dealing with serious issues outside the classroom,” he said
“Bringing in more counselors is crucial . . . to give students the life they deserve.”

Butts said that he wanted to put each of the nine board members into one of Harrisburg’s schools, presumably so they could get to know and advocate for the school.

“Each board member will be assigned to a school. They’ll have an office in that school,” he said, adding that improving nutrition is also a priority.

Rodriguez advocated “more services for students,” such as counseling and support. He also recommended an audit of contracts, saying he believed that there was overlap among services and vendors.

“I’d like to go through the books and do a full audit of programs in the district,” he said. “The school district should have just one umbrella of programs.”

Buchwach reiterated the themes of “transparency and accountability,” which she has brought up repeatedly at numerous forums and debates over the past month.

“That is the one big goal, to put in policies and procedures to do that,” she said, while also advocating “restorative policies in our schools, so that suspension and expulsion are not first results.”

Gonzalez, the only incumbent to attend, simply mentioned that he’d like to see students do better academically.

“I would love the children to get better grades. I would love the children to get motivation,” he said, before promptly walking off the stage and not returning for the remainder of the debate.

Welch mentioned improving graduation rates as a major goal if he were elected.

“I would like to see more college enrollment,” he said. “That’s the reason I got involved in the school board race, because we were lacking in graduation rates.”

James Thompson said that he’d like to see a change in the district’s leadership—the superintendent—and an improvement in reading performance.

“We have in our schools 20 percent or less that are making reading proficiency,” he said. “You cannot learn if you cannot read.”

Doug Thompson Leader built on the argument of top-down change, saying that the school board also needed new blood.

“I hope we get five independent-thinking, smart people on the board. I mean, five independent thinkers who are going to focus on policy,” he said, adding that communication also needed to improve among the district, parents and the community.

Cory X. Williams added to that point.

“First, I would work hard to bridge the gap between the schools and the community” he said. “As a community, it’s up to us. It takes a village to raise a child.”

Many times, the candidates espoused the importance of community involvement, even pointing to the crowded and often vocal group of residents gathered for the debate.

Organizer Ostella also complimented the turnout for the event.

“Harrisburg is nothing without its residents, and engaged residents make it a great place to live,” he said.

The primary election is slated for May 21. The competition is only among Democrats, as no Republicans are running in the race.

For more information on the candidates and their positions, please read our previous debate coverage here and here.

Harrisburg readies 5-year financial plan in critical step to exit Act 47

May 7, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

Harrisburg City Council chambers on Tuesday night

Harrisburg officials tonight dug into the details of a proposed, five-year financial plan for the city, a critical step to fulfill a state mandate and ultimately exit Act 47.

Mayor Eric Papenfuse made a presentation of what he called a “responsible” long-range budget, which assumes “no significant growth” in the city’s tax base, yielding a flat operating budget of about $64 million through 2023.

“This is, in my opinion, a fiscally responsible plan,” he said. “It doesn’t call for the raising of taxes.”

The commonwealth required Harrisburg to draft a five-year financial plan as part of legislation passed last year that allowed the city to retain its elevated local services and earned income tax rates for another five years.

That plan must be approved by the Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority (ICA), the state-created body tasked with overseeing the city’s financial recovery.

After the budget plan passes muster, both the ICA and City Council must approve an Intergovernmental Cooperation Agreement. Papenfuse said that he hoped that step would occur by early July, before council takes its traditional six-week summer recess.

At that point, the city would be able to exit Act 47, the state’s program for financially distressed municipalities, Papenfuse said. The city has been in the program since 2010.

While revenues are assumed to remain mostly flat over the five-year period, expenses are expected to increase by several million dollars per year, with the gap made up by tapping the city’s substantial fund balance.

Over the next five years, the fund balance is projected to decrease from the current $21 million to about $3.3 million, leveling out at about 5 percent of the operating budget, which, according to Papenfuse, is the city’s target level.

In recent years, the city has built up a large fund balance mostly by under-spending its budget over successive years.

Councilman Ben Allatt said he was concerned about reducing the fund balance so greatly, considering that the city may well lose its enhanced taxing authority after the five-year period.

“I am concerned about going down to 5 percent, losing sources of revenue, then worrying about the scenarios that we can’t see right now,” he said.

Papenfuse responded that he expected that the city would continue to under-spend its budget, meaning that the fund balance may be higher. In addition, the five-year plan, he said, is a “living document” that will be amended annually.

“When all is said and done, the plan will change a lot from year to year,” he said.

In addition to the annual operating budget, the five-year plan also addressed the city’s capital improvement needs.

The plan divided capital projects into several buckets: critical projects that must be funded, less critical projects and lower-priority projects.

To that end, over the next five years, the city expects to spend $7.8 million on what it deems its most critical capital needs, which includes upgrades to 2^nd Street, IT hardware and software, police patrol vehicles, police body cameras, fire apparatus and vehicles for public works.

Another 50 projects, costing some $8.4 million, are seen as important, but less critical. They include many park projects. Park projects also take up much of the third-tier priority list.

The administration also addressed the issue of what might happen after the five-year plan period expires in 2023.

Papenfuse said that, ideally, the legislature would agree to allow Harrisburg to continue to levy its higher taxation levels, revenue that makes up about 18 percent of the city’s operating budget.

However, if that doesn’t happen, the city should consider a Home Rule charter, which would free it from the strictures of the state’s third-class city code, he said. Harrisburg, then, would be able to recoup much of that lost revenue by retaining its current 2-percent earned income tax rate.

“I’m not here to debate Home Rule now,” he said. “But it is something we should debate as a city.”

In the end, the city needs to emerge from the five-year period with enough revenue to operate and, ultimately, have its credit rating restored, he said.

“The reality is that the city cannot survive without the taxing authority we currently have,” he said.

The city’s baseline financial forecast through 2023, as currently drafted

Happy Weekend!

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