Lancaster voters decide to adopt home rule charter

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Your Email Address Privacy Notice Voters in Lancaster want to make a major change to the city's form of government. They voted in favor of adopting a home rule charter.Lancaster City is currently under a third-class city charter law. This means policies are decided by city council.Under home rule, residents can request a special meeting for the city council to discuss the topic if they get 200 petition signatures. With 1,200 signatures, residents can actually put this issue on a future election ballot for them to vote on.Although this would give more power to residents, the trade-off could be with your paycheck.Currently, property tax is the only tax the city can raise or lower.Under home rule, the city could also raise three other taxes. State caps on the earned income tax, real estate transfer tax, and local services tax could be eliminated, thus allowing the city to ask you to pay more in those taxes.The idea is that home rule would give the city more financial flexibility.Nine elected home rule commissioners were elected to study this government structure over nine months and believe it's in the city's best interest.

Voters in Lancaster want to make a major change to the city's form of government. They voted in favor of adopting a home rule charter.

Lancaster City is currently under a third-class city charter law. This means policies are decided by city council.

Under home rule, residents can request a special meeting for the city council to discuss the topic if they get 200 petition signatures. With 1,200 signatures, residents can actually put this issue on a future election ballot for them to vote on.

Although this would give more power to residents, the trade-off could be with your paycheck.

Currently, property tax is the only tax the city can raise or lower.

Under home rule, the city could also raise three other taxes. State caps on the earned income tax, real estate transfer tax, and local services tax could be eliminated, thus allowing the city to ask you to pay more in those taxes.

The idea is that home rule would give the city more financial flexibility.

Nine elected home rule commissioners were elected to study this government structure over nine months and believe it's in the city's best interest.