"Hilltown yanks memberships"

By Theresa Hegel, Intelligencer, January 28, 2010:

In an era when regionalization is often encouraged and cooperation between municipalities is rewarded by the state, Hilltown has taken an unusual step toward isolation.

Earlier this week, the township dropped membership with both the Bucks County Association of Township Officials and the Pennridge Area Coordinating Committee, saying the groups move government away from the people and detract from Hilltown's authority.


Representatives from the organizations say they were surprised and perhaps disappointed by Hilltown's decision, but that it doesn't indicate a trend of withdrawal.

All 29 other second-class townships in the county remain part of the association. None has contacted BCATO with plans to drop out, said Rich Manfredi, the association's executive director and a former Hilltown supervisor.

"This is not another layer of government," he said. "The fact is it's nonbinding and not cost-prohibitive."

Membership in BCATO is $100 a year per township. All elected officials - from tax collectors to supervisors - are represented. The organization also raises funds through newsletter advertising and sponsorships - mostly from engineering and law firms in the region.

Manfredi says the association allows member governments to stay informed about state initiatives, as well as find out what neighboring townships are up to.

Plus, membership in the group gives each municipality a stronger, unified voice.

"When you have an issue that's important, one voice resonates a lot more than one township with an isolated pet issue," Manfredi said. "It's really the grass roots of what's important to townships." . . .

In the Pennridge area, Hilltown will be the only municipality that doesn't receive updates and information from PACC, said Dave Nyman, the committee's facilitator and a former East Rockhill supervisor.

PACC is a loose collective of towns - joined by the chamber of commerce, school district and community college - that started more than a decade ago.

Originally, the group was concerned with the quality of the region's groundwater, a project that was actually initiated by a previous Hilltown board of supervisors, Nyman said.

In the past couple of years, members have been seeking a more formal bond with their neighbors, through the Upper Bucks Municipal Cooperative, which would facilitate bulk buying and aid in the pursuit of grant money.

Thus far, East Rockhill, West Rockhill, Dublin and Bedminster have signed onto the cooperative, Nyman said. Silverdale is expected to join shortly, and Perkasie is still on the fence, he added.

PACC members have said the cooperative would allow members to participate in projects on a case-by-case basis.

Nyman said Hilltown will still be welcome to participate in future projects, but will have a tougher time finding out about them since the township opted off the committee's mailing list and won't be attending meetings.

"They're the ones that aren't going to have that line of communication," he said. "It won't make any difference to PACC."

In recent years, the state has shown a preference for towns that work together and apply for joint grants.

"More and more authority is being given to county organizations," Manfredi said.

He noted that Hilltown itself benefited financially by cooperating with Dublin and East Rockhill on a recycling grant.