INTRODUCTION
Administration and Government
As a result of a Constitutional Amendment approved by the voters
in 1986, the General Assembly passed Act 62 in April, 1972, which
gave municipalities the choice of either Home Rule powers or a choice
of several options to change its present structure.
The State College Borough Council, in June, 1972, voted to place
the question of a Government Study Commission on the ballot for the
November, 1972 election. By an overwhelming margin, the voters of
State College approved the question, electing the Commission.
The Government Study Commission organized in November, 1972{10},
and held a public hearing in March, 1973, to hear interested citizens.
In April, 1973, the Commission unanimously voted to adopt a Resolution
which initiated the drafting of a Home Rule Charter for the Borough.
By August, 1973, the Commission completed and advertised its text
and held a second public hearing on August 21, 1973, to submit the
proposal to the citizens of State College.
On August 22, 1973, the Commission adopted the Charter and voted
to place it on the November, 1973 ballot. The election resulted in
4,168 of the 5,002 citizens (84%) voting in favor of the Home Rule
Charter, which became effective January 1, 1976.
Preamble
We, the people of the Borough of State College, under authority
granted to the citizens of all municipalities of the Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania to adopt Home Rule Charters and thus to exercise to
the fullest extent the rights of local self-government, do hereby
ordain and adopt this Home Rule Charter. We do this in order to establish
a municipal government that will be the most responsive to the needs
and desires of this Borough, both now and in the future.
- Home Rule Charter