Officials vote to end discussions about merger between local borough, township

UPDATE 9:30 p.m.

Officials told Channel 11 that commissioners voted against moving forward with merger discussions.

ORIGINAL STORY (6:50 p.m.) A vote Wednesday night will bring the proposed absorption of Penn Borough into Penn Township one step closer to being on the November ballot.

“We think it would be good, very beneficial, because we only have one man that does the snow removal, and that gets to be a lot. We have bad winters,” Penn Borough resident Ruthann Parker said.

“The only concern I would have would be the tax increase, but if it’s only $15-25, that’s fine,” her husband, Andrew Parker, said.

That’s the reaction from neighbors in Penn Borough after hearing about the proposed merger with Penn Township.

Penn is a 0.2-square-mile borough, which has about 430 people. Penn Township is about 30 square miles with a growing population of nearly 20,000

“I’ve been reading up on what they are having and saying, so it’s kind of like you look forward to it in a good way,” Ruthann Parker said.

In 2024, Penn Borough officials approached the township about the merger, citing issues with the municipality’s services. The borough currently uses the township’s ambulance service and does not have a full-time police department.

If voters approve the merger, borough residents might see a slight tax increase of around $15-25 annually, but they would receive all services available to the township. People in the township would not see much of a tax change.

In a statement, township manager Mary Perez said, “If the merger question is successfully passed in November, Penn borough will cease to exist as a municipality, and all offices will be disbanded. The official governing body of the merged municipality will be the Penn Township Board of Commissioners.”

If Wednesday’s vote passes, solicitors and staff from both municipalities will work together to prepare a joint agreement. That agreement would need to be filed and approved by Aug. 4 by the Westmoreland County Election Bureau for it to appear on the November ballot.

The meeting begins at 7 p.m. in the township building with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. An update on the vote will be available later tonight on Channel 11 News 11 at 11.

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