Do Not Split Mechanicsburg Borough
Mechanicsburg Borough Council unanimously opposes the proposed map for the State House districts recently passed by the Legislative Redistricting Commission. (EXHIBIT A) This proposed map splits the Borough of Mechanicsburg into two separate House districts, the 87th District and 88th District. The proposal splits the Borough’s community through the center of town, directly through the town square at the intersection of Main and Market streets. Although splitting municipalities is ultimately unavoidable, in this instance it was not necessary to achieve a fair and balanced map. The proposed map actually increases the divide between communities of interest rather than keeping them together, such as the Borough together with the Mechanicsburg School District. Article 2, Section 16 of the Constitution of Pennsylvania provides that House districts “shall be composed of compact and contiguous territory as nearly equal in population as practicable.” It further states that “Unless absolutely necessary no county, city, incorporated town, borough, township or ward shall be divided in forming either a senatorial or representative district.” The current proposal for our region does not meet the mandate of the Constitution to be compact in territory and avoid splitting municipalities unless absolutely necessary. The Borough of Mechanicsburg is a small compact contiguous municipality comprising 2.6 square miles and a population of slightly more than 9,000 people. It can be incorporated into a single house district in its entirety. Please see suggested changes to the proposed map in the 199th, 87th and 88th districts (https://davesredistricting.org/join/f95d5c12-3651-4f85-99a5-90de67f6debb) which demonstrate that uniting municipalities and communities of interest can be achieved meeting the spirit of the Constitution of Pennsylvania. This proposal unites the small Borough of Mechanicsburg as well as rejoins the Borough with its school district which forms a cohesive community of interest. Additionally the proposed map reduces the number of splits in the CV school district and keeps that community of interest together by joining Hampden and Silver Spring townships into the same district. Thank you for your consideration. EXHIBIT A: Mechanicsburg Borough Council Resolution 02-2022 WHEREAS Article 1, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution requires that a Census be taken every 10 years for, among other purposes, apportioning the Pennsylvania State House legislative districts; and WHEREAS the location of a municipality within a legislative district of the Pennsylvania State House impacts everything from state representation, constituent services and advocacy, and acquisition of state funding through grants for municipal entities and emergency services; and WHEREAS in the spirit of Article II, Section 16 of the Pennsylvania Constitution, regarding the reapportionment of State house and senatorial districts, “Unless absolutely necessary, no county, city, incorporated town, borough, township or ward shall be divided in forming either a senatorial or representative district;” and WHEREAS the Borough of Mechanicsburg is incorporated as a borough in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, constituting a compact contiguous municipality comprised of two square miles and united as a cohesive community within Cumberland County and the Mechanicsburg Area School District; and WHEREAS on the 16th of December, 2021 the Legislative Reapportionment Commission adopted a Preliminary plan for legislative redistricting of the Pennsylvania State House which divides the Borough of Mechanicsburg, through the center of the town square, into two separate legislative districts; specifically the 1st Ward, 4th Ward and 5th Ward are proposed to be located in the 87th legislative district and the and 2nd Ward, 1st and 2nd Precinct, and 3rd Ward are proposed to remain in the 88th legislative district. LET IT BE RESOLVED that the Borough of Mechanicsburg opposes the dissection of the Borough of Mechanicsburg between two separate State House legislative districts as a means to divide the community, as well as attempting to avoid confusion and various other negative aspects associated with having a cohesive, contiguous municipality divided in such a manner; and LET IT BE FURTHER RESOLVED that the Borough of Mechanicsburg demands that an alternative plan be enacted that incorporates the Borough of Mechanicsburg, in its entirety, into one, single State House legislative district; and that copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Cumberland County state legislative delegation, the Legislative Reapportionment Commission, members of both the State House and State Senate Committees on State Government, and the Office of Governor Tom Wolf. DULY ADOPTED this 3rd day of January, 2021 by the Mechanicsburg Borough Council Signed, Kyle L. Miller, Council President