Hopewell Township
For those who think in donut terms, Hopewell
Township is the donut surrounding the Borough of Stewartstown. At a size of 26.5 square
miles and with a population currently estimated to be about 5,000, Hopewell Township is a
rather large donut.
Hopewell is governed by an elected 3 member Board of
Supervisors. The current Supervisors are Mark S. Leach, Chair, William T. Street, and
David T. Wisnom. The Supervisors serve overlapping six-year terms. Therefore, every two
years, one of the three Supervisors is up for re-election. To participate in the election,
one must be a resident of Hopewell Township for at least a year.
Each municipality in the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania meets to "organize" on the first Monday of the calendar year. It is
at that meeting that the Township Supervisors select their Chairman, Vice Chairman, set
their meeting dates for the year, and conduct other business. The Township Manager, Pat
Schaub, is appointed/hired by ordinance at the "organization" meeting. Pat also
serves as Treasurer and Secretary to the Board of Supervisors.
Hopewell Township has an operating budget of close
to $3 million, most of which comes from the Township's share of the York Area Earned
Income Tax. Among other things, the budget funds the salaries of the Township Manager and
her assistant, and the Roadmaster and his road crew.
Among the more important appointments by the
Township Supervisors are members of the Planning Commission and the Zoning Hearing Board.
Patricia Blanton, Tax Collector for Hopewell Township, serves a four year elected term of
office.
Though the Supervisors get involved in a host of
activities, most issues seem to relate to development, infrastructure, or farm
preservation. The Supervisors are particularly sensitive to the plight of the Hopewell
Township family farmer. With the emergence of discount giants such as Wal-Mart, it's
becoming more and more difficult for the family farmer to compete. The Supervisors are
actively working to update regulations that will allow area farms to be more competitive.
Township residents are encouraged to participate in
the recycling program that is held on the last Saturday of each month from 7:00 AM to
11:00 AM at the Township Building, 3336 Bridgeview Road (Rte 851). Only glass, aluminum,
plastic, steel, and bi-metal cans can be recycled. There is no need to separate recyclable
materials. NO aerosol cans, paint cans, foil pie plates, window glass, cookware, or yard
waste will be accepted.
The Township office is open from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM
and can be reached by calling 993-2027.
Thank you to Pat Schaub, Township Manager, for
her assistance in preparing this article.