FAQs

The three most significant advantages of the COUNCIL-MANAGER form of government include:

• Separation of legislative and executive functions.
• Centralization of administrative authority and responsibility under a professional manager appointed by Council.
• A five-member elected Council focused on policy setting and legislative functions.

The five elected Council members are a part-time legislative decision and policy-making body. Members are elected at large, and each serves four-year terms. Elected Council members (Board of Supervisors) appoint a manager to oversee administrative operations, implement policies, and advise the elected Council.

Broader representation of Community’s interests.

At-large council members (supervisors) are accountable to the entire community, not just a single district. This encourages them to focus on township wide issues rather than narrow, localized concerns.

Reduced parochialism and gridlock.

Because at-large officials represent everyone, they may be less likely to engage in turf wars over resources and more likely to cooperate on policies that benefit the township as a whole.

More equitable distribution of services.

Township services and investments may be distributed more evenly when supervisors answer to all residents instead of focusing primarily on their own districts.

Helps prevent gerrymandering.

District elections can be manipulated through gerrymandering, where boundaries are drawn to favor certain groups or political interests. At-large systems avoid this problem altogether.

Every voter has a say in electing all council members (supervisors). While district elections aim to ensure local representation, they can unintentionally (or intentionally) sideline entire groups of voters and qualified candidates.

Promotes unity

At-large systems foster a sense of community identity, encouraging voters to think beyond neighborhood boundaries.

At-large elections can be a fairer, more efficient way to ensure that leaders focus on the good of the entire community.

At-large elections foster unity, reduce political fragmentation, and ensure that every elected official is accountable to the entire community, not just a slice of it. In an era where collaboration and township-wide vision are essential, electing leaders who think beyond district lines is not just better policy—it's better democracy.

The Manager is the chief executive and administrative official who is selected by and reports to Council. Council hires a manager based on executive and administrative qualifications (education, credentials, expertise, proven leadership qualities, objectivity and professionalism).

The Manager is responsible for carrying out all policies established by the Council. Examples of a manager’s responsibilities include preparation and administration of the budget; recruiting, hiring and supervising township staff; negotiating contracts subject to the approval of the council; preparing an agenda for and attending all meetings of council; and making recommendations to Council concerning policy formulation.

The Manager carries out administrative activities in a neutral, non-political manner through separating politics from administrative duties. The Manager may be removed by a majority vote of Council at any time.

Hiring a professional manager is important for the following reasons:

• Provides experience and expertise to the Council to make informed and objective decisions.
• Provides checks and balances between legislative and executive roles through a separation of power, authority and duties.
• Carries out administrative activities in a neutral objective manner by separating politics from administrative duties.
• Appointment of a Manager is based on their credentials, education, proven leadership qualities, objectivity and professionalism.

Rather than department heads being split into three groups with each group reporting to a different Township Supervisor/Council member (as is now), all department heads report directly to the township manager, who is accountable and responsible to the Council. Rank and file employees are accountable to their respective department head. Key advantages are improved strategic and cultural alignment, operational efficiency, enhanced innovation and collaboration, cost and resource optimization, and leadership development.

Study Commission research indicates the Township will face significant financial challenges that strongly portend a decline in future tax revenue. Financial viability will be further challenged by the expansion of staff and significant development projects (see Appendix C of the final report for further details). Millcreek Township will benefit when the elected leadership is fully committed to the role of governance and making policy decisions. This allows the elected Council, to retain a trained, experienced municipal professional to manage the day-to-day affairs of the Township in lieu of self-appointed Municipal Administrators. The professional manager will serve as an advisor to the Council as they perform their sole duty and responsibility to create needed new approaches to local government management to ensure a healthy and sustainable future for Millcreek Township.

The Council-Manager form of government will not impact taxes because the form of government is more effective and efficient. That does not mean taxes will not increase but it will be due to actions that have already been set in motion or non-related events that cannot be anticipated.

The final report of the Study Commission in Appendix C (COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS: FINANCIAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL DATA) concludes Millcreek Township will experience an initial savings in legislative (Supervisors) and executive/administrative (Township Manager) compensation if changing to an optional Council-Manager form of government.

Having a manager to carry out non-legal administrative matters will lead to more effective oversight to control spending.

The Township Manager will recommend, and the Council (Board of Supervisors) will continue to determine tax policy as part of the annual budget development and administration process. Current tax rates will continue unless and until changed by the board/council at some point of time in the future.

Each member of the Board of Supervisors in office at the time of the adoption of the Optional Council-Manager form of government will remain in office continuing as an at-large member until the expiration of their term in office.

Benefits of having a five-member council, prohibited from employment by the Optional Plans Law within the Township organization, are as follows:

• Offers a broader representation of experiences, expertise, skill sets, diversity and two more perspectives leading to more thoughtful and informed decisions. A larger group (5 vs. 3) is less prone to unanimous thinking and more likely to challenge assumptions, and there is less concentration of power as five members require broader consensus.
• Ensures a greater capacity to explore increasingly complex issues and constituent needs by allocating responsibilities to more council members.
• Creates broader oversight of the township manager while deepening and enhancing resident representation on council.
• Allows a five-member council to focus on its legislative policy-making role rather than spend significant time on daily administrative tasks.
• Provides more opportunities for the community to be represented.
• More voices on council can lead to more public discussion and transparency.

The seven member Millcreek Government Study Commission is a group of volunteers who are registered voters elected in a non-partisan election and serve without compensation.

The study commission is charged with the task to:

• Study the current form of Millcreek Township government.
• Compare and contrast it with other similar townships.
• Compare and contrast it with available optional plans of government under the Optional Plans Law.
• Deliberate on whether one of the optional plans of government will make Millcreek government more accountable, transparent, and more fiscally responsible to the people.
• Determine whether the Township’s operation would be more economical and efficient under a changed form of government.

Its recommendation is placed before the voters for approval whether to select an alternative form of government (i.e., Optional Council-Manager form of government).