Sep 9, 2014 By Susan Schmeichel 2 min read

Bethel Park Council has formed a commission to study the municipality’s home rule charter.

Councilman James McLean made the announcement during the monthly council meeting. McLean will chair the commission, which will be studying the 35-year old charter and making recommendations for revisions.

The committee will include four other members of council, as well as six Bethel Park residents.

The first meeting of the commission is scheduled for Oct. 7 and the public is invited to attend. The commission will meet every other month and there will also be several public hearings.

“We encourage public input,” McLean said.

The only council member to oppose the study was Don Harrison.

“(The charter) has served us very well,” Harrison said. “It doesn’t need to be changed.”

Harrison, a member of the council that adopted the original charter, said there is a provision for change, voter referendum, built into the charter.

The charter has been amended by voter referendum four times since its adoption, he said.

The most recent amendment to the home rule charter occurred in 2013 when voters overwhelmingly approved a change to allow creation of a real estate tax with the revenue being used to fund the building of a new station for the Bethel Park Volunteer Fire Company.