The Home Rule Study Commission has published publicly on the Internet the full draft of the Home Rule Charter it developed for Lancaster.

The 59-page document is available here (PDF). A summary and comparisons of the Charter with Lancaster’s existing Governance Act in English (PDF) and Spanish (PDF) are available here.

Although the charter is essentially in its final form, it is possible that additional changes may be made based on feedback from the public. The commission recently held three public information and feedback sessions. In addition, a formal hearing on the charter is scheduled for this evening (Thursday, Aug. 8), beginning at 7 p.m. in the Polite Council Chambers at City Hall, 120 N. Duke St.

During the hearing, the Commission will present the draft and hear statements from any member of the public who is interested in having their say.

The commission is expected to vote on the final version of the charter at its Aug. 29 meeting. If approved, the charter will be put to city voters in a referendum on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 5. If voters approve, it will go into effect in early 2025.

At its most recent meeting, the commission approved provisions in the draft charter that would increase the number of city councilors from seven to nine members, establish an ethics committee and limit annual revenue increases.

By a vote of 5 to 4, the commission decided against electing city council members by district. However, it is possible that city residents could bring about this change in the future through the Charter’s expanded referendum and initiative rights.

On taxes, the charter would allow the City Council to raise the payroll tax above the current 0.6% cap. (An additional 0.5% is levied on the Lancaster School District, bringing the total rate to 1.1% currently.) Last month, Mayor Danene Sorace said her administration was considering proposing a 0.9% payroll tax, half again of the current rate.