Municipal Fiscal Health

Four out of 10 residents of Pennsylvania live in a municipality that is fiscally distressed. Fiscally distressed municipalities struggle to provide much needed services and make necessary investments in communities. However, due to outmoded laws and incoherent policies, municipalities have few options to improve their fiscal situations. Act 47, a statewide recovery program that helps distressed municipalities contain costs, generate additional revenue and operate more efficiently, provides help for some financially weakened municipalities. Yet, without addressing the big cost drivers, local governments across our region and state will continue to face significant challenges in meeting needs of residents and businesses.

The Pennsylvania Economy League of Greater Pittsburgh works in partnership with the Coalition for Sustainable Communities, to inform the business, civic and public sector communities on the need for municipal pension and binding arbitration reform. Pension and binding arbitration reform can help secure the fiscal sustainability of our municipalities. Without such reforms our local governments will continue to reduce services and raise taxes.

View Recent Communications on Municipal Fiscal Health