By David Sanko
On September 17, 1787, delegates gathered in Philadelphia and signed a document that changed the course of history. The Constitution they created begins with three familiar words: “We, the People.”
For 239 years, those three words have represented a simple but powerful idea: Government derives its authority from the people and works best when it remains accountable to them.
That principle is worth reflecting on this Constitution Day because it is increasingly being tested in communities across Pennsylvania.
Every day, township supervisors and other local officials make decisions that affect the lives of their residents. They maintain roads, guide development, protect public safety, preserve community character, and plan for the future.
They do not do this from fancy offices, in far-away towns. They do it as neighbors. They attend the same churches, shop in the same stores, drive the same roads, and live with the same consequences of their decisions.
Yet there is a growing movement among policymakers, bureaucrats, and special interests in Harrisburg and Washington to take more of those decisions away from local leaders. Increasingly, local officials are being told that they are obstacles to housing … obstacles to energy development … obstacles to economic growth.
The proposed solution?
More state mandates.
More federal directives.
More one-size-fits-all policies.
Less local input.
We are hearing proposals that would limit local authority over housing development. We are watching attempts to weaken local decision-making on solar facilities, data centers, power generation projects, and other major developments. Earlier this year, Act 44 of 2026 preempted local solar decommissioning standards that many municipalities spent years developing – with state DEP guidance.
Unfortunately, the message behind many of these efforts is the same: “Harrisburg knows best.” But local officials know something that distant policymakers often do not.
Every community is different. A development that makes sense in one township may not make sense in another. A road network that can support growth in one community may already be stretched thin in another. A project that fits comfortably into one landscape may fundamentally alter the character of another.
As I often say: “Everything fits somewhere, but everything does not fit everywhere.”
That is not an argument against housing. It is not an argument against data centers. It is not an argument against energy development.
It is an argument for thoughtful planning and local involvement. The people closest to community issues are best positioned to understand community solutions.
That is why the Pennsylvania Local Government Bill of Rights was created.
The Bill of Rights affirms five simple principles:
- The Right to Plan Our Future
- Protecting Our Backyards
- Freedom From Unfunded Mandates
- The Modern Town Crier and Transparency
- A Seat at the Table
Together, these principles recognize that strong communities require meaningful local participation. More important, they recognize a truth that should unite Pennsylvanians regardless of politics: The people who are elected in a community deserve a voice in shaping its future.
The Pennsylvania Local Government Bill of Rights may have been developed by local government officials, but ultimately, it is about something bigger than government. It is about protecting the ability of residents to influence decisions that affect their neighborhoods, farms, businesses, roads, schools, and quality of life.
In many ways, it is not simply a local government bill of rights. It is a community bill of rights.
Because when local communities lose their voice, residents lose their voice. And when decisions are increasingly made by distant policymakers, agencies, and special interests, the people who must live with those decisions often have the least say in them.
Constitution Day is the perfect time to reaffirm a principle that dates to 1787: Government works best when it listens to the people it serves. That is why I encourage residents across Pennsylvania to read the Pennsylvania Local Government Bill of Rights and add their names in support.
The question is simple: Who should decide our community’s future?
If your answer is the people who live there, work there, raise their families there, and care about what happens there, then I invite you to join us. Visit www.psats.org/billofrights and add your name.
After all, the future of Pennsylvania’s communities should not be decided for them. It should be shaped by them.
About the author: David M. Sanko is the executive director of the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors. With a broad background in local and state government, Sanko oversees an organization that is the primary advocate for the commonwealth’s 1,453 townships of the second class, which are home to nearly 6 million Pennsylvanians and cover 95% of the commonwealth’s landmass.
Nothing contained here should be considered as an attempt to aid or hinder the passage of any legislation.
The views expressed here are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Susquehanna Valley Center for Public Policy.