Beaver County Township Planning

Executive Summary

When analyzing the situation, KITA Consulting applied the three principles of governance-- independence, transparency, and accountability-- to the recommended plan of action. As a member of the Beaver County Board of Commissioners, Jane Kurtzweil faces future township and governance issues in District I. Several townships in District I are experiencing orderly annexation pressures from both the expansion of the Lakewood Metropolitan population and the anticipated growth of the city of Warren. The key issue in this case is to determine how Jane should build consensus among the townships regarding future governance.

Based on data collected from the focus groups with township leaders, three common concerns emerged: communication, identity and cooperation.

● Communication: Township leaders expressed concerns that the County was not hearing their voices.

● Identity: Townships leaders wanted to retain the unique identity of each township.

● Cooperation: Townships were interested in sharing resources to improve service.

These common concerns became the criteria in selecting a recommendation. Alternatives that potentially fit these requirements were as follows:

1. Jane creates a governance plan, but excludes additional community input. Although the decision would be fast, decisive, and cost-effective, this alternative may lead to a lack of transparency and township involvement, resulting in poor communication and cooperation.

2. Jane creates a commission representing leaders of all four townships. In this alternative, all townships are equally represented, and common issues would be addressed in a systematic fashion. Communication and collaboration would lead to potential solutions, and township leaders would inform community members as the planning progressed.

3. Jane holds a public vote. Everyone has an equal vote in this alternative. However, due to population size, unequal representation between townships may occur, and...