WATCH: A free panel on holding officials accountable in Pa.

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Local governments of Pennsylvania’s more than 2,500 cities, townships, and boroughs manage a wide range of essential services. Local officials are in charge of many of the most intimate policies that affect residents’ lives: parking, zoning, water, policing.

The impact of local decision making is especially felt when such services are disrupted or mismanaged — problems that are not always easy to address because of Pennsylvania’s many layers of government.

Our January event on the commonwealth’s fragmented system of government showed a widespread interest in understanding how local regulations are made. To continue that discussion and answer your questions about what to do when problems arise with your community’s officials, Spotlight PA held our first “How Local Government Works” event. Watch it below.

Our panelists were:

• Min Xian, local accountability reporter, Spotlight PA State College

• Greg Primm, township manager, Allegheny Township

• Neal Fogle, senior economic and community development educator, Penn State Extension

• Alice Elia, council member, Borough of Chambersburg

How Local Government Works is a series of articles and events that focuses on issues and trends in Pennsylvania local governments and provides tools for readers to hold their local officials accountable.

» Spotlight PA’s events operate on a “pay-what-you-can” honor system. If you value this public-service event, pay it forward and contribute any amount to Spotlight PA now so we can keep our programming free for everyone: spotlightpa.org/donate.