Commissioners split in withholding immediate approval of revised Home Rule mailer

Representatives of the Government Study Commission (GSC) presented their revised postcard mailer to the County Commissioners in the hope of winning their approval, Wednesday.

The Commissioners had previously put the GSC "on notice" that they would not approve the bill for the postcard as it was previously written. The reason given was that the language of the postcard made it, in Commissioner Chairman Dennis Stuckey's words, "clearly an advocacy piece."

Upon being provided with a paper copy and a spoken summary of the changes, minority Commissioner Craig Lehman said that the changes "seem reasonable to me."

Stuckey and his fellow Republican Commissioner Scott Martin, however, said that they would have to review the proposed mailer with their solicitor before making a determination.

NewsLanc's reporter expressed surprise that Martin and Stuckey could not look at the paper in front of them and decide whether it seemed reasonable as an educational piece, and instead wanted to talk to their attorney in private.

Martin said that he wants to give the mailer more than a cursory examination.

One attendee of the Commissioners meeting noted that the Lancaster County Republican Party has been vocal in its opposition to the Home Rule Charter.

The Commissioners are expected to decide by the end of the day whether to withdraw their objection to the postcard mailer.