Home Rule in Lancaster City
Home Rule is a type of local government available in Pennsylvania. It transfers the basic authority to act from state law to a local charter drafted, adopted, and amended by local voters. A Home Rule Charter is essentially a local constitution.
Lancaster City voters approved the creation of a Home Rule Study Commission in May 2023, and elected nine (9) commissioners tasked with studying Home Rule and whether it is right for Lancaster City. In January 2024 the Home Rule Study Commission voted to draft a Home Rule Charter for Lancaster City. In August 2024 the Home Rule Study Commission published its proposed Home Rule Charter, which Lancaster City voters adopted in November 2024. The City of Lancaster began operating under this charter on January 1, 2025.
