Politics & Government

Mayor: Redistricting Could Hurt Downtown

Phoenixville Borough Council voted unanimously to oppose the legislative redistricting plan.

In less than a week, Phoenixville Mayor Leo Scoda will appear before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to express concern about a redistricting plan that splits the borough in two.

Scoda had a warm-up round for his testimony at the Jan. 10 council meeting, where members voted unanimously, with Council President Richard Kirkner absent, to support a resolution opposing the redistricting.

In the final draft of the legislative reapportionment plan, Phoenixville Borough remained whole, contained fully within the 157th state house district, currently represented by Warren Kampf.

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The approved redistricting plan, however, sliced the borough apart, with three voting precincts—North Three, Middle One and West One—going in the 155th house district, represented by Curt Schroder.

‘These changes were not in the final plan and were added in the final tinkering of the plan,” Scoda said.

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The state Democratic party, along with the Chester County Democratic Party, have filed an appeal against the legislative redistricting, and the county appeal specifically cites the Phoenixville split as well as a similar issue in West Chester.

On Jan. 23, Scoda will in Harrisburg to see if the legislative redistricting decision can be overturned. Scoda stressed that costs for the appeal will not come from borough coffers.

“This is not costing the borough any money,” he said.

The mayor also told council this is the first time the borough has ever been split, and he said it violates a requirement that municipalities be within one legislative district except when “absolutely necessary.”

“What’s happening here is a real significant change in the political structure in the borough of Phoenixville,” Scoda said.

Rattling off names of former state representatives to the Phoenixville area, Scoda then added that the change to the legislative districts may have an effect on revitalization and downtown Phoenixville.

“When you look at what they’re doing, one of the worst outcomes of this is they’re going to take Middle One, which is our downtown, and stick it in another legislative district after we worked so hard to get the downtown where it is,” Scoda said.

He explained that it’s easier when the borough can speak with one voice. Councilwoman Jennifer Mayo (D-Middle) said she vowed to fight the redistricting that splits up the borough.

“It would be very detrimental to Phoenixville as a whole,” Mayo said. 


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