Lebanon County: Mt Gretna Borough belongs in HD
The current redistricting map for the PA state house redistricting has Lebanon County divided into three parts because of the population growth the county has experienced in the past 10 years (HD 102; HD 101; HD 98). While Lebanon County was divided in the past, it was never a part of HD 98 is entirely in Lancaster County. In the apparent attempt to limit the deviation from the state target number of 65,043, two large townships and one small borough have been removed from Lebanon County’s HD 101: South Annville Twp. (pop. 3,442), South Londonderry Twp. (pop. 8,785) and Mt. Gretna Borough (pop. 177). I am requesting that Mt. Gretna Borough remain in Lebanon County’s HD 101 for the following reasons: 1. The residents of Mt Gretna are closely tied to the Lebanon County community and government. They share the police force with Cornwall Borough and West Cornwall Twp. which are both in HD 101 and have contiguous borders. 2. Mt. Gretna Borough is in the Cornwall Lebanon School District which entirely serves the communities of HD 101. 3. Mt Gretna Fire Company serves Mt. Gretna, Gretna Heights, and Gretna Camp Meeting which are in HD 101 as a part of Cornwall and West Cornwall Townships. 4. Many Mt Gretna residents work in Lebanon County schools and have businesses associated with the Lebanon County Chamber of Commerce. They consider Lebanon City their civic and cultural center. The borough participates in the Greater Lebanon County planning commission comprehensive zoning plans. 5. Finally, moving the borough back into HD 101 will help modify the deviation from the target population numbers for both the 98 and 101 House Districts with no significant change in partisan representation. 6. The Mt. Gretna Borough council and mayor intends to pass a resolution that Mt. Gretna Borough should remain in HD 101 because of its geographic and cultural relationship to Lebanon County at the next borough meeting. The Mayor and council members will submit requests to the state redistricting committee to keep Mt Gretna in Lebanon County’s HD 101. Daniel Sidelnick, Chair Lebanon County Democratic Committee