Camp Hill Borough and Proposed District 103
January 14, 2022 Dear Pennsylvania Legislative Reapportionment Commission: I write to express my opposition to the proposed redistricting of PA State House Legislative Districts 87 and 88 which moves the Borough of Camp Hill, Lemoyne, Wormleysburg and the Township of East Pennsboro, all in Cumberland County, into proposed District 103 which includes parts of Dauphin County and the City of Harrisburg. Camp Hill Borough currently resides within House District 87. I realize the task you have been assigned is incredibly difficult and I appreciate the opportunities you have provided for the public to express their opinions for consideration. I have been a resident of Camp Hill Borough for 30 years and currently serve as a Camp Hill Borough Councilwoman. I truly love my community as does my husband. Our children grew up in Camp Hill and it was a great experience for them because of its small size and connection to our neighboring communities. Camp Hill sits geographically in the center of the surrounding communities of Hampden Township, East Pennsboro Township, Lemoyne Borough, Shiremanstown Borough, Mechanicsburg Borough, Wormleysburg Borough and Lower Allen Township. We are more than neighbors. We develop friendships as a result of our neighboring schools, shared recreation and cultural interests, school sports, interconnected economic development as a result of our shared roads, joint municipal services, public parks and the beautiful Conodoguinet Creek which runs through us. These connections are enhanced through the Capital Region Council of Governments in Cumberland County, CADEC (Cumberland Area Economic Development Corporation) who markets our Cumberland Valley communities collectively, and the representation and advocacy from our County Commissioners, and our House and Senate representatives who represent Cumberland County. We are part of the small towns that make up Cumberland County. Currently Camp Hill’s House District representation can focus well on our community issues and needs because the district resides solely within Cumberland County. This undivided attention has contributed to Camp Hill's ability to obtain grants and funding for our schools, parks and downtown economic development. Our communities and economic interests are connected easily by our roads. Camp Hill’s Market Street runs east through Lemoyne and West through Hampden Township’s Carlisle Pike and onward toward Carlisle. Interstate 15 travels through Lower Allen Township (our neighbor south of Camp Hill Borough) through Camp Hill and on toward Wormleysburg which then transitions to route 11 toward East Pennsboro Township. Trindle Road (Route 641) connects Camp Hill to Mechanicsburg and further west. With just these 3 roads, Camp Hill literally sits at the crossroads of these communities and others. The proposal to reconfigure our district from our current representation contained solely within Cumberland county, to a district that will contain small communities of Cumberland County along with Part of the City of Harrisburg (PART, Wards 03 - 09 [PART, Division 01], 10, 11, 12, 14 and 15) in Dauphin County will extract us from our communities of interest and will require a future representative to be intimately involved in communities in two different geographic areas with different community connections and in two different counties with different county planning, needs and interests. A representative pulled into two different directions due to geography is not an ideal situation for either the representative or the communities who want an involved advocate. Not only will these Cumberland County communities be impacted by this proposed district 103, but the collective voice of Harrisburg City will be diminished by this configuration. Below is the current and proposed configuration for Camp Hill Borough House districts: Camp Hill Current State House District 87 Dist. 87 consists of the TOWNSHIPS of East Pennsboro, Hampden and Silver Spring (PART) and the BOROUGH of Camp Hill. ALL LOCATED WITHIN CUMBERLAND COUNTY Dist. 88 consisting of the TOWNSHIPS of Lower Allen and Upper Allen and the BOROUGHS of Lemoyne, Mechanicsburg, New Cumberland, Shiremanstown and Wormleysburg. ALL LOCATED WITHIN CUMBERLAND COUNTY Camp Hill Proposed State House District 103 Dist. 103 will join PARTS OF CUMBERLAND and DAUPHIN Counties with Part of CUMBERLAND County consisting of the TOWNSHIP of East Pennsboro and the BOROUGHS of Camp Hill, Lemoyne and Wormleysburg and Part of DAUPHIN County consisting of the CITY of Harrisburg (PART, Wards 03 - 09 [PART, Division 01], 10, 11, 12, 14 and 15). Note: The City of Harrisburg is proposed to be split into the 103rd and 104th . Dist. 104 of Part of DAUPHIN County will consist of the CITY of Harrisburg (PART, Wards 01, 02, 09 [PART, Divisions 02, 03, 04 and 05] and 13) and the TOWNSHIP of Swatara and the BOROUGHS of Highspire, Hummelstown and Steelton. The proposed District No. 103 does not reflect the standards for a district specified in Article 2, Section 17 of the Pennsylvania Constitution nor does it appear to be “absolutely necessary”: “….the Pennsylvania constitution requires that districts be contiguous and compact, and that they respect county, city, incorporated town, borough, township, and ward boundaries unless absolutely necessary…” Also, the proposed District No. 103 does not reflect redistricting principles of the Pennsylvania Redistricting Advisory Council which states: “…Redistricting principles provide that communities of interest are contiguous geographic areas or neighborhoods in which residents share common socio-economic and cultural interests which the residents of the region may seek to translate into effective representation…” I sincerely ask that the Final Reapportionment Plan will keep our House District representation for Camp Hill and our contiguous geographically connected West Shore communities together either within Districts 87 and 88 as they stand currently or together geographically in a way that keeps the districts solely within Cumberland County. Thank you for your consideration of this request. Sincerely, Bonnie Bentz 3015 Columbia Ave Camp Hill, PA 17011