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President's Column
What’s Good for Reading
is Good for Albright
When Margaret Schumo gave Albright her wonderful
gift of $4.75 million to build the Schumo Center for
Fitness and Well-Being at Albright, she said, “What’s
good for Albright is good for Berks County.”
This is a sentiment we liked so much that we
inscribed it on the commemorative plaque recognizing
her gift outside the Schumo Center.
We also know that the reverse is true: what’s good
for our community is good for Albright, and whatever
threatens the security and stability of our community
threatens us.
Our alumni and friends in Berks County have certainly
heard this news, but others further afield may not know
about the economic distress facing the city of Reading.
Last November, Reading qualified as a distressed city
under the terms of the Municipalities Financial Recovery
Act, known as Act 47. The city of Reading simply cannot raise enough revenue to stay float—in fact, what is
most shocking, its total budget cannot even cover the
cost of basic police and fire protection.
This news concerns the College in several ways,
both short and long-term. Obviously it is discouraging
for prospective students and parents. City cutbacks,
especially its current reduction in its police force, could
have a direct impact on the College and the safety of
our students.
George Cornelius, Pennsylvania’s secretary of
community and economic development, calls Act 47
a band aid on a problem that is unfixable without
legislative change in the way municipalities are
defined. In his view, Reading (and the 18 other
municipalities currently under Act 47, as well as the
10 other cities on the verge) have little chance of
ever being free of Act 47.
There are many things wrong with the archaic and
ineffective way municipalities operate in Pennsylvania.
Cities’ hands are tied by pension mandates that result
in year-after-year escalations in retirement expenses,
far outpacing their ability to pay. State subsidies for
pension expenses favor suburbs to the detriment of
older cities. Obsolete municipal boundaries present
major obstacles for anyone trying to run a city. City
populations are becoming increasingly poorer and are
taxed inequitably.
As things are, financial distress is almost assured for
all of our mid-sized and large cities.
To increase his city’s revenue, the mayor of
Pittsburgh proposed a highly controversial “education
privilege tax” on all students attending a college or university there. Although he withdrew his proposal,
moves to force colleges and universities to provide
additional financial support for these cities will only
increase the cost of higher education, undermining
our competitiveness in a very price-sensitive industry
and encouraging more students to go elsewhere at a
time when the number of high school graduates in our
region is declining.
I believe that all citizens of the Commonwealth
have a vested interest in addressing these issues—
not just those who live in our so-called “thirdclass
cities.” I believe the solution is to consolidate
municipalities and school districts and adopt a much
more efficient and equitable strong county system.
The existing model is broken. Other models in other
states are not hard to find.
The future of the city is inextricably intertwined
with the future of the county and the College.
Students’ and parents’ perceptions of the safety
and viability of Reading and Berks County directly
affects our enrollments and our economic impact.
The health of Reading affects all business, industry
and education in the region.
As Kevin Murphy, president and CEO of the Berks
County Community Foundation, said in his testimony
at the Act 47 hearing, “Our region cannot survive if
its core fails.”
If you agree, I ask you to make your voices heard
in Harrisburg and advocate for change.
Lex O. McMillan III, Ph.D.
President
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