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Governor Proposes Per-Person Fee for State Police Coverage

BROOKLYN TOWNSHIP — Even though Governor Tom Wolf is proposing no tax increase, he is calling for a fee that could impact a lot of people in our area. If ...

BROOKLYN TOWNSHIP -- Even though Governor Tom Wolf is proposing no tax increase, he is calling for a fee that could impact a lot of people in our area.

If your community relies on state police, he wants you to pay.

Pennsylvania State Troopers are solely responsible for two-thirds of the state's municipalities. Like many in Susquehanna County, Brooklyn Township doesn't have a local police department and never have in the over 200 years of its existence.

Brooklyn Township is home to a little more than 900 residents. Taxpayers have never had to pay for state troopers' policing their township or their own police department.

"It would bankrupt the township without raising the taxes. Then the people who live in this township couldn't afford to pay that difference," said Brooklyn Township supervisor Derek Oakley.

Brooklyn Township doesn't have a grocery store, a post office, or even a gas station.

"It's a low-income area, really, a lot of elderly people. There's just no way that we could afford that," Oakley said.

Governor Wolf is proposing every person in municipalities relying on the state police pay a $25 fee per year. Taxpayers are concerned about what that would mean for them.

"It would really be a hardship for everyone here, just for the simple fact that the income is limited," said Brooklyn Township resident Dava Rinehart-Cowan.

Rinehart-Cowan is worried about how her elderly neighbors would be able to afford it.

"Elderly neighbors would not, they're on a fixed income. They don't have a choice, but to pay whatever taxes come down the pike," Rinhart-Cowan said.

Even though she has a steady career with a steady income, she is also worried about what it means for her and her family's school taxes going up on a regular basis.

"We're being taxed constantly. Every year, they stay within the index. Last year they were actually above the index in our school district," Rinehart-Cowan said.

Many residents told Newswatch 16 they have been getting by just fine with the state troopers' assistance.

"It's a pretty tight community, everyone pretty much knows everybody and it pretty much stays quiet here," said Oakley.

"Moved back here for the simple fact that we wanted our son raised in a small town and not in a city," Rinehart-Cowan added.

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