Whitehall Township Government Profile

Whitehall as a township is classified as First Class. It was in November 5, 1974 when it adopted to what is now called as the Home Rule Charter type of government. The same became effective by January 5, 1976. For this particular type of local government system, Whitehall has separate executive and legislative branches.

Legislative Branch

For one, the legislative branch is composed of the Township Board of Commissioners. There are currently seven members in this board and each of them will be serving a 4-year term. Meanwhile, four of those seats actually have terms that will overlap the remaining three seat terms. The members are responsible for electing a President and a Vice President – wherein their job will be conducting and presiding over Board meetings.

Executive Branch

The executive branch meanwhile is composed of the Mayor. Just like the members of the board, he or she will also serve a 4-year term. Part of the mayor’s power is to appoint a Deputy Mayor, but this only comes at his or her own discretion. However, the appointment will still be subjected to the approval from the Board of Commissioners. The difference of an appointed Deputy Mayor to that of an elected one is that the former will not be automatically become the mayor when the elected mayor leaves the office for any reason. Instead, a replacement will be appointed by the Board of Commissioners. Aside from the mayor, the executive brand also has an elected treasurer, who also will be serving a four-year term.

Whitehall’s government structure deals with all types of issues including lawsuits as is eveident in this short video clip:

Voting and Incumbent Officials

Whitehall Township is divided into twelve voting districts. Each district has one polling place. The current mayor is Edward Hozza, Jr. and the Township Treasurer is Diane M. Hunsicker. The commissioners are headed by its president, Linda K. Snyder Sr., and vice president, Phillip Ginder.

The Bureau of Administration

The Bureau of Administration is a component of the township’s government tasked to support the programs of all the other bureaus. This administration has been providing more than a century of service to the residents of Whitehall Township. The Township Mayor serves as the chief executive and at the same time the administrative official. He is responsible for supervising the administration of all agencies, including appointments and representations. Meanwhile, there’s also a position called the Mayor’s Secretary. The person appointed to this job will have the responsibility of offering support to the Mayor’s office as well as the members of the Board of Commissioners. He or she will also be maintaining ordinance, motion records, and resolution. Officially, the administrative secretary is the first avenue for citizens to air their concerns and hand out their complaints. He or she will also be the bridge for support for all other positions within the Bureau.

With over 26,000 constituents, the local government of Whitehall Township has the same responsibility to that of other cities and townships across the U.S. – to maintain peace and order and provide the residents the services they deserve in a democratic setting.