Smart Talk: Municipal pensions, charities; Harrisburg’s bike share

What to look for on Smart Talk Tuesday, April 7, 2015:

Nearly half of Pennsylvania’s municipality pension funds don’t have enough money.  In fact, the City of York has one of the largest pension shortfalls in the state.  York Mayor Kim Bracey has called on the state legislature to help reform the Pennsylvania municipal pension system.

A proposed state constitutional amendment that would give the legislature more control over which nonprofits are designated as public charities could potentially impact the amount of real estate tax that municipalities can factor into their budgets.

WITF’s Emily Previti appears on Tuesday’s Smart Talk to discuss the financial issues facing Pennsylvania’s municipalities as part of our collaborative Keystone Crossroads project.

Keystone Crossroads is producing a series of features that focus on municipal pensions beginning later this week.  Be sure to tune in.

Also on Tuesday’s program, Bike Share Harrisburg is a partnership of Harrisburg organizations and businesses that is about to launch a bike share program in the city. The program will include bicycle kiosks in eleven locations with 100+ bicycles throughout the city – including HACC, PennDot, and the Amtrak station – where residents can rent bicycles to make one-time or frequent trips throughout the city.

The program’s organizers say Bike Share Harrisburg seeks to provide an affordable, low-impact commuting option that improves community connectivity, city culture, and the environment.

Bill Sutton, Chair of the Board of Directors of the U.S. Green Building Council of Central Pennsylvania joins us to discuss the initiative.