Williamsport Council President Adam Yoder says he viewed the biggest takeaway from the Public Financial Management (PFM) process as the opportunity that is in front of the city with Home Rule.

From a revenue perspective it fixes a lot of problems the city is looking at today and those likely in years to come, he said.

During a budget work session, he said he saw the need for council and the administration to get “on the same page” on the issue.

“I’m not saying we need to get on the same page today, but I think it is appropriate to kind of relay, some things that I kind of learned from the discovery of a couple of municipalities,” Yoder said speaking with Mayor Derek Slaughter, adding, “and to really rely on you, to kind of spearhead getting on the same page and understanding how council can really help in that effort to enact Home Rule.”

Yoder said he talked to (officials in) Lancaster and Hazleton and their mayors each were really spearheading it.

The Home Rule process would involve a government study commission as it did about eight years ago in the city.

From those recent conversations with officials in Lancaster and Hazleton Yoder said he learned the amount of work that it takes on the full-time staff’s time, and that’s across the board — that is mayor, that is police and that is fire — for every administrative department when a government study commission has questions.

Yoder added that he struggled to see that being successful when council spearheads the process and does it.

He reiterated that the Home Rule offers a massive opportunity in front of the city that fixes a lot of issues.

“I am looking to you … when the administration is ready.”

Slaughter responded.

“Yeah, to your point, if we can row the boat in the same direction that you’ve mentioned,” he said.

Slaughter added that Lancaster Mayor Danene Sorace, a Democrat, who has held the position since January 2018, is a good friend.

The Mayor-elect is Jaime Arroyo, who won the November 2025 general election and will be sworn into office in January.

Slaughter said Hazleton Mayor Jeff Cusat also is a friend.

“They were all rowing the boat in the same direction,” Slaughter said suggesting that the mayor’s office, the administration and council will have to be working together on Home Rule. That is because when city officials take the concept into the community it has to go before the voters and the message to them has to be consistent because Home Rule is confusing enough let alone when trying to explain it to the voter, who probably, in most cases will not spend a lot of time researching Home Rule.

“If we can get to a place where we’re in agreement on how we want to present that message, I do agree that Home Rule could save us money, whether you’re looking at the taxing options for it or whatever the case might be,” he said.

The city continues to work with the state legislature on local services tax that has for many years remained at $52 per employee annually.

“We’ve been talking about a wage tax,” Slaughter said, adding, and potentially sunsetting other taxes in the city.”

He said he did not want to speak about the sunsetting measure much publicly at this point.

But on the Home Rule, he added: “Certainly on Home Rule we’ll look with the administration with council to see if we can get this to the point where we’re comfortable enough to get it on the ballot.”