The Trifecta Of Power In Lower Merion And Narberth

The strategic direction of our township is in the hands of three elected groups: the Lower Merion Board of Commissioners, the Lower Merion School Board, and the Narberth Borough Council.

The school board is responsible for the education and safety of the school population while on their properties; the Board of Commissioners and Council are responsible for the well-being of the overall community. 

The school district is required to educate any child who wishes to enroll; the township must ensure property owners don’t harm their neighbors. While the current school administration has argued they need latitude to freely build on school district property, the Commissioners are required to assess each project’s broader impact. 

Will nearby intersections tolerate the influx of traffic? Will more parking lots lead to floods in neighbor’s basements? Will construction harm other properties? Will the removal of trees harm stormwater management plans and increase the fees Lower Merion owes the state? 

For every single application, these factors, as well as hundreds of others, must be considered. Even then, there might be unintended consequences; a misplaced phrase, an overlooked calculation, that could lead to harm and more legal expenses in future years. Each year, these groups spend millions of tax dollars fighting each other.

 
Our community has thrived when our leaders work together to balance these conflicting issues, working together to find compromise. The new middle school at 1860 Montgomery Avenue is possible because both boards agreed to concede on contentious issues. The Board of Commissioners agreed to dramatic zoning modifications and the school district will shift fifth grade into middle school and divide the community from two to three middle school catchments. Both sides had difficult, soul-searching arguments among themselves, their constituents, and their legal advisors. Yet the new middle school, slated to open next September, adds 1,200 seats to the school district within four years, a feat otherwise impossible.

 
Every two years, about half of the elected offices in our community are up for election. As you evaluate each candidate, it will be tempting to seek candidates who share lofty visions for the future, new improvements, increased offerings, or who simply offer more without explaining how. And of course, we all want more. But right now, with the challenges facing our community, we need to return to the type of leadership that can listen, negotiate and problem solve. We need to take a hard look at candidates who offer something without explaining what needs to be sacrificed. We need board members with experience brokering agreements without resorting to courts. We need board members who can lead our community through these rapidly evolving challenges so we can quickly respond to the changing needs of our community.