What Does the Township Do?

A township is a unit of government that is a subdivision of a county. Some of the main responsibilities of a township are road maintenance and land-use planning. Second class townships (like Greene Township, Pike County, PA) are governed by a three (3) member board of supervisors who are elected for overlapping six (6) year terms.

About Greene Township, Pike County, Pennsylvania:

  • The board of supervisors and their terms can be found on the home page of the township’s website.
  • The roads that the township are responsible for can be found on the Township Roads page.
  • The township’s land-use planning information can be found on the Subdivision and Land Development page.
  • There is no adopted zoning ordinance, but there are other township ordinances to ensure the health and safety of the public.

Township responsibilities

Road Maintenance

There are three (3) types of roads in Pennsylvania. State roads are maintained by PennDOT, township roads are maintained by the township, and private roads are maintained by the property owners.

Land-Use Planning

Land-use planning consists of lot combinations, subdivisions and land developments. Lot combinations are when a property owner wants to combine two or more parcels into one. Subdivisions are when a property owner wants to take one parcel and divide it into multiple parcels. Land developments are when parcels of land are improved for the purpose of constructing a group of two (2) or more residential or nonresidential buildings or a single nonresidential building.

Ordinances

There are numerous ordinances and codes in place to protect the health, safety and welfare of the public. Greene Township has adopted ordinances, such as Signs, Solid Waste Management, Regulating Outdoor Fires and Junkyards. To view the full list of ordinances, visit the Ordinances page.

Building

Permits for building projects (eg. homes, sheds, garages, decks, pools, additions, etc.) are obtained through the township. Greene Township contracts a third party building department to do building inspections. For more information on building permits, visit the Building page.

Sewage and Well

The township is responsible for administering onlot septic system and well permits in accordance with The Pennsylvania Sewage Facilities Act (Act 537 of 1966, as amended). The township employs a Sewage Enforcement Officer, Glen Martin. Please visit the Sewage and Well page for his contact information.

Tax Collector

The elected township tax collector, Barbara Gilpin, is responsible for administering tax bills and collecting and recording all taxes. Her contact information can be found on the Taxes page.

Here is a list of some things townships do not handle:

  • Privately owned roads
  • Home owners associations/private developments or communities rules, regulations, bylaws
  • Property information (eg. survey maps, deeds, home records, etc.)
  • Landlord/tenant lists
  • Local business recommendations