From the Board of Commissioners

The Nuts And Bolts Of Aston: Why Is Aston A “First Class” Township?

Aston Township is called a First Class Township.  While the Board of Commissioners hopes that you agree that everything about Aston truly is “first class” the term First Class Township does not denote quality but only a political designation established by the Pennsylvania State Legislature some years ago.  Over the years various designations and classifications for municipalities have arisen which is why today surrounding Aston Township you will find boroughs, townships, and cities, all with different forms of government and different names for their form of municipality.  First Class Townships such as Aston are distinguished from Second Class Townships and Third Class Townships only by their population at the time of their formation.  Aston was a large, relatively speaking, township and therefore became a First Class Township. 

Townships can have different forms of government but generally a township is governed by a Board of Commissioners which acts as both as the executive and legislative branches of government, equivalent to the President and Congress on the national level.  Meetings are run by the President of the Board of Commissioners who chairs the meetings of the Board of Commissioners, makes appointments to the various committees, and sets the

agenda for the day-to-day and long range activity of the Township.  

Aston is divided into seven wards each approximately equally weighted in terms of population.  Each of these seven wards every four years elects a member to the Board of Commissioners in staggered two year terms so that no more than four commissioners are up for election at any given time.  The members of the Board of Commissioners are deemed to be part-time officials, and receive a stipend of approximately $4,125 a year for their service.  

The actual day-to-day operation of the Township is in the hands of the Township administration, which in Aston’s case does a truly remarkable job considering the range of issues facing the Township at any given moment.  A Township Manager is assisted by several administrative assistants to handle all office activity including correspondence, residents’ issues, and the day-to-day operation of all facilities.  The Public Works Department handles all activities related to real property in the Township including trash collection, overseeing recycling, maintenance of the public buildings, and public grounds.  The most visible of all township activities may be the Aston Police Department which, while under the authority of the Board of Commissioners, is administered and supervised on both a day-to-day and long term basis by the Chief of Police. 

Pursuant to state law, known as the First Class Township Code, Aston is required to have several standing committees and is permitted to form other committees as the need

may arise.  The standing committees Aston has in place include New Construction, Finance, Public Works, Police and Health.  Also, the Township has on retainer a professional engineer and a solicitor to render appropriate opinions as necessary on matters facing the Township.  

As mentioned previously, Aston also has formed several discretionary committees including a Citizens Advisory Committee, Ordinance Committee, Recreation Committee, Sewer Committee, Fire Committee, Insurance Committee, as well as others.  These committees all serve as conduits for information from the public to the Board of Commissioners and from the Board of Commissioners to the public concerning all matters that affect life in the Township.  In almost all instances, committee meetings are held at night as the majority, if not all, of the Township’s Commissioners have full-time jobs.  The Township Manager’s duties include attendance at these meetings - involving meeting approximately three nights a week leading to a work week of sixty or more hours on a regular basis.  Most meetings are open to the public, and advertised in newspapers of general circulation, the Township calendar which is distributed to all residents at the beginning every year, and on the Township’s website and television station.  

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