CHESTER, Pa. - The mayor of Chester called on state leaders in Harrisburg to dip into a multi-billion dollar rainy day fund to help the decades-long financially-strapped suburb of Philadelphia.
Mayor Thaddeus Kirkland and members of city council will head to Pennsylvania's capitol in hopes to hammer out a plan to get $8 billion directed to Chester.The city of more than 32,000 has been designated a "financially stressed municipality" since 1997, and some believe it's in danger of becoming disincorporated and divided.
As Chester tries to navigate turbulent financial waters, Mayor Kirkland claims the state-appointed receiver keeps preventing local solutions to Chester's money woes.
One of those proposed solutions involves a plan to sell Chester's water system to Aqua PA for $440M. MORE LOCAL HEADLINES"With $12M separate from the $440M up front - which would have helped the city with its financial woes - the receiver instead decided not to have that conversation," Kirkland said.