Municipalities across Pennsylvania face ever-mounting financial challenges. Even before the "Great Recession", tax base loss, crumbling infrastructure and escalating health care and pension costs strained the financial capacity of Pennsylvania municipal governments. Federal funding to states is being curtailed resulting in less state funding to municipalities.

The Coalition for Sustainable Communities is working very closely with the Pennsylvania Municipal League, the Department of Community and Economic Development and other stakeholders to implement a common agenda to promote municipal financial health.

Initially, the goals of the group are to:

• Develop legislation to address the shortcomings of the binding arbitration law, Act 111
• Develop legislation to address the shortcomings of municipal pension laws