One Carbon County Commissioner wants to see a change in how the county operates.

On Thursday, Jim Thorpe resident Jerry Strubinger asked if there had been any movement on Carbon moving to a home rule charter, which Commissioner Chris Lukasevich had previously voiced being in favor of.

Lukasevich told Strubinger that he plans to continue pursuing the option over the next few years.

Home rule in local government “is the basic authority to act in municipal affairs is transferred from state law to a local charter,” the Pennsylvania Governor’s Center For Local Government Services states.

“Home rule means shifting of responsibility for local government from the state Legislature to the local community. … It is a body of law, a framework within which the local council can adopt, adapt and administer legislation and regulations for the conduct of business and the maintenance of order and progress.”

Carbon County currently follows county code.

Lukasevich voiced his support for home rule since he was a commissioner candidate because he feels it is “simply working toward a goal of a better form of county government.

“I firmly believe in ‘working myself out of a job’ for the betterment of the whole community.”

Lukasevich said that three neighboring counties - Lehigh, Luzerne and Northampton - already are under home rule, while a movement in Schuylkill County is pushing for the change.

Changes people could see if home rule were to happen would be a larger council rather than three commissioners overseeing county operations, and row office reorganization. Commissioners under home rule are also part time rather than full time.

“(It) provides for a checks and balance system that the county code form of county government does not provide,” Lukasevich said.

The next step would be to commission a study on the proposed change. That would need to happen either through a resolution by the commissioners or through a petition to get 1,233 signatures to get the question on the ballot in an election about starting the study commission.

A study would take approximately 18 months to complete if it happens.

Commissioners’ Chairman Wayne Nothstein pointed out that home rule usually is found in larger class counties and has pros and cons to it.

He added that he opposes moving Carbon to home rule.

No action or further discussion took place.