West Chester, Pa (December 8, 2025) – As part of a multi-year program to strengthen its fiscal position and address priority needs, the Borough of South Coatesville received state grant funding to support the creation of a full-time municipal manager position, state Senator Carolyn Comitta said.
The funding comes through Phase 2 of the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development’s (DCED) Strategic Management Planning Program (STMP), which offers tools and consultant services to improve a municipality’s managerial, administrative, and financial capacity.
The $200,000 in grant funding will assist with the salary and benefits for a full-time borough manager position.
Through Phase 1 of STMP, South Coatesville was already awarded $72,000 to develop and adopt a comprehensive five-year plan to achieve structural budgetary balance. That plan calls for maintaining fiscal discipline by adopting and adhering to a fund balance policy, pursuing intergovernmental solutions, and improving administrative capacity by hiring a full-time borough manager and potentially converting the finance administrator to a full-time position or hiring a third-party financial consultant (as it has in the past).
“South Coatesville continues to take important steps to strengthen its finances, plan for the future, and improve municipal services for the benefit of residents and taxpayers,” Comitta said. “As a former mayor and borough council member, I know how hard our local leaders and officials work to keep our communities running. South Coatesville has faced a series of challenges in recent years, and I commend the borough for taking steps to improve its administrative operations and financial management.”
Last year, Comitta worked with state Rep. Dan Williams to secure funding for South Coatesville Borough to restore the administration building, which was significantly damaged by flooding from Hurricane Ida, and replace aging computers in its police department.
Earlier this year, she also secured state funding to restore and reopen Woodward Road, an important thoroughfare for emergency first responders, which has been closed since being damaged by Hurricane Ida.