Population decline in Pennsylvania has been happening faster than expected leading Pennsylvania to create a commission to address the issue.
Before Pennsylvania elected officials left Harrisburg for the summer they voted to form the Pennsylvania Rural Population Revitalization Commission. Butler County Chamber of Commerce President Jordan Grady has been selected by Governor Josh Shapiro to serve on the commission.
The purpose of the Commission is to learn why rural populations are losing numbers at such high rates.
The first meeting for the commission is scheduled in October but Grady has been proactive to the cause.
“I’ve reached out to other partners like tourism, to see if they can provide any tourism-based statistics on rural Pennsylvania,” Grady said. “I will be reaching out to healthcare facilities. One of the main emphasis is healthcare coverage in rural Pennsylvania, which is a big issue. I’m hoping they can provide some data so I’m ready on day one.”
Although, counties across the Commonwealth have lost numbers at high rates Butler County has grown in the past few years, although that’s mainly due to the southern part of the county.
