CHAMBERSBURG – With one of the most expansive municipal operations in the state, Chambersburg continues to distinguish itself as a full-service borough following the selection of new Town Council leadership at its annual reorganization meeting.
Chambersburg has the largest operating budget of any borough in Pennsylvania and is the state’s only municipality that provides both electric and natural gas service to homes and businesses. The borough is one of 35 municipalities nationwide that operate municipal nonprofit electric utilities and is the largest in Pennsylvania. It is also the only one in the state to operate multiple electric generation stations.
Chambersburg is one of only two municipalities in Pennsylvania with a natural gas utility. The other is Philadelphia, which does not operate an electric utility. Nationally, about 2,000 communities operate their own electric systems and about 1,000 operate natural gas systems. Roughly 60 municipalities operate both.
In addition to utilities, Chambersburg manages a regional water system, a regional sanitary sewer system operated directly by the borough and a municipal storm sewer utility. It is among the few boroughs in Pennsylvania to establish a storm sewer utility under a federal mandate regulating stormwater. Chambersburg is also home to a large aquatic center and serves as the county seat of Franklin County. The borough has about 23,000 residents and more than 11,000 utility customers.
Council leadership selected
At the Monday, Jan. 5, reorganization meeting, the town council selected William Everly as council president and chief elected official. Everly has served on the council since 2020, representing the Fifth Ward, and previously served as vice chair of finance and vice president. He has also served on the Chambersburg Planning and Zoning Commission.
Everly is the business development manager for 540 Technologies, the parent company of LB Water Service. His 37-year career with LB Water began after completing his education at Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 1989. He started in an entry-level position and advanced into management, leadership and business development roles.
Everly also serves as president of the Chambersburg Community Police Foundation and previously served as president of the Chambersburg Area Development Corporation, where he continues to sit on the board. He and his wife, Suzanne, have lived in the Fifth Ward for more than 37 years.
“We are blessed to have great services, including our utilities, which have some of the lowest rates in Pennsylvania,” Everly said. “Previous councils have worked extremely hard at improving and maintaining these low rates for the citizens of Chambersburg. I look forward to working with each and every one of you to continue to make Chambersburg a great place to live and work.”
Chadwick Hare was selected to serve as vice-president of the Town Council. Hare has represented the Third Ward since 2024 and has lived in the Chambersburg area for nearly two decades. Over the past four years, he has volunteered with local organizations focused on strengthening the community.
Hare previously worked for 18 years at Johnson Controls’ Frick Company in Waynesboro as a mechanical designer specializing in industrial refrigeration. He currently works as a systems engineering manager at DST in Hagerstown. Hare holds an associate degree in computer-aided drafting and design and several industry certifications. He and his wife, Stephanie, have been married for 15 years and have raised two children.
Council-manager government
Chambersburg operates under a council-manager form of government that has been in place since the 1960s. The borough’s manager and director of utilities is Jeffrey Stonehill, one of approximately 1,600 credentialed city managers worldwide holding the ICMA-CM designation from the International City/County Management Association.
The Town Council comprises 10 members who set policy, while day-to-day operations are overseen by professional management.
Council members congratulated Everly and Hare on their selection and said the borough remains focused on maintaining stable utility rates, investing in infrastructure and providing essential services to residents and businesses.
