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Harrisburg Lawmakers Spar As City Moves Toward Bankruptcy

Aftera 4-3 vote by the Harrisburg, Pa., city council Tuesday night to file for Chapter 9 municipal bankruptcy protection, a council member delivered the necessary documents to court today.

But now, The Associated Press reports, Harrisburg Mayor Linda Thompson (D) is making the case that the council doesn't have the authority to seek bankruptcy.

Regardless, as NPR's Tamara Keith has reported, the city is in big financial trouble. An incinerator originally built in the early 1970s has over the years put the city in a $300 million hole. And bankruptcy still looks looms as an option.

Update at 1:55 p.m. ET: NPR's Jeff Brady sends along a copy of the documents that were filed today. Just click on the title "Harrisburg Bankruptcy Filing" and the text should pop up.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Mark Memmott
Mark Memmott is NPR's supervising senior editor for Standards & Practices. In that role, he's a resource for NPR's journalists – helping them raise the right questions as they do their work and uphold the organization's standards.