Timoney Knox has represented municipal governments, townships, boroughs, water and sewer authorities, and other local agencies for more than 85 years. We understand both the statewide codes that local governments must follow as well as the many different areas of law such entities might face: on one day, a township might have an employment issue, a contract to negotiate, or a lawsuit to defend. On another day, a local government might need an ordinance crafted, a zoning decision written, or advice on compliance with the deadlines in the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code or Sunshine Act. Timoney Knox helps its clients to navigate such challenges.

We also understand the pressures local elected officials face, both because of our legal expertise and because several of us who have served in our own communities have seen up close the challenges of finding the right course of action that fairly balances competing interests. We also know the difficulties of having to make decisions in public, and of having to remember that anyone can, at any time there’s a vote, make public comments or file a Right to Know Request.

We know that a savvy solicitor can help a board discuss a heated issue in a public meeting by offering possibilities to the council and to the public without creating rancor, and we always remember that the elected or appointed officials are the decision-makers.  

Among the most complex issues local governments deal with is land use planning and zoning. Citizens don’t always understand the process of municipal decision-making and how that is affected by the Municipalities Planning Code; by statewide laws; and by local zoning, subdivision, and land development ordinances. We help our clients to clearly communicate these issues.

Timoney Knox’s experienced attorneys have been on all sides of these issues. We can help either an applicant, a planning commission, a zoning board, or elected officials come to decisions aligned correctly with the rights and responsibilities of all parties involved. 

This deep experience benefits our clients tremendously. Our extensive local knowledge does as well: For decades, Timoney Knox has maintained a practice of appearing in local municipalities in Bucks, Montgomery, Chester, and Delaware Counties in suburban Philadelphia and in the Lehigh Valley.