Find your Berks County township or borough meeting schedule

The fastest way to find your local meeting schedule is the county’s municipalities directory, which links to the official website of every township, borough, and the city of Reading. State law requires each of these governments to publish its yearly meeting schedule and to post an agenda before every meeting, so the dates are always available somewhere public.

Berks County has 73 municipalities: the city of Reading plus dozens of townships and boroughs, each with its own elected board that meets on a fixed schedule, usually once or twice a month on a weeknight. The county government does not run these meetings and does not keep one master calendar of them, so you find your schedule through your own municipality.

First, know which municipality you live in

A mailing address can mislead you. Your post office town is not always your government. Someone with a “Reading, PA” address may live in Muhlenberg Township, Lower Alsace Township, or the city of Reading, and each has a separate government that meets on different nights. Two things tell you for certain:

• Your county tax bill or a property lookup. The municipality is named on your real estate tax bill and in the county’s parcel search. Our guide to looking up your property in Berks County walks through the search.
• Township or borough. Berks has both. Townships are run by an elected board of supervisors (a few larger ones, such as Muhlenberg and Colebrookdale, have a board of commissioners instead). Boroughs are run by a borough council with an elected mayor. The city of Reading has a city council and a mayor. Whichever yours is, that is the board whose schedule you want.

Find the schedule, step by step

1. Open the county’s municipalities directory. It lists Berks municipalities alphabetically, and most names link to that government’s official website.
2. Click through to your municipality’s site. Look for a menu item named “Meetings,” “Agendas & Minutes,” “Board of Supervisors,” “Borough Council,” or “Calendar.”
3. Read the regular schedule. Most boards meet on the same weeknight each month, for example the second Monday or the third Tuesday. Note the day, the time, and the address.
4. Check for the current agenda before you go. Agendas post shortly before each meeting and tell you what will be discussed and voted on.
5. If the website has no schedule, call the municipal office and ask for the meeting dates and location. The phone number is on the same website or the directory.

What the meeting law guarantees you

Pennsylvania’s Sunshine Act sets rules every township, borough, authority, and school board must follow. Three of them help you find and use a meeting:

• A yearly schedule, published in advance. Before its first regular meeting of the year, a board must give at least three days’ notice of that meeting and all its other scheduled meetings for the year. The notice runs in a paid newspaper of general circulation and is posted at the meeting place.
• An agenda at least 24 hours ahead. For every regular and special meeting, the board must post the agenda at least 24 hours before it starts. If the government has a website, the agenda goes there, and copies are available at the meeting. This rule has been in force since August 2021.
• A special meeting still needs 24 hours’ notice. When a board schedules a meeting outside its regular calendar, it must advertise that meeting at least 24 hours in advance and post it where the meeting will be held.

The same law gives you the right to comment on a matter before the board votes on it. The board can set reasonable rules, such as a time limit per speaker, but it must give residents and taxpayers a chance to speak.

The other local boards that meet in public

Your township or borough board is not the only one. These also meet on public schedules, usually posted on the same municipal website:

• Planning commission. Reviews subdivision and land-development plans, including warehouses, data centers, and housing, before the main board acts.
• Zoning hearing board. Hears requests for variances and special exceptions from the zoning rules.
• Municipal authority. A separate body that often runs water, sewer, or other utilities, with its own board and budget.
• School board. Sets the largest tax on most Berks bills. Your school district is separate from your municipality and holds its own meetings. Districts such as Wilson, Governor Mifflin, and Wyomissing Area post agendas on their board portals.

Where to find agendas, minutes, and video

Agendas post before the meeting; minutes are the official written record, approved and posted after. Most municipalities keep both on the same “Agendas & Minutes” page. Some also record or stream their meetings: several Berks governments post video to YouTube or air on BCTV, and some offer a Zoom or Microsoft Teams link with the agenda. The format varies by municipality, so check the site or call to confirm.

If nothing is posted online

Smaller municipalities sometimes post little or nothing on the web. When that happens:

• Call the office. Ask for the meeting schedule and the room. Offices keep short weekday hours, so call in the morning.
• Read the legal notices. The yearly schedule and special meetings are advertised in a paid local newspaper, which is where the law requires them to appear.
• File a right-to-know request for minutes or records that are not online. Our guide explains how to file a right-to-know request in Berks County.

For how the county, your municipality, and the state each control different things, see how Berks County government works. The county commissioners run their own meetings on a separate schedule; see how to speak at a Berks County commissioners meeting. Local meetings decide big things: Spring Township’s $350 million Broadcast District is moving through township planning and supervisor meetings right now.

FAQ

How do I find out what township I live in?

Check your county real estate tax bill, which names your municipality, or use the county’s parcel search. Your mailing address town is not always the same as your municipal government.

When do Berks County townships and boroughs meet?

Each sets its own schedule, but most meet once or twice a month on a weeknight at 7 p.m. Common patterns are the second and fourth Monday, or the second or third Tuesday. Confirm the exact night and time on your municipality’s website through the county municipalities directory.

Does Berks County publish one calendar of all local meetings?

No. The county keeps a calendar for its own commissioners and county boards, but each township, borough, and school district posts its own meetings separately. The county’s municipalities directory is the closest thing to a single starting point, because it links to every municipal website.

How far in advance is a meeting agenda posted?

At least 24 hours before the meeting, under the state Sunshine Act. Regular and special meetings both require it. Work sessions and executive sessions, where no official action is taken, are treated differently.

Can I speak at my township or borough meeting?

Yes. The Sunshine Act gives you the right to comment on a matter before the board votes on it. The board may set reasonable limits, such as a few minutes per speaker or asking you to state your name and municipality, but it must allow public comment.