Title
An Ordinance amending and supplementing the Allegheny County Code of Ordinances, Division 1, entitled "Administrative Code," Article 203, entitled "County Authorities," through the creation of a new Section 5-203.10 governing lobbying activities by the County's authorities.
Body
Whereas, Administrative Code of Allegheny County provides a list of County authorities in §5-203.01; and
Whereas, these authorities were created pursuant to the Municipality Authorities Act, 53 P.S. §5601, et. seq., the Second Class County Port Authority Act, 55 P.S. §551 et. seq., and other state enabling legislation; and
Whereas, it does not appear that any enabling legislation specifically empowers authorities created by or within Allegheny County to conduct lobbying activities on their own behalf or to retain third parties to do so; and
Whereas, according to the authorities themselves, ALCOSAN has spent $325,000 on lobbying activities from 2004-08, while the Airport Authority spent $384,000, the County Housing Authority spent $340,000, the Port Authority spent $540,000, the Sports and Exhibition Authority spent $15,000 and the Redevelopment Authority of Allegheny County spent $111,500 during the same time period in ; and
Whereas, the total expenditure on lobbying by these six County authorities from 2004-08 amounted to $1,715,500; or an average of roughly $343,000 per year; and
Whereas, it is the judgment of Council that the expenditure of funds for lobbying activities by the County's delineated authorities is inconsistent with the concept of sound fiscal judgment; and
Whereas, it is further the judgment of Council that the lobbying activities exceed the scope of the County authorities' powers, as conferred by applicable statute;
The Council of the County of Allegheny hereby enacts as follows:
SECTION 1.
The Allegheny County Code of Ordinances, Division 1, entitled "Administrative Code," Article 203, entitled "County Authorities," is hereby amended and supplemented through the creation of a new §5-203.10, comprised as follows:
§5-203.10. Lobbying Activities
No County Authority delineated within §5-203.01 of this Article shall conduct lobbying activities on its own behalf or retain any third party to conduct lobbying activities on its behalf, if the authority pays any sum in exchange for those lobbying activities. In the event that any such authority does pay for such lobbying activities in any calendar year, that authority shall receive no County funding in the following budget year. For the purposes of this Section, "lobbying" shall be construed to mean any activity undertaken with the purpose of requesting or securing specific legislative or regulatory action from any local, state or federal government or agency.
SECTION 2. Severability. If any provision of this Ordinance shall be determined to be unlawful, invalid, void or unenforceable, then that provision shall be considered severable from the remaining provisions of this Ordinance which shall be in full force and effect.