title
An ordinance of the County of Allegheny, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, directing that a referendum question regarding the amendment of Article III, §7(c) of the Home Rule Charter of Allegheny County, which prohibits County funding for personal staff of County Council members, be placed on the November 4, 2025 General Election ballot; and further amending Article III, §7(c), contingent upon the passage of the referendum question.
body
Whereas, Article III, §7(c) of the Home Rule Charter of Allegheny County currently establishes that “County Council Members shall not be entitled to receive any County funding for personal staff, local district offices or fringe benefits…”; and
Whereas, existing staff within the Office of County Council works in common for and is jointly supervised by all 15 Council members, and handles all legislative, recordkeeping, budgetary, office management, and regular and committee meeting staff functions, and also acts as liaisons between the Office of County Council and the administrative and judicial branches of the County government, as well as the offices of the four independently elected County officials; and
Whereas, thirteen of the County Council members represent districts containing approximately 95,000 individuals each, while the two at-large members each represent the County’s entire population of over 1.2 million; and
Whereas, the sheer size of Council districts renders it a near logistical impossibility for a single Council member to remain abreast of all community events and activities within their districts, and the duties of Council’s existing staff fully occupy their time and drastically limit their ability to perform functions outside of the Office of County Council on the Council members’ behalf; and
Whereas, it is the judgment of Council that allowing each Council member to hire a single personal adjunct staff member to perform functions outside of the Office of County Council on the member’s behalf will inure to the benefit of the County’s residents by keeping the members better informed about happenings within their respective districts;
The Council of the County of Allegheny hereby enacts as follows:
SECTION 1. Incorporation of the Preamble.
The provisions set forth in the preamble to this Ordinance are incorporated by reference in their entirety herein.
SECTION 2. Ballot Question.
Pursuant to the Second Class County Charter Law and the Home Rule Charter and Optional Plans Law, the Allegheny County Board of Elections is hereby directed to place the following question on the November 4, 2025 General Election Ballot for consideration and approval by the registered electors of the County:
Shall Article III, §7(c) of the Home Rule Charter be amended such that County Council members may utilize County funding to hire a single adjunct personal staff member to attend community meetings and events and perform other functions outside of the Office of County Council on the member’s behalf, effective January 1, 2026?
SECTION 3. Contingent amendment of Article III of the Home Rule Charter of Allegheny County.
Immediately upon certification by the Board of Elections that the Charter amendment delineated within Section 2 of this Ordinance has been approved by the voters of Allegheny County, Article III, §7 of the Home Rule Charter of Allegheny County shall be amended as follows:
Section 7 Compensation, Staff and Expenses
County Council Members shall receive a salary not to exceed in the aggregate $10,939 annually per Member. The aggregate salary may by ordinance be increased by up to five percent every five years.
County Council may hire Council staff as provided in Article IV, Section 2(n).
County Council Members shall not be entitled to receive any County funding for personal staff, local district offices or fringe benefits including, but not limited to, health and life insurance, pensions and personal motor vehicles. Any staff of county council members will be eligible for any benefits provided to similar Allegheny County employees.
The Chief Executive’s annual salary shall be $90,000 which may be adjusted annually as provided in the Administrative Code.
Elected officers may be reimbursed for actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their official duties in accordance with procedures established in the Administrative Code. The reimbursement of the expenses of County Council Members shall not exceed $3,000 per County Council Member per year. The expense limit may by ordinance be increased by up to five percent every five years.
The appropriation in each annual operating budget for County Council’s per-meeting stipends, expenses, total staff compensation and office expenses shall not exceed four-tenths of one percent of the County’s annual locally levied tax revenues as detailed in the most recent audited financial report of the County.
The appropriation in each annual operating budget for the Chief Executive’s compensation, expenses, total staff compensation and office expenses shall not exceed two-tenths of one percent of the County’s annual locally levied tax revenues as detailed in the most recent audited financial report of the County.
SECTION 4. Effective Date.
The provisions of this Ordinance shall become effective immediately upon final approval.
SECTION 5. 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.
SECTION 6. Repealer.
Any Resolution or Ordinance or part thereof conflicting with the provisions of this Ordinance is hereby repealed so far as the same affects this Ordinance.