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An ordinance of the County of Allegheny, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, directing that a referendum question regarding the repeal of Article III, §7(f) of the Home Rule Charter of Allegheny County, which limits the annual operating budget of the Office of County Council, be placed on the November 3, 2026 General Election ballot; and further amending Article III, §7, contingent upon the passage of the referendum question.
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Whereas, Article III, §7(f) of the Home Rule Charter of Allegheny County applies only to the Office of Allegheny County Council; and
Whereas, the provisions of Article III, §7(f) prohibit the annual operating budget for the Office of County Council from exceeding four tenths of one percent of the County’s annual locally levied tax revenues, as detailed in the County’s most recent audited financial report; and
Whereas, this restriction in practices places Council, which was intended to function as an effective check and balance upon the Chief Executive, at a prohibitive disadvantage in terms of overall resources, which limits the ability of Council to attract and retain staff, the ability to hire advisory, consulting, or legal services, and the like; and
Whereas, it is the judgment of Council that budgetary restriction contained in §7(f) ultimately restricts both the Council’s ability to function independently and its capacity to function as an effective check or balance; and
Whereas, it is further the judgment of Council that the restrictions contained in §7(f) serve to limit the very point of having a home rule government, as expressed in the Charter preamble: "[a] home rule government that separates the legislative and executive functions previously vested solely in the Board of County Commissioners will provide checks and balances on the powers of government and protect the rights, privileges and powers reserved or guaranteed to the people by the Constitutions of the United States of American and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania."; and
Whereas, it is the desire of Council to eliminate the restrictions of §7(f), subject to the approval of the voters of Allegheny County, while not yet enacting any actual changes to the Council’s operating budget;
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 3, 2026 General Election Ballot for consideration and approval by the registered electors of the County:
Shall Article III, Subsection 7(f) of Allegheny County's Home Rule Charter be repealed in order to remove restrictions on the annual operating budget of the Office of Allegheny County Council?
SECTION 3. Contingent amendment of Article III of the Home Rule Charter of Allegheny County; First Question.
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 of the Home Rule Charter of Allegheny County shall be amended as follows:
Section 7 Compensation, Staff and Expenses
a) County Council Members shall not receive a salary but may receive per-meeting stipends not to exceed in the aggregate $9,000 annually per Member. The aggregate stipend may by ordinance be increased by up to five percent every five years.
b) County Council may hire Council staff as provided in Article IV, Section 2(n).
c) 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.
d) The Chief Executive’s annual salary shall be $90,000 which may be adjusted annually as provided in the Administrative Code.
e) 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.
f) 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.
g) f) 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.