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A Resolution of the County of Allegheny, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, urging the Pennsylvania General Assembly to enact procedures for dissolving authorities created in whole or in part by Allegheny County pursuant to the terms of statutes other than the Municipality Authorities Act, 53 P.S. §5601 et. seq.
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WHEREAS, there are currently 69 active Authorities, Boards and Commissions created by or in part by Allegheny County to provide necessary services to the County's residents; and
WHEREAS, many of these authorities have come to provide services in an inefficient or uneconomical fashion, have developed accounting or other policies and procedures that are not in the best interests of the County's residents, or operate with a lack of transparency such that the County's residents are unable to discern the reasons for even the most significant of changes to the most vital of services and the authority has no accountability to the residents for its actions; and
WHEREAS, many authorities are created under the auspices of the Municipality Authorities Act, 53 P.S. §5601 et. seq., which has been interpreted by the Pennsylvania Courts as containing a means by which municipalities can dissolve authorities which they create; and
WHEREAS, some authorities, including the Allegheny County Port Authority and the Sports and Exhibition Authority of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County, were created pursuant to separate enabling statutes, which do not contain provisions that allow for the dissolution of the authorities, once created; and
WHEREAS, it does not appear to have been the intent of the General Assembly to irrevocably create any authority, regardless of its utility, efficiency, or transparency, once created; and
WHEREAS, it is the desire of Allegheny County Council to provide a statutory delineation of the steps to be taken in dissolving any existing municipal authority formed by the County;
The Council of the County of Allegheny hereby resolves as follows:
SECTION 1.
The Council of the County of Allegheny, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, hereby urges the Pennsylvania General Assembly to enact procedures for dissolving authorities created in whole or in part by Allegheny County pursuant to the terms of statutes other than the Municipality Authorities Act, 53 P.S. §5601 et. seq.
SECTION 2.
The Council of Allegheny County further resolves that copes of this Resolution be provided to the Pennsylvania Governor and General Assembly.
SECTION 3.
If any provision of this Resolution shall be determined to be unlawful, invalid, void or unenforceable, then that provision shall be considered severable from the remaining provisions of this Resolution which shall be in full force and effect.
SECTION 4.
Any Resolution or Ordinance or part thereof conflicting with the provisions of this Resolution is hereby repealed so far as the same affects this Resolution.