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Proclamation recognizing and honoring Council Member Tom Shumaker for his contributions to the cause of good government and his dedication and service to the residents of Allegheny County.
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WHEREAS, Allegheny County and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania have been blessed with exemplary leadership throughout the history of our great nation, with visionaries of great knowledge and determination making invaluable contributions to our communities, our country and the world; and
WHEREAS, Tom Shumaker was elected to be one of the founding members of the first Allegheny County Council, a landmark in government history after 212 years of the three commissioner form of government; and
WHEREAS, chosen by the members of his community for this task, his election reflected great respect and confidence in his abilities as a leader and community champion; and
WHEREAS, Council Member Shumaker's continual focus upon making County government more effective and responsive to its citizens led to a number of reforms that benefited all County taxpayers; and
WHEREAS, during his tenure as the District 3 Representative, Council Member Shumaker promoted the idea of Campaign Reform through his support of legislation to provide campaign contributor information online and legislation to establish campaign finance limits on candidates for office; he advocated for a strict Ethics Code which contains measures to ensure that the employees and elected officials of Allegheny County are above reproach, reflecting a government that the public can trust in; he worked diligently on Row Office Reform with his colleagues and non-partisan organizations, bringing the issue before Council for consideration; he supported the inclusion of organizations that benefit all residents in the County's budget; and was tireless in addressing those matters brought to him by his constituents over the past five years.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that Allegheny County Council hereby recognizes one of its founding members, Tom Shumaker, for his tremendous contributions to the cause of good government and citizen participation, representing the citizens of District 3 with the utmost integrity; the citizens of Allegheny County and this Council are truly indebted to him for his exemplary leadership in launching this new form of government.