Title...
An Ordinance of the County of Allegheny, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, amending and supplementing Division 1 of the Allegheny County Code of Ordinances, entitled “Administrative Code,” Article 801.09, entitled “Restrictions on expenditures,” in order to enforce limitations on bonuses funded by County appropriations.
Body...
WHEREAS, pursuant to the terms of Article IV, §2(c) of the Home Rule Charter of Allegheny County, County Council is charged with the duty to “[a]dopt balanced annual operating and capital budgets as provided in Article VII;” and
WHEREAS, pursuant to this duty the County is obligated to sanction funds wisely and to hold down expenses which unnecessarily inflate the cost of funding the various organizations which the County’s Operating Budget facilitates; and
WHEREAS, the Council believes in paying fair wages for work performed, the very nature of bonus payments is compensation above and beyond payments fairly negotiated at the outset of an employment agreement and is arguably in excess of fair compensation which cannot be sustained in a strained economy and should be curbed; and
WHEREAS, the continued practice of authorizing general appropriations for expenses for various departments without “line-item” indication on salaries to be granted there could result in an ever-increasing amount of bonus payments to certain employees without the knowledge and consent of Council; and
WHEREAS, it is the judgment of Council that limiting the amount that can be appropriated for compensation to employees within the capital budget is in the best interest of the residents of the County and reflects a sense of fairness in the distribution of money from County operating funds; and
WHEREAS, it is further the judgment of Council that establishing such a limitation will render the Council’s budgetary oversight more effective, in keeping with its budget-related duties under the Home Rule Charter;
The Council of the County of Allegheny hereby enact...
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