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File #: 12208-22    Version: Name:
Type: Ordinance Status: Vetoed
File created: 2/18/2022 In control: Committee on Government Reform
On agenda: 2/22/2022 Final action: 7/19/2022
Title: An Ordinance of the County of Allegheny, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, amending and supplementing the Administrative Code of Allegheny County, Part 4 entitled “Executive Branch,” Article 401, §5-401.09, entitled “Staff organization and appointments” in order to implement a unified structure governing the appointment of departmental directors and equivalent positions.
Sponsors: Patrick Catena, Olivia Bennett, Bethany Hallam
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An Ordinance of the County of Allegheny, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, amending and supplementing the Administrative Code of Allegheny County, Part 4 entitled “Executive Branch,” Article 401, §5-401.09, entitled “Staff organization and appointments” in order to implement a unified structure governing the appointment of departmental directors and equivalent positions.

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WHEREAS, the Home Rule Charter of Allegheny County, Article IV, §6 specifically vests Allegheny County Council with the power and duty to “adopt by ordinance, and amend as needed, an Administrative Code that shall provide a complete plan of organization, departmental structure and operation for the County government. The Administrative Code shall include, at a minimum…a personnel system…and a table of organization for all departments and agencies.”; and,

WHEREAS, in order to permit Council to carry out these functions as directed by the Charter, §5-401.09.B. of the Administrative Code as currently drafted requires that “County Council shall be given the opportunity to interview all final candidates for Directors of departments and make recommendations to the Chief Executive.”; and,

WHEREAS, because the existing language of §5-401.09.B. would necessarily require the disclosure of candidates’ identities before an offer of employment is tendered, this process has the potential to limit the field of qualified applicants for departmental director positions, to the extent that an individual applicant may not wish for a current employer (or others) to become aware of their candidacy prematurely; and,

WHEREAS, it is the desire of Council to establish a new procedure that allows Council to exercise the authority and responsibility designated to it by the Charter, while protecting applicants’ confidentiality to the greatest extent possible; and,

WHEREAS, it is accordingly the judgment of Council that implementing a structure of appointment and confirmation for departmental directors th...

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