PRINTER'S NO. 4134
No. 840 Session of 2008
INTRODUCED BY FRANKEL, BENNINGTON, COSTA, DeLUCA, DERMODY,
GERGELY, KORTZ, KOTIK, LEVDANSKY, MAHER, MARKOSEK, MUSTIO,
PETRONE, PRESTON, RAMALEY, READSHAW, M. SMITH, TURZAI,
VULAKOVICH, WAGNER, WALKO, WHEATLEY AND J. WHITE,
JULY 2, 2008
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON URBAN AFFAIRS, JULY 2, 2008
A RESOLUTION
1 Recognizing the responsibility of the Commonwealth to examine
2 and prescribe for governance of Allegheny County and units of
3 government located therein; and establishing a select
4 committee to consider the future of governance.
5 WHEREAS, The Commonwealth established Allegheny County in
6 1788; and
7 WHEREAS, The General Assembly enacted law permitting the
8 adoption of Home Rule by Allegheny County; and
9 WHEREAS, A Home Rule Charter was approved by the voters of
10 Allegheny County in the election held in May 1998; and
11 WHEREAS, The Allegheny County electorate chose a County
12 Executive and County Council initially in November 1999 and the
13 Home Rule Charter went into effect in January 2000; and
14 WHEREAS, The Allegheny County Home Rule Charter was amended
15 by a referendum approved by voters in May 2005 to eliminate
16 seven elected row offices, including Coroner, Jury
17 Commissioners, Prothonotary, Clerk of Courts, Register of Wills
1 and Recorder of Deeds; and
2 WHEREAS, There are 130 municipalities situate within the 731
3 square miles comprising Allegheny County, and each has its own
4 governmental structure; and
5 WHEREAS, The City of Pittsburgh is, by far, the largest of
6 these municipalities; and
7 WHEREAS, The Chief Executive of Allegheny County and the
8 Mayor of the City of Pittsburgh created the Citizens Advisory
9 Committee on the Efficiency and Effectiveness of City-County
10 Government in October 2006; and
11 WHEREAS, That committee issued a report in May 2008 entitled
12 "Government for Growth: Forging a Bright Future - Built on
13 Unity, Efficiency, Equity, and Equality - for the People of
14 Allegheny County and the City of Pittsburgh," that considered
15 government reform as a means of more broadly advancing regional
16 progress; and
17 WHEREAS, That report specifically presented three
18 recommendations:
19 (1) The County Chief Executive and Mayor should further
20 intensify existing efforts to achieve higher levels of
21 efficiency and effectiveness through functional cooperation.
22 (2) The city and county should enter into a formal
23 "cooperation compact," both to ensure that efforts to partner
24 in the delivery of services are pursued most effectively in
25 the short-term and to ensure that such efforts remain a long-
26 term priority that also will be respected by successor
27 administrations.
28 (3) At the earliest appropriate time, the question of
29 whether or not the governments of the City of Pittsburgh and
30 Allegheny County should be consolidated, as a key step in
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1 forging unity of leadership and fostering higher levels of
2 regional growth, should be placed before the voters;
3 and
4 WHEREAS, The City of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County are
5 already enabled but not required under their home rule charters
6 and Commonwealth statutes to pursue the first two
7 recommendations to great lengths without further action by the
8 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; and
9 WHEREAS, The House of Representatives wishes to consider the
10 future of governance of Allegheny County, the City of Pittsburgh
11 and other units of government situate in Allegheny County;
12 therefore be it
13 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives, recognizing the
14 importance of the future of governance of Allegheny County and
15 units of government situated therein, direct the Speaker of the
16 House of Representatives to appoint a select committee on
17 governance in and of Allegheny County; and be it further
18 RESOLVED, That the select committee be composed of nine
19 members of the majority party and five members of the minority
20 party and include the majority and minority chairmen of the
21 Urban Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives; and be
22 it further
23 RESOLVED, That the select committee be composed of House
24 members from the 22nd, 23rd, 28th, 30th, 34th, 35th, 36th, 38th,
25 40th, 42nd, 44th and 45th districts; and be it further
26 RESOLVED, That the select committee elect a chairman from
27 among its members; and be it further
28 RESOLVED, That the select committee may consider prospects
29 for the future of governance of Allegheny County, the City of
30 Pittsburgh, other municipalities and units of government located
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1 therein; and be it further
2 RESOLVED, That the committee may hold hearings and take
3 testimony in this Commonwealth and make its investigations at
4 such places as it deems necessary and that each member of the
5 committee have power to administer oaths and affirmations to
6 witnesses appearing before the committee; and be it further
7 RESOLVED, That the commission be staffed by the Legislative
8 Office for Research Liaison, who may solicit assistance from its
9 university partners in the Pittsburgh area; and be it further
10 RESOLVED, That the ordinary and reasonable expenses incurred
11 by the select committee be paid from accounts under the control
12 of the Chief Clerk; and be it further
13 RESOLVED, That the committee make a report to the House of
14 Representatives on its activities, findings and recommendations
15 as the committee deems necessary.
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