PRIOR PASSAGE - NONE
PRINTER'S NO. 3745
No. 2539 Session of 2006
INTRODUCED BY ROBERTS, REED, BENNINGHOFF, BEYER, CREIGHTON,
SCAVELLO AND YOUNGBLOOD, MARCH 17, 2006
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, MARCH 17, 2006
A JOINT RESOLUTION
1 Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the Commonwealth
2 of Pennsylvania, authorizing electors to vote for three
3 candidates for election to the Office of County Commissioner.
4 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
5 hereby resolves as follows:
6 Section 1. The following amendment to the Constitution of
7 Pennsylvania is proposed in accordance with Article XI:
8 That section 4 of Article IX be amended to read:
9 § 4. County government.
10 County officers shall consist of commissioners, controllers
11 or auditors, district attorneys, public defenders, treasurers,
12 sheriffs, registers of wills, recorders of deeds,
13 prothonotaries, clerks of the courts, and such others as may
14 from time to time be provided by law.
15 County officers, except for public defenders who shall be
16 appointed as shall be provided by law, shall be elected at the
17 municipal elections and shall hold their offices for the term of
1 four years, beginning on the first Monday of January next after
2 their election, and until their successors shall be duly
3 qualified; all vacancies shall be filled in such a manner as may
4 be provided by law.
5 County officers shall be paid only by salary as provided by
6 law for services performed for the county or any other
7 governmental unit. Fees incidental to the conduct of any county
8 office shall be payable directly to the county or the
9 Commonwealth, or as otherwise provided by law.
10 Three county commissioners shall be elected in each county.
11 In the election of these officers each qualified elector shall
12 vote for no more than [two] three persons, and the three persons
13 receiving the highest number of votes shall be elected.
14 Provisions for county government in this section shall apply
15 to every county except a county which has adopted a home rule
16 charter or an optional form of government. One of the optional
17 forms of county government provided by law shall include the
18 provisions of this section.
19 Section 2. (a) Upon the first passage by the General
20 Assembly of this proposed constitutional amendment, the
21 Secretary of the Commonwealth shall proceed immediately to
22 comply with the advertising requirements of section 1 of Article
23 XI of the Constitution of Pennsylvania and shall transmit the
24 required advertisements to two newspapers in every county in
25 which such newspapers are published in sufficient time after
26 passage of this proposed constitutional amendment.
27 (b) Upon the second passage by the General Assembly of this
28 proposed constitutional amendment, the Secretary of the
29 Commonwealth shall proceed immediately to comply with the
30 advertising requirements of section 1 of Article XI of the
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1 Constitution of Pennsylvania and shall transmit the required
2 advertisements to two newspapers in every county in which such
3 newspapers are published in sufficient time after passage of
4 this proposed constitutional amendment. The Secretary of the
5 Commonwealth shall submit this proposed constitutional amendment
6 to the qualified electors of this Commonwealth at the first
7 primary, general or municipal election which meets the
8 requirements of and is in conformance with section 1 of Article
9 XI of the Constitution of Pennsylvania and which occurs at least
10 three months after the proposed constitutional amendment is
11 passed by the General Assembly.
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