Ballot question 2023 Allegheny County, county council,Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Municipal ballot questions for Monroeville, Mt Lebanon, and West Deer - League of Women Voters of Greater Pittsburgh

Home2023 Ballot Questions

2023 Ballot Questions
for residents of Allegheny County

November 7, 2023 - General Election

This archived page contains information about the 2023 Elections.

For current information, please see our "2024 Elections" menu.

2024 Election Pages:

Allegheny County Ballot Question
Every voter in Allegheny County can vote on this question:

ALLEGHENY COUNTY PROPOSED ORDINANCE SPECIAL ELECTION QUESTION
Shall Article III, Subsection 7(a) of Allegheny County’s Home Rule Charter be amended to provide Council members with an annual salary of $10,939, to be increased no more than 5 percent every 5 years?

Explanation

What would the proposed ordinance do?

The proposed ordinance, if adopted

would pay the members in the form of a salary instead of a per-meeting stipend.
would not increase the annual amount paid to County Council members.
would not change the timing or amount of allowable pay increases.

The change from a stipend to a salary is meant to recognize that County Council members are being compensated not only for their regular meeting attendance, but also for County Council duties performed outside of the meetings.

Background

County Council members are currently paid $10, 939 per year as a per-meeting stipend. According to the Home Rule Charter, the annual stipend total may be increased by no more than 5% every 5 years.

When the Allegheny County Home Rule Charter was adopted in 2020, the original annual cap on the stipend was $9,000. Since then, it has been raised by 5% every 5 years resulting in the current cap of $10,939.

Municipal Ballot Questions

The explanations of these ballot questions were provided by the Allegheny County Elections Division. The explanations will not be printed on the ballots.

Monroeville

MUNICIPALITY OF MONROEVILLE PROPOSED HOME RULE CHARTER AMENDMENT SPECIAL ELECTION QUESTION

Shall Article VII, Section 701, titled Municipal Manager, of the Monroeville Home Rule Charter be amended by increasing the management experience required, modifying qualifications required, and removing the residency requirement for individuals hired into the position of Municipal Manager?

Explanation

If the majority of voters vote “yes” to the Charter Amendment, in order to attract more qualified applicants for the position of Municipal Manager, the Municipality of Monroeville will update the qualifications required of candidates for Municipal Manager.

The job description will increase the amount of experience required in a similar position from 5 to 8 years, with 5 years required as a municipal manager.
A master’s degree will no longer be “preferred,” but would be “desirable.”
Language forbidding waiver of the listed prerequisites for hire will be deleted.
The requirement that the manager live in Monroeville will be eliminated.

Mt Lebanon

MUNICIPALITY OF MT. LEBANON PROPOSED HOME RULE CHARTER AMENDMENT SPECIAL ELECTION QUESTION

Shall Section 309, titled Filling of Vacancies, of the Mt. Lebanon Home Rule Charter be amended to require that vacancies in the office of Commissioner be filled by the appointment of a qualified candidate residing in the same ward until the next Municipal Election, when a successor would be elected? If the original term of the vacated office expires after the next municipal election, the appointment would only carry through until the next municipal election.

Explanation

If the majority of voters vote “yes” to this referendum, Mt. Lebanon shall change appointment and election processes governing the filling of mid-term vacancies in the office of Commissioner. This change will give individuals appointed to fill vacancies an opportunity to serve for a meaningful amount of time and will move elections to fill vacancies into the already-established 2-year Municipal Election cycle. The change will eliminate confusion and better serve voters.

West Deer

Question 1

WEST DEER TOWNSHIP PROPOSED HOME RULE CHARTER AMENDMENT SPECIAL ELECTION QUESTION 1

Shall Section C-1149 of the West Deer Township Home Rule Charter titled Audits be amended by providing for independent audits of Township accounts by a certified public accounting firm duly licensed in Pennsylvania? The current Charter requires audits be performed by elected auditors.

Explanation

West Deer Township’s Home Rule Charter requires that elected auditors perform annual audits of its finances. In practice, the Township has hired an outside, licensed certified public accountant (CPA) firm to perform this task for 20 years. The Township’s elected officials believe that residents are best served by using an unaffiliated, fully licensed CPA firm to audit Township finances and assure that Township financial practices meet the requirements of the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development.

West Deer

Question 2

WEST DEER TOWNSHIP PROPOSED HOME RULE CHARTER AMENDMENT SPECIAL ELECTION QUESTION 2

Shall Section C-1197 of the West Deer Township Home Rule Charter be amended to authorize a Fire Tax not to exceed one-half (0.5) mill, the equivalent of $50 per each $100,000 of assessed value, on all taxable real estate? Currently the Charter authorizes a fire protection fee of $40 per household and $100 per business.

Explanation

The Township seeks to raise additional funds for fire protection services to meet its responsibilities for public health and safety. The current fire protection fees were set in 2006. Costs have increased, and the proposed Fire Tax would increase funding. As an example, for a home assessed by the Township at a value of $250,000, the annual Fire Tax would be $125. This amendment to the charter will abolish the current Fire Protection Fee. If the majority of voters vote “yes” to this question, the Fire Tax shall be implemented to replace the Fire Protection Fee.

Follow Us

Support Us

Contact Us