Offices in Cities of the Third Class

Elective Offices: For cities operating under the Third Class City Code or the Optional Third Class City Charter Law with the commission, mayor-council or council-manager form, the elective offices are as follows:

• Mayor

• Council Members: four in commission cities, five, seven or nine in optional charter cities

• Controller Treasurer.

1 In council-manager cities operating under the Optional Third Class City Charter Law, the mayor may be chosen by council from among its members instead of being elected directly by the voters.

2 Term of Office: The city officers are elected at large by the voters of the city at the municipal election held in odd-numbered years. They serve for a term of four years beginning the first Monday of January after their election.

3 Qualifications: All elected officers must be at least 18 years old (except for the treasurer and controller, both of whom must be 21 years old), and residents of the city for at least one year before their election. They must continue to reside in the city during their term of office and sign an affidavit that they will do so.

4 The city controller and city treasurer shall be competent accountants in order to qualify for their office.

Based on population, Pittsburgh is the only 2nd Class City in Pennsylvania. Its government is organized through Home Rule Charter.

For much more information see Your Government Officials- Facts for Citizens Directory

Table of Contents:  

Federal Government 2

State of Pennsylvania 3-4

Allegheny County 5-6

City of Pittsburgh 7-8

Pittsburgh Public Schools 9

PA State Judiciary 10-11

Court of Common Pleas 12

Elections and Voting 13-14

Based on population, Philadelphia is the only 1st Class City.

Borough Offices: Elective Offices

The registered voters of a borough elect the following officers:

• Mayor

• Council members (number varies)

• Tax collector,

Three auditors or one controller (except where an independent auditor is appointed).

1 In boroughs not divided into wards, seven council members are elected.

2 However, if the last official census shows a population of less than 3,000 people, the number of council members can be reduced from seven to five or three by a court after a hearing on the petition of five percent of the registered voters of the borough to the court of common pleas. If the population of the borough later goes back above 3,000 people, the number of council members will automatically revert to seven.

3 In boroughs divided into wards, one or two (or three if they had that many per ward prior to January 1, 1966) council members are elected from each ward.

4 When a borough council elected by wards consists of more than seven members, five percent of the registered voters of the borough can petition the court of common pleas to reduce the size of council from each ward, except that council may not consist of less than seven members. After a hearing, the court may reduce the number of council members selected from each ward from three to two or one, or from two to one.

5 In boroughs not divided into wards, all officers are elected at large by the voters of the entire borough. In boroughs divided into wards, council members are elected by the voters of each ward, and other officers are elected at large.

6 Term of Office: Borough officials are elected at the municipal election held in odd-numbered years. With the exception of auditors, whose terms run for six years, all other elected officials serve a four-year term. The term of office begins the first Monday of January after the election.

7 In each borough, half the council is elected every two years so that council members have overlapping terms.

8 One auditor is elected at each municipal election.

9 Qualifications: Only registered voters of a borough are eligible to hold elective offices. This means borough officers must be 18 years old and residents of the borough for at least one year prior to their election. Council members are required to be residents of the ward from which they are elected.

10 The residency requirements may be waived by boroughs with a population of less than 150 people.

Offices in Townships of the First Class

Elective Offices: In townships of the first class voters elect the following officials:

• Commissioners: at least five, depending on whether the township is divided into wards

• One tax collector

Three auditors or one appointed auditor, or one controller where such office has been created.

1 In townships not divided into wards, five commissioners are elected at large. In townships divided into less than five wards, one commissioner is elected from each ward and the remainder of the board is elected at large. In townships with five or more wards, one commissioner is elected from each ward.

2 Townships of the first class may be divided into a maximum of fifteen wards.

3 Term of Office: All elected township officials serve for a four-year term, except auditors, who are elected for a term of six years. Township elections occur at the municipal election held in odd-numbered years. Half of the board of commissioners is elected every two years. In townships with auditors, one auditor is elected every two years.

4 Qualifications: All elected officers must be registered voters of the township, 18 years old and residents of the township for at least one year before their election.

5 In townships divided into wards, commissioners must have also resided in their ward for at least one year before their election.

6 Controllers are required to be competent accountants.

Offices in Townships of the Second Class

Elective Offices: In townships of the second class the voters elect the following:

• Three (or five supervisors if approved by voters)

• Three auditors, one tax collector.

1 Upon a resolution of the board of supervisors or a petition of at least five percent of the registered voters of the township, as well as a majority of those voting in the next municipal election, a township may add two additional supervisors. This question cannot be voted on more than once in any three-year period.

2 Term of Office: All officers are elected at large by the voters of the township at municipal elections occurring in odd-numbered years. Supervisors and auditors serve overlapping six-year terms.

3 Tax collectors serve for four years.

4 In each case terms of office begin the first Monday of January after the municipal election. Qualifications: All township officers must be 18 years of age and residents of the township.

5 All elected officers must have resided in the township for at least one year before their election.

"The Pennsylvania Constitution authorizes the state to enact laws regulating local units of government. It outlines basic requirements and rights. The PA Constitution requires periodic municipal redistricting, guarantees he right to select a home rule charter or an optional plan of government, and mandates uniform legislation for municipal boundary change procedure. The PA Constitution also prohibits special or local legislations by the General Assembly, sets up county government, permits classification of local governments according to population, and requires taxation to be uniform upon the same classes of subjects. The General Assembly is allowed to enact certain tax exemptions and special tax provisions because of age, disability, infirmity or poverty, and is authorized to prescribe debt limits based upon municipal revenues.

Municipalities and school districts may be classified according to population; the General Assembly can legislate separately for each class. There are four general types of municipalities in Pennsylvania: counties, cities, boroughs and townships, each with their own classes and codes."

"In addition to living under a county government, every Pennsylvanian also lives in a municipality. Municipal governing bodies make policy decisions, levy taxes, borrow money, authorize expenditures, and direct administration of their governments by their appointees.  

Powers available to local governments are not exercised in every case. Others are shared with the state and even the national government. Home rule provides equal opportunity for all classes of municipalities to exercise new powers.