Title 53, MUNICIPALITIES GENERALLY

(a) General rule.--All candidates for the government study commission shall be electors. Each candidate shall be nominated by nomination papers signed by a number of electors equal at least to 2% of the number of electors voting for the office of Governor in the last gubernatoria…

The result of the votes cast for and against the question as to the election of a government study commission shall be returned by the election officers, and a canvass of the election had, as is provided by law in the case of other public questions put to the electors. The votes …

(a) Members elected on countywide basis.--As soon as possible and in any event no later than ten days after its certification of election, the members of a government study commission elected on a countywide basis shall, before a judge of a court of common pleas, make oath to sup…

(a) Procedure.--As soon as possible and in any event no later than 15 days after its certification of election, the government study commission shall organize and hold its first meeting and elect one of its members chairman and another member vice chairman, fix its hours and plac…

In case of a vacancy in the government study commission, the remaining members of the commission shall fill it by appointing thereto some other properly qualified elector.

The government study commission shall study the form of government of the municipality to compare it with other available forms under the laws of this Commonwealth and determine whether or not in its judgment the government could be strengthened or made more clearly responsible o…

(a) Compensation and expenses of members.--Members of the government study commission shall serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed by the municipality for their necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties. Council shall appropriate moneys necessary…

The government study commission shall hold one or more public hearings, may hold private hearings and sponsor public forums and generally shall provide for the widest possible public information and discussion respecting the purposes and progress of its work.

(a) General rule.--The government study commission shall report its findings and recommendations to the citizens of the municipality within nine months from the date of its election except that it shall be permitted an additional nine months if it elects to prepare and submit a p…

(a) General rule.--The government study commission shall be discharged upon the filing of its report, but, if the commission's recommendations require further procedure in the form of a referendum on the part of the electors, the commission shall not be discharged until the proce…

The government study commission shall report and recommend in accordance with the question presented to the electorate as provided in section 2911 (relating to submission of question for election of government study commission): (1) That a referendum shall be held to submit to th…

(a) Optional plan of government.-- (1) If the government study commission report recommends the adoption or the amendment of any of the optional plans of government set forth in this subpart, except the optional county plan, the report of the commission may specify the following:…

The question to be submitted to the voters for the adoption of a home rule charter or any of the optional plans of government authorized by this subpart shall be submitted in one of the following forms or such part of them as shall be applicable. Shall the Home Rule Charter conta…

If the government study commission recommends that the question of adopting a home rule charter or one of the optional plans of government authorized by this subpart shall be submitted to the electors, the municipal clerk or secretary shall, within five days thereafter, certify a…

(a) General rule.--An ordinance may not be passed and a petition may not be filed for the election of a government study commission pursuant to section 2911 (relating to submission of question for election of government study commission) while proceedings are pending under any ot…

Whenever the electors by a majority of those voting on the question vote in favor of adopting a change in their form of government pursuant to this subpart, the proposed form shall take effect according to its terms and the provisions of this subpart.

The voters of any municipality which has adopted a home rule charter or an optional plan of government pursuant to this subpart may not vote on the question of changing the form of government until five years after the home rule charter or optional plan became effective.

For the purposes of this subpart, each of the optional forms of government provided by this subpart and each of those optional forms as modified by any available provisions concerning size of council, election of municipal officials and the basis for electing councilmen is hereby…

(a) Procedure.--The procedure for amending a home rule charter or optional plan of government shall be through the initiative procedure and referendum or ordinance of the governing body as provided for in this subpart. (b) Changes in method of election.--Changes in the method of …

A referendum on the question of amendment of a home rule charter or an optional plan of government may be initiated by petition of the electors or such a referendum may be initiated by an ordinance of the governing body. A proposal for amendment of an optional plan shall be limit…

(a) Filing.--A petition containing a proposal for referendum on the question of amending a home rule charter or an optional plan of government signed by electors comprising 10% of the number of electors voting for the office of Governor in the last gubernatorial general election …

A referendum on the question of the amendment of a home rule charter or an optional plan of government shall be held when the election officials find that the initiative petition or ordinance of the governing body is in proper order. The referendum shall be governed by the provis…

All elections provided for in this subpart shall be conducted by the election officials for such municipality in accordance with the act of June 3, 1937 (P.L.1333, No.320), known as the Pennsylvania Election Code. The election officials shall count the votes cast and make return …

At least 30 days' notice of each election provided for under this subpart shall be given by the clerk or secretary of the municipality. A copy of the notice shall be posted at each polling place on the day of the election and shall be published in at least one newspaper of genera…

A municipality which has adopted a home rule charter may exercise any powers and perform any function not denied by the Constitution of Pennsylvania, by statute or by its home rule charter. All grants of municipal power to municipalities governed by a home rule charter under this…

(a) Powers granted by statute.--With respect to the following subjects, the home rule charter shall not give any power or authority to the municipality contrary to or in limitation or enlargement of powers granted by statutes which are applicable to a class or classes of municipa…

A county which has adopted a home rule charter shall not at any time thereafter exercise within any municipality in the county a power or function being exercised by that municipality, except under all of the following conditions: (1) The exercise of such power or function by the…

Municipalities adopting a home rule charter shall have the power to: (1) Sue and be sued. (2) Have a corporate seal. (3) Contract and be contracted with. (4) Buy, sell, lease, hold and dispose of real and personal property. (5) Appropriate and expend moneys. (6) Adopt, amend and …

The municipal clerk or secretary shall have the new charter as approved by the qualified electors recorded in the ordinance books and shall also file a certified copy of the charter with the Department of State, the Department of Community and Economic Development and the county …

All elective officials in office at the time of the adoption of a home rule charter shall continue in office until their terms expire.

(a) General rule.--The procedure for repeal of a home rule charter shall be the same as for adoption of a home rule charter. Whenever the electors, by a majority vote of those voting on the question, vote in favor of repeal of a home rule charter and the establishment of a partic…

Upon the adoption by the electors of any of the optional plans of government as set forth in this subpart, the municipality shall thereafter be governed by the plan adopted and by the provisions of general law applicable to that class or classes of municipality except as otherwis…

The municipal clerk or secretary shall immediately cause the new plan of government as adopted to be recorded in the ordinance book of the municipality and shall also file a certified copy thereof with the Department of State, the Secretary of Community and Economic Development a…

The general grant of municipal power under this subpart is intended to confer the greatest power of self government consistent with the Constitution of Pennsylvania and with the provisions of and the limitations prescribed by this subpart. Any specific enumeration of municipal po…

The optional plan of any municipality adopted in accordance with this subpart shall not give any power or authority to diminish any rights or privileges of any present municipal employee in his pension or retirement system. No municipality shall exercise any powers or authority b…

No local municipality within a county shall supersede or exercise any power, function or service presently exercised by the county.

Each municipality which does not adopt a home rule charter or an optional plan under this subpart shall retain its existing form of government as otherwise provided by law.

In case the electors of any municipality disapprove a proposal to adopt a home rule charter or an optional plan of government, the municipality shall retain its existing form of government.

(a) Assumption of indebtedness.--A municipality assuming a function previously performed by another municipality under the terms of this subchapter shall also assume all the indebtedness and obligations of the municipality relating to the function. If property, indebtedness or ob…