Title 8, BOROUGHS AND INCORPORATED TOWNS

(a) General rule.--A contract involving appropriation of money shall designate the item of appropriation on which it is founded, and the estimated amount of the expenditure which shall be charged against the item, and certified by the borough controller on the contract, before it…

The borough controller shall, as often as the controller may deem expedient or the council shall direct, suggest plans to the council for the management and improvement of the borough finances.

The borough controller shall keep a regular set of books which shall be opened and keep as many accounts, under appropriate titles, as may be necessary to show separately and distinctly all the estates and property, real and personal, vested in the borough, all trusts in the care…

Appeals may be taken from the settlement and audit of the controller, as shown in the controller's report to the court of common pleas of the county, by the same persons in the same manner within the same time subject to the same conditions and procedure and with like effect in e…

(a) General rule.--This subchapter shall not become operative or effective in any borough not having a controller until the borough shall, by ordinance, accept this chapter. If a borough accepts this subchapter, the court of common pleas, upon petition of council, shall appoint a…

(a) General rule.--Except as otherwise provided in subsection (b), the tax collector shall be the collector of all State, county, borough, school, institution district and other taxes levied within the borough by the authorities empowered to levy taxes. (b) Exception.-- (1) No ta…

No mayor may hold any other borough office or appointment during the term for which the mayor is elected, except as is permitted under section 1104 (relating to appointments and incompatible offices). The mayor shall be eligible to succeed himself. The mayor shall not be a member…

No member of Congress or any person holding any office or appointment of profit or trust under the Federal Government or any person holding the office of magisterial district judge may at the same time be capable of holding the office of mayor.

The mayor, before exercising the duties of office, shall take and subscribe an oath or affirmation of office under 53 Pa.C.S. § 1141 (relating to form of oaths of office). The oath or affirmation may be taken before a judge or magisterial district judge of the county or a notary …

(a) General rule.--The salary of the mayor shall be established by ordinance and shall not exceed the following: (1) In a borough with a population of less than 5,000, a maximum of $4,190 per year. (2) In a borough with a population of 5,000 or more but less than 10,000, a maximu…

(a) General rule.--Except as provided in subsection (b), any salary paid under an ordinance shall be in lieu of all costs and fees allowed by a mayor. Costs and fees shall be collected by the mayor and deposited into the borough treasury. (b) Marriage ceremony fees.-- (1) Nothing…

(a) Oaths and affirmations.--The mayor may administer oaths and affirmations in matters pertaining to borough affairs. (b) Emergencies.-- (1) In addition to the power granted to mayors by 35 Pa.C.S. Pt. V (relating to emergency management services) and in order to enable the mayo…

The mayor shall have the following duties: (1) To preserve order in the borough, to enforce the ordinances and regulations, to remove nuisances, to exact a faithful performance of the duties of the officers appointed and to perform any other duties as shall be vested in the mayor…

(a) General rule.--If the mayor is absent or incapacitated or there is a vacancy in the office, the duties of the office shall be discharged by the president of council or, in the absence or incapacity of the president of council or if there is a vacancy in the office, by the vic…

Appointed officers and employees of the borough shall receive compensation for their services as the council shall prescribe. Council may also establish the hours and days of work and may restrict the outside employment of borough employees or any class or category of employment.…

All officers and employees appointed by a council shall, if directed, render their accounts to the council for settlement.

If an appointed officer or employee of a borough is required by law or action of council to give bond for the faithful performance of the officer's or employee's duties, the borough may pay the premium on the bond. All bonds required to be given by borough officials or employees …

(a) General rule.--Unless there is incompatibility in fact, an elective or appointive officer of the borough shall be eligible to serve on any board, commission, bureau or other agency created by or for the borough or any borough office created or authorized by statute and may ac…

(a) General rule.--A borough may provide, by ordinance, to appointees and employees of not less than ten years of satisfactory service and who are not less than 60 years of age upon termination of active employment with the borough, a proportion of the compensation last paid to t…

(a) Required membership.--The following employees of municipal authorities shall be members of the borough retirement system upon a written election as provided in this section: (1) An employee of a wastewater authority created by a borough and one or more townships under 53 Pa.C…

(a) General rule.--The borough treasurer shall, before entering upon the duties of office, give bond in an amount determined by council, conditioned for the faithful performance of the treasurer's duties. (b) Specific duties.--The treasurer shall: (1) Receive all money due the bo…

A council may, by resolution, appoint an assistant treasurer who may not be a member of the council. Council may appoint the assistant treasurer as the assistant secretary if the assistant treasurer is not a member of council. The assistant treasurer shall assist the treasurer in…

(a) Attendance at meetings and maintenance of minutes.--The secretary shall attend all meetings of the council and shall maintain full minutes of its proceedings. (b) Other duties.--The secretary shall: (1) Record or transcribe the bylaws, rules, regulations, resolutions and ordi…

A council may, by resolution, appoint an assistant secretary. The assistant secretary shall assist the secretary in the performance of the secretary's duties and, in case of absence or disability of the secretary, perform the duties and may exercise the powers of the secretary. T…

The fiscal records and documents and the minute book and other records and documents of every borough shall be open in accordance with the act of February 14, 2008 (P.L.6, No.3), known as the Right-to-Know Law.

The legal matters of the borough shall be under the control of the borough solicitor. No department or officer of the borough, except as otherwise provided by law, shall employ an additional counsel without the assent or ratification of the council. The borough solicitor must be …

(a) General rule.--The borough solicitor shall: (1) Prepare or approve, if directed or requested to do so by council or the mayor, any bonds, obligations, contracts, leases, conveyances, ordinances and assurances to which the borough or any department of the borough may be a part…

A council may, by resolution, appoint an assistant solicitor to assist the solicitor in the performance of the solicitor's duties and, in the absence or disability of the solicitor, to perform the duties and exercise the powers of the solicitor.

(a) Establishment of police department.--Council may, by ordinance, establish a police department. If council establishes a police department, the following shall apply: (1) Council may appoint police officers, subject to Subchapter J (relating to civil service for police and fir…

(a) General rule.--If a borough enters into a cooperative agreement or contract with any municipal corporation, regional police force or other governmental entity created by two or more municipal corporations under 53 Pa.C.S. Ch. 23 Subch. A (relating to intergovernmental coopera…

Borough police officers shall wear a shield or badge with the word "Police" when on duty.

(a) General rule.--The mayor shall have full charge and control of the chief of police and the police force. (b) Direction.--The mayor shall direct the time during which, the place where and the manner in which the chief of police and the police force perform the duties of their …

(a) General rule.--In addition to the powers of council to suspend police officers, the mayor may, for cause and without pay, suspend any police officers until the succeeding regular meeting of the council at which time or later the council may, subject to Subchapter J (relating …

Borough police and special police appointed by the mayor shall receive compensation as fixed by the council.

(a) Appointment.-- (1) Upon request by the board of school directors of the school district in which a borough is wholly or partially located, the council may appoint school crossing guards who shall have the duty of controlling and directing traffic and pedestrians at or near sc…

(a) Authorization to establish.--If a police force of less than three full-time members is being maintained, the borough may, unless there is a private organization or association constituting and managing an existing pension fund for the members of the police force in the boroug…

(a) General rule.--If there is a private organization or association constituting and managing an existing pension fund for the members of the police force in any borough, the borough shall establish a police pension for the purpose of paying pensions to the members of its police…

(a) General rule.--The council of a borough may, at its discretion at any time, create by ordinance the office of borough manager and may, in like manner, abolish the office. While the office exists, the council shall, from time to time, and if there is a vacancy, elect, by a vot…

(a) General rule.--The powers and duties of the borough manager shall be regulated by ordinance. (b) Employment or professional services agreement.-- (1) Council may enter into an employment or professional services agreement with the borough manager that specifies the terms and …

(a) General rule.--The offices of borough manager, street commissioner, secretary, treasurer and chief of police shall not be incompatible, and any two or more or all of the offices may be held by one person. Neither the mayor nor any member of the council shall be eligible to ho…

The following words and phrases when used in this subchapter shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the context clearly indicates otherwise: "Fire apparatus operator." A person who operates fire apparatus and devotes his normal working hours to operating any…

(a) Nonapplicability of subchapter.--This subchapter shall not apply to: (1) a borough that has a police force of less than three members; (2) a borough that has a police force of three or more members if those members in excess of two are appointed on a temporary basis through a…

(a) Establishment.--A civil service commission is established in each borough where a police force or paid fire apparatus operators are maintained. (b) Membership and terms.--The commission shall consist of three commissioners who shall be qualified electors of the borough and ap…

No commissioner shall at the same time hold an elective or appointed office under the Federal Government, this Commonwealth or any political subdivision of the Commonwealth, except that one member of the commission may be a member of the council and one may be a member of the tea…

(a) General rule.--The commission first appointed shall organize within ten days of its appointment and shall elect one of its members as the chair and one as the secretary. Thereafter, the commission shall meet and organize within 30 days of the first Monday of each even-numbere…

The borough shall: (1) Furnish to the commission, on its requisition, clerical assistance that may be necessary for the work of the commission. (2) Provide a suitable and convenient room for the use of the commission. The commission shall order from the borough the necessary stat…