Title 73, TOWNSHIPS

(a) Oath of office.--The members of the board shall each take the oath or affirmation prescribed for township officers. A secretary or health officer appointed under subsection (b) shall take the oath or affirmation required of members of the board. (b) Officers.--The board shall…

The secretary of the board has the following duties: (1) Maintain, under 53 Pa.C.S. Ch. 13 Subch. F (relating to records), the minutes of the proceedings of the board and keep accurate accounts of the expenditures of the board. (2) Transmit bills to the board of commissioners for…

(a) Citations.--A health officer may issue a citation for a violation of a health ordinance or related law. (b) Duties.--A health officer has the following duties: (1) Administer and enforce the health ordinances of the township and related laws. (2) Perform the duties as are ves…

(a) General rule.--A board of health has the following powers: (1) Recommend to the board of commissioners rules and regulations necessary for the preservation of the public health and for carrying into effect the functions of the board. (2) Appoint a health officer. (3) Abate an…

(a) General rule.--Upon order of the board of health or upon order of a health officer if there is no board of health, the following individuals may enter a premises in the township where an infectious or contagious disease or a nuisance detrimental to the public health is suspec…

(a) General rule.--If the board of health, or health officer if there is no board of health, finds a condition or premises to be a nuisance to the health of the residents of the township, the board of health or health officer shall issue a written order of abatement directed to t…

(a) Estimate of expenditures.--The board of health or the health officer shall submit to the board of commissioners, before commencement of the township's fiscal year, an estimate of the probable expenditures of the board of health or the health officer during the ensuing fiscal …

A township may cooperate with a political subdivision and with the Department of Health in the administration and enforcement of health laws.

(a) General rule.--Nothing in this part may be construed to limit the powers and duties of the Department of Health, including the powers and duties under Article XXI of the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177, No.175), known as The Administrative Code of 1929. (b) Expenses.-- (1) The …

(a) Fiscal year.--The fiscal year in townships of the first class shall begin on January 1 and end on December 31. (b) Annual budget.--The board of commissioners shall annually prepare a proposed budget for all funds for the ensuing fiscal year. The proposed budget shall reflect …

(a) General rule.--During the month of January next following a municipal election, the board of commissioners may amend the budget and the levy and tax rate to conform with the amended budget. A period of 10 days' public inspection at the office of township secretary of the prop…

(a) Preparation of forms.--The uniform forms for the annual financial report required to be made by the township auditors or controller to the Department of Community and Economic Development shall be prepared by a committee consisting of four representatives from the Pennsylvani…

The township may not hire employees, purchase materials, execute contracts or issue orders for the payment of money if it would result in the total expenditure of money for a specific purpose to exceed the amount appropriated for that purpose.

(a) General rule.--The board of commissioners shall have power to provide for the investment of money in the general township fund or in special funds. (b) Sinking funds.--The board of commissioners shall have power to invest township sinking funds as authorized under 53 Pa.C.S. …

No order or indebtedness of a previous year may be paid out of the funds of a fiscal year, unless the funds available from taxation and other sources are estimated to be in excess of requirements for the current fiscal year. If the available funds are in excess of the current fis…

(a) Procedure.--Disbursements in discharge of township indebtedness duly incurred shall be made by the township treasurer or the treasurer's deputy, by virtue of warrants or orders drawn on the treasurer by the order of the board of commissioners, signed by the president or vice …

(a) General rule.--The board of commissioners may levy taxes by resolution for taxes levied at the same rate as or a rate lower than the previous fiscal year, and by ordinance if the tax rate increases from the previous fiscal year. Taxes may be levied upon all property and occup…

(a) Reassessment.--If in a township there is any construction of a building or buildings not otherwise exempt as a dwelling after January 1 of any year and the building is not included in the tax duplicate of the township, the county assessment office shall, upon the request of t…

Notwithstanding section 533(b) of the act of December 13, 1988 (P.L.1121, No.145), known as the Local Tax Reform Act, a township of the first class or a home rule municipality that previously had been a township of the first class and that has a population exceeding 70,000 which,…

If the board of commissioners, by ordinance or resolution, fixes the rate of taxation for any year at a mill rate, the ordinance or resolution shall also include a statement expressing the rate of taxation in dollars and cents on each $100 of assessed valuation of taxable propert…

In addition to the levies provided for in section 4908 (relating to tax levies), when it is shown to the court that the debts due by a township exceed the amount which the board of commissioners may collect in any year by taxation, the court, after ascertaining the amount of inde…

The board of commissioners shall, within 30 days after adoption of the budget or within 30 days after receipt of the assessment roll from the county, whichever is later, deliver a duplicate of the assessment of township taxes to the township tax collector, together with the board…

(a) Purposes.--A township may make contracts for lawful purposes and for the purposes of carrying into execution the provisions of this part and the laws of this Commonwealth. (b) Lowest responsible bidder.--Except as otherwise specifically provided in this part, contracts and pu…

(a) Advertisement.--A contract or purchase in excess of the base amount of $18,500, subject to adjustment under subsection (d), except those mentioned in this section and except as provided under the act of October 27, 1979 (P.L.241, No.78), entitled "An act authorizing political…

(a) General rule.-- (1) No commissioner shall evade the provisions of section 5102 (relating to regulation of contracts) as to advertising for bids by purchasing or contracting for services and personal properties piecemeal for the purpose of obtaining prices under $18,500, subje…

(a) General rule.--Before a contract exceeding $10,000 is awarded to a prime contractor or construction manager for the construction, erection, installation, completion, alteration, repair of or addition to a public work or improvement of any kind, the contractor shall furnish to…

(a) General rule.--The board of commissioners of each township shall have the power to permit, subject to terms and conditions as it may, and as specifically provided, shall, prescribe a paid or volunteer fire company, paid or volunteer rescue company and paid or volunteer ambula…

(a) General rule.--In the preparation of specifications for the erection or alteration of a public building, when the entire cost of the work exceeds the base amount of $18,500, subject to annual adjustment under section 5102(d) (relating to regulation of contracts), the architec…

(a) General rule.--A contract executed by a township or an officer of a township that involves the construction or doing of work involving the employment of labor shall contain a provision that the contractor shall accept, as far as the work covered by the contract is concerned, …

Elected and appointed township officials and township employees are restricted from an interest in township contracts and purchases to the extent provided under 65 Pa.C.S. Ch. 11 (relating to ethics standards and financial disclosure).

(a) General rule.--A township may acquire property by eminent domain, including entering upon, appropriating, taking, using and occupying private lands and property for any of the following public purposes: (1) The laying out, opening, widening, extending, vacating, grading or ch…

(a) General rule.--In addition to the restrictions made by other provisions of this part in particular cases or by any other provision of law, no township shall exercise the right of eminent domain against: (1) land now occupied by a building that was used during the Colonial or …

A township shall declare the township's intention to acquire, enter upon, take, use and appropriate private property or land for any of the purposes authorized by this part by ordinance or resolution.

In the appropriation of land or property for public use, other than for streets, it shall be unlawful to assess any portion of the damage done to or value of the appropriated land or property against the other property adjoining or in the vicinity of the appropriated land or prop…

Except as otherwise provided by law, if land or other real or personal property is acquired by a township in eminent domain proceedings, other than for street or highway or easement purposes, or is acquired by gift, purchase or otherwise, the title obtained by the township shall …

The following words and phrases when used in this chapter shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the context clearly indicates otherwise: "Improving a street" or "improvement." Work on a street or portion of a street done or proposed to be done in order to o…

(a) General rule.--A township that has not maintained an accurate plan of township streets adopted in accordance with this chapter prior to the effective date of this section may only adopt a plan of streets under the act of July 31, 1968 (P.L.805, No.247), known as the Pennsylva…

(a) General rule.--Every street which has been used for public travel, and maintained and kept in repair continuously by the township for a period of at least 21 years under authorization by the board of commissioners, is a public street having a right-of-way of not less than 24 …

With regard to a street or portion of a street within township limits, a township may, with or without petition of abutting property owners, do any of the following: (1) Lay out, open, widen, straighten, alter, extend, relocate and improve. (2) Establish or reestablish the grades…

No street shall be laid out and opened through a burial ground or cemetery, nor through grounds occupied by a building used as a place for public worship or as a public or parochial school or educational or charitable institution or seminary, unless the consent of the owner of th…

(a) General rule.--Before the enactment of an ordinance for the laying out, opening, widening, straightening, extending, altering, improving, relocating or vacating of a street or highway or portion of a street or highway, the board of commissioners shall give 10 days' written no…

(a) General rule.--A petition may be presented to the board of commissioners for the opening, widening, straightening, extending, altering, improving, relocating, vacating or establishing or reestablishing the grade of a street. (b) Requirements.--A petition made under this secti…

(a) General rule.--After a petition has been presented as provided under section 5507 (relating to petition for opening) and the board of commissioners has determined the adequacy of the petition, but before final enactment of any ordinance enacted as provided in the petition, no…

(a) General rule.--The width of a street in a township shall not be less than 24 feet nor more than 120 feet. The minimum required width shall be in addition to the width required for necessary slopes in cuts or fills. (b) Width of alleys.--The width of an alley shall be subject …

(a) General rule.--Laid out public streets in a township shall, as soon as practicable, be effectually opened and constantly kept in repair. All streets shall, in all seasons, be kept reasonably clear of all impediments to easy and convenient traveling, at the expense of the town…

(a) General rule.--The following shall apply to the closing of a street to vehicular traffic: (1) No street shall be closed to vehicular traffic, except upon order of the board of commissioners or, in cases of emergency when immediate action is necessary to protect public safety,…