A00275
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
547
Session of
2019
INTRODUCED BY EMRICK, PICKETT, ZIMMERMAN, ROAE, CIRESI,
BERNSTINE AND MILLARD, FEBRUARY 19, 2019
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT, FEBRUARY 19, 2019
AN ACT
Amending the act of June 24, 1931 (P.L.1206, No.331), entitled
"An act concerning townships of the first class; amending,
revising, consolidating, and changing the law relating
thereto," in corporate powers, further providing for
ordinances and resolutions; and, in finance and taxation,
further providing for tax levies.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 1709(a) introductory paragraph of the act
of June 24, 1931 (P.L.1206, No.331), known as The First Class
Township Code, is amended to read:
Section 1. Sections 1502 clause I(a) and 1709(a)
introductory paragraph of the act of June 24, 1931 (P.L.1206,
No.331), known as The First Class Township Code, are amended to
read:
Section 1502. The corporate power of a township of the first
class shall be vested in the board of township commissioners.
The board shall have power--
I. Ordinances and Resolutions. (a) To adopt resolutions
and ordinances prescribing the manner in which powers of the
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township shall be carried out, and generally regulating the
affairs of the township. All such proposed ordinances, unless
otherwise provided by law, shall be published at least once in
one newspaper of general circulation in the township not more
than sixty days nor less than seven days prior to passage.
Publication of any proposed ordinance shall include either the
full text thereof or the title and a brief summary prepared by
the township solicitor setting forth all the provisions in
reasonable detail and a reference to a place within the township
where copies of the proposed ordinance may be examined. If the
full text is not included a copy thereof shall be supplied to a
newspaper of general circulation in the township at the time the
public notice is published. If the full text is not included an
attested copy thereof shall be filed in the county law library
or other county office designated by the county commissioners
who may impose a fee no greater than that necessary to cover the
actual costs of storing said ordinances. Filing with the county
may be completed by the submission of an electronic copy of the
ordinance through a method available, in the sole discretion of
the county, to permit receipt by the office storing municipal
ordinances. Upon request by the township, the county shall
notify the township of the method by which electronic copies may
be submitted. The county may store the ordinance electronically,
provided that the public is able to access the electronically
stored township ordinances during regular business hours at the
office or at a remote location. The township shall retain a
printed copy of the e-mail and ordinance as transmitted. The
date of such filing shall not affect the effective date of the
ordinance, the validity of the process of the enactment or
adoption of the ordinance. In the event substantial amendments
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are made in the proposed ordinance or resolution, upon
enactment, the board shall within ten days readvertise in one
newspaper of general circulation in the township, a brief
summary setting forth all the provisions in reasonable detail
together with a summary of the amendments. In any case in which
maps, plans or drawings of any kind are adopted as part of an
ordinance, the commissioners may, instead of publishing the same
as part of the ordinance, refer, in publishing the ordinance, to
the place where such maps, plans or drawings are on file and may
be examined. No ordinance, resolution pertaining to a tax levy,
or resolution of a legislative character in the nature of an
ordinance, shall be considered in force until the same is
recorded in the ordinance book of the township. All township
ordinances and all township resolutions pertaining to tax levies
shall, within one month after their passage, be recorded by the
township secretary in a book provided for that purpose, which
shall be at all times open to the inspection of citizens. A
failure to record within the time provided shall not be deemed a
defect in the process of the enactment or adoption of such
ordinance or resolution. The entry of the township ordinance or
resolution in the ordinance book by the secretary shall be
sufficient without the signature of the president of the board
of commissioners or other person. Any and all township
ordinances or portions thereof, the text of which prior to the
effective date of this amendment shall have been attached to the
ordinance book, shall be considered in force just as if such
ordinances or portions thereof had been recorded directly upon
the pages of such ordinance book: Provided, That all other
requirements of this act applicable to the enactment, approval,
advertising and recording of such ordinances or portions thereof
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were complied with within the time limit prescribed by this act.
* * *
Section 1709. Tax Levies.--(a) The board of township
commissioners may levy taxes by resolution upon all property and
upon all occupations within the township made taxable for
township purposes, as ascertained by the valuation for county
purposes made by the assessors of the several counties of this
Commonwealth for the year for which the township taxes are
levied, for the purposes and at the rate hereinafter specified:
Provided, however, That such valuation shall be subject to
correction by the county commissioners of the several counties,
and to appeal by the taxable persons in accordance with existing
laws.
* * *
Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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