Pennsylvania Act 2017-53 — MUNICIPALITIES (53 PA.C.S.) - PROCEDURE FOR AMENDMENT OF CHARTER OR OPTIONAL PLAN

Act text

Session of 2017

No. 2017-53

SB 690

AN ACT

Amending Title 53 (Municipalities Generally) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in home rule and optional plan government, further providing for procedure for amendment of charter or optional plan.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1. Section 2941(d) of Title 53 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes is amended and the section is amended by adding a subsection to read:

§ 2941. Procedure for amendment of charter or optional plan.

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(d) Initial apportionment.--If the referendum on the question results in the approval by the voters to amend the home rule charter or optional plan to provide for the election of the governing body either by districts or partially by districts and partially at large or in a change in the number of members of the governing body, the initial apportionment of the districts shall be made as follows:

(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), by an apportionment commission consisting of seven members, all of whom shall reside in [such] the municipality. Two members of the apportionment commission shall be appointed by the mayor. Two members of the apportionment commission shall be appointed by the governing body, one shall be appointed by the mayor from a list of at least three qualified persons recommended by the municipal committee of the political party whose mayoral candidate received the highest number of votes cast in the most recent mayoral election and one shall be appointed by the mayor from a list of at least three qualified persons recommended by the municipal committee of the political party whose mayoral candidate received the second highest votes in the most recent mayoral election. The seventh member of the commission shall be elected at large by a majority vote of the other six members and shall serve as [chairman] chairperson of the commission.

(2) At the option of a municipality with a mayor, or for a municipality without a mayor, the initial apportionment shall be made by the members of the governing body of the municipality consistent with section 903 (relating to reapportionment by governing body).

(e) Subsequent apportionment.--For any municipality, including a municipality with a mayor, a subsequent apportionment shall be under Chapter 9 (relating to municipal reapportionment).

Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.

APPROVED--The 30th day of October, A.D. 2017.

TOM WOLF