Pennsylvania Act 2011-132 — COUNTY CODE - CLASSIFICATION OF COUNTIES

Act text

Session of 2011

No. 2011-132

SB 1276

AN ACT

Amending the act of August 9, 1955 (P.L.323, No.130), entitled, as amended, "An act relating to counties of the first, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth classes; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the laws relating thereto; relating to imposition of excise taxes by counties, including authorizing imposition of an excise tax on the rental of motor vehicles by counties of the first class; and providing for regional renaissance initiatives," further providing for classification of counties.

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

Section 1. Section 210 of the act of August 9, 1955 (P.L.323, No.130), known as The County Code, amended July 7, 2011 (P.L.268, No.55), is amended to read:

Section 210. Counties Divided Into Nine Classes.--For the purposes of legislation and the regulation of their affairs, counties of this Commonwealth, now in existence and those hereafter created, shall be divided into nine classes as follows:

(1) First Class Counties, those having a population of 1,500,000 inhabitants and over.

(2) Second Class Counties, those having a population of 800,000 and more but less than 1,500,000 inhabitants.

(2.1) Second Class A Counties, those having a population of 500,000 and more but less than 800,000 inhabitants.

(3) (i) Third Class Counties, those having a population of 210,000 and more but less than 500,000 inhabitants.

(ii) After the results of any Federal Decennial Census are published, any county of the third class having a population of 500,000 inhabitants and over may elect not to become a county of the second class A by enacting an ordinance or adopting a resolution of the Board of County Commissioners not later than February 15 of the year following the year in which the figures from the Federal Decennial Census are certified by the United States Department of Commerce and available .

(4) Fourth Class Counties, those having a population of 145,000 and more but less than 210,000 inhabitants.

(5) Fifth Class Counties, those having a population of 90,000 and more but less than 145,000 inhabitants.

(6) Sixth Class Counties, those having a population of 45,000 and more but less than 90,000 inhabitants and those having a population of 35,000 and more but less than 45,000 inhabitants which by ordinance or resolution of the Board of County Commissioners elect to be a county of the sixth class.

(7) Seventh Class Counties, those having a population of 20,000 or more but less than 45,000 inhabitants and those having a population of 35,000 and more but less than 45,000 inhabitants which have not elected to be a county of the sixth class.

(8) Eighth Class Counties, those having a population of less than 20,000 inhabitants.

Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

APPROVED--The 22nd day of December, A.D. 2011.

TOM CORBETT