City Code, ExplainedBetaPardon our dust while we build this out — expect some changes along the way.

This chapter establishes the City's appointed and elected officer and employee positions — including Council, the City Clerk, City Controller and Treasurer, the Code Enforcement Officer, the City Solicitor, the City Administrator, and the City Engineer — and sets out their duties, qualifications, bonding, and compensation.

Who this affects

It affects City officials and employees directly by defining their roles, pay, and reporting lines, and affects residents indirectly by governing how City business, permitting, code enforcement, and finances are administered.

Key rules

• All City employees must be covered under a blanket bond; a separate bond is required for the City Treasurer, with premiums paid by the City except the Treasurer's bond premium, which is shared pro rata by the taxing districts.
• Regular Council meetings are held on the second Monday of each month at 6:00 p.m., "In accordance with Section 1005 of the Third Class City Code."
• All department directors are agents of the Council only, and their acts are subject to "direction, review, approval or revocation by the Council."
• The Mayor's salary is set at $5,200 per year and Council members' salary at $2,600 per year each, both paid in weekly installments.
• Each director is restricted in spending, contracts, and undertakings to the amount appropriated to their department, and may not contract obligations beyond that.
• The City Clerk keeps custody of the City Seal and City records, acts as Secretary to Council, maintains the "Ordinance Book," draws warrants on the Treasurer, and issues certificates of election or appointment.
• The City Treasurer serves as tax collector for the City, County, and School District, subject to the Third Class City Code, and must give a fidelity bond covering faithful performance and accounting for all collected taxes.
• The Code Enforcement Officer must be appointed by Council, serves "during good behavior and satisfactory service," and may not be removed except for cause after a hearing on specific charges; the officer must have experience as an architect, structural engineer, building official, or in building construction, and may have no financial interest in building materials, processes, or devices used in construction.
• The Code Enforcement Officer issues permits and certificates, enforces the Electrical, Plumbing, Building, and Zoning Codes, keeps comprehensive records open to public inspection (which may not be removed from the office without written consent), and reports monthly to Council.
• The City Solicitor and Assistant City Solicitor are appointed and removable by Council in its "sole and absolute discretion," serve two-year terms, must be "learned in the law and admitted to practice in the Supreme Court of the Commonwealth," and are compensated at an hourly rate set by Council resolution.
• The City Administrator is appointed and removable by majority vote of Council; if removed without just cause, the Administrator receives severance equal to two months' salary, unless superseded by an employment contract. At least 30 days' written notice of intended removal is required.
• The City Administrator serves as chief administrative officer, supervises all departments, prepares the annual budget, acts as general purchasing agent, and needs prior Council-majority approval to hire, suspend, or discharge supervised employees (except civil-service-covered positions) and to make purchases or enter contracts requiring advertising under the Third Class City Code.
• In the Administrator's absence or incapacity, the City Clerk acts as Administrator.
• The City Engineer is appointed and removable by Council in its "sole and absolute discretion," serves a two-year term, must be "a registered professional engineer in this Commonwealth," and is compensated at an hourly rate set by Council resolution; Council may instead designate an engineering firm to perform the duties.

Notable and archaic details

• The Code Enforcement Officer may not be removed from office "except for cause after full opportunity has been given him to be heard on specific charges" — a due-process protection unusual for what is otherwise a routine administrative post.
• The City Administrator provision allows Council approval for hiring/firing to be obtained "merely by polling the Council" rather than at a formal meeting.
• The City Solicitor, Assistant City Solicitor, and City Engineer articles were all adopted or amended in their entirety on 2-9-2026, indicating a recent restructuring of these offices.