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Resign to Run Gets in Front of Voters in Philly…Again

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If you choose to run for another elective office, you must first step down from your current office.  That is a summation of the “resign to run” provision that applies to Allegheny County Council (15 members with 13 elected by district and 2 elected at large) as well as the membership of Philadelphia City Council (17 members with 10 elected by district and 7 elected at large).  We wrote about the concept in a 2011 blog when it was proposed by a member of Pittsburgh City Council (9 members all elected by district).

The issue is going to go before the voters in Philadelphia next week; a similar question was rejected in 2007, much like ballot questions for Allegheny County Council were in 2003.  The Pittsburgh City Council proposal did not make it past Council itself.

The 2011 blog noted a study of city councils done by the Pew Charitable Trusts and that shows a strong motivation as to why Philly’s council people don’t want to have to give up their seat for what might turn out to be a losing battle for another office.  Philadelphia’s average council salary was $121,000 and the population per member (making no distinction between district or at large representation) was 91,000 (Pittsburgh’s measures were $57,000 and 34,000, and Allegheny County’s are a $9,000 stipend and 80,000).  None of these local legislative bodies are subject to term limits, either (the Pew Study showed that the only northeastern city with legislative term limits was eight years).  Only Dallas and Phoenix had “resign to run” requirements.

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Allegheny Institute
Allegheny Institute

The Allegheny Institute is a non-profit research and education organization. Our mission is to defend the interests of taxpayers, citizens and businesses against an increasingly burdensome and intrusive government.

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