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Monday September 8, 2008

Elections Board Referendum Ruling Should Lose On Appeal It was easy to predict. The three judge panel reviewing the referendum question generated through a citizens’ petition drive has decided not to certify the question based on their conclusion that the voters do not have the power to change tax rates set by the Council. Continue

County Solicitor’s Opinion on Shaky Grounds The drink tax referendum question—the one generated by the petition drive—has apparently passed muster from the Department of Elections as far as the number of signatures required, but it is about to get hung up in what could be a major legal battle based on a County Law Department opinion calling the referendum question illegal. Continue

Government as Defendant: A Worrisome Trend in Allegheny County Beginning in 2005, the government of Allegheny County embarked on a path of enacting ordinances and engaging in other activities that likely has no parallel in the annals of local government in Pennsylvania for displaying a willingness to violate, ignore or circumvent Commonwealth statutes, the state’s Constitution and the County Charter. In at least three high profile instances, the courts have overturned ordinances passed by Council and signed by the Chief Executive. One of these ordinances was enacted despite an unambiguous opinion of the County solicitor that passing the legislation would violate state law. It passed 14 to 1 anyway. Continue

Events

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