Philadelphia Municipal Law Research: Philadelphia Home Rule Charter

The Pennsylvania state constitution gives Pennsylvania municipalities the ability to establish Home Rule Charters that provide the municipality with a greater degree of self governance. Home Rule Charters allow the municipality to exercise any power or perform any function not denied by the Pennsylvania Constitution or the Pennsylvania General Assembly.  See Article 9, Section 2 of the Pennsylvania state constitution.

A municipality's Home Rule Charter defines the structure and powers of the municipality's government, similar to how the Pennsylvania state constitution defines the structure and powers of the Pennsylvaina state government.

Philadelphia adopted its Home Rule Charter in 1951. It defines the structure and powers of the City of Philadelphia.

The Philadelphia Home Rule Charter is divided into 12 articles:

• Article I: Powers of the City
• Article II: Legislative Branch (The Council, its election, organization, powers, and duties)
• Article III: Executive and Administrative Branch - Organization
• Article IV: Executive and Administrative Branch - Powers and Duties - Office of the Mayor (The Mayor, the City Representative and Departments, Boards, Commissions, and Offices under the Mayor)
• Article V: Executive and Administrative Branch  - Powers and Duties - Office of the Managing Director (Managing Director and Departments, Boards and Commissions under Supervision)
• Article  VI: Executive and Administrative Branch - Powers and Duties - Office of the Director of Finance (Director of Finance, Financial Departments, Boards and Commissions, City Treasurer, Procurement Department, and Board of Pensions and Retirement)
• Article VII: Executive and Administrative Branch - Powers and Duties - Office of Personnel Director (Personnel Director and Civil Service Commission and the Civil Service)
• Article VIII: Provisions of General Application
• Article IX: Removal of Elective and Appointive Officers
• Article X: Prohibited Activities of City Officials and City Employees
• Article XI: Severability and Acts Superceded
• Artice XII: Public Education

The Philadelphia Home Rule Charter is available online.

The City of Philadelphia's Web site links to an official version of the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter.

A print version of Philadephia's Home Rule Charter is available in the Legal Research Center's print collection: