The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania by the Act of April 13, 1972, P.L. 184, has granted to the Township of Whitehall and other municipalities within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the right to adopt a Home Rule Charter and a new form of government and to exercise the power of local self-government. The citizens of the Township of Whitehall having elected to be governed under a Home Rule Charter beginning January 5, 1976, this Part 1 is hereby adopted pursuant to the directive contained in Article XVI of said Charter in order to provide for the citizens of Whitehall, a progressive, efficient and economical government. It is the purpose of this Part 1, in keeping with "Home Rule Charter and Optional Plans Law of 1972," to permit the broadest power of local self-government consistent with the Constitution of the United States and Pennsylvania, and with the provisions of the Home Rule Charter and Optional Plans Law itself; and its provisions shall be read and interpreted in the light of such purpose.
This Part 1 shall be known and cited as the "Administrative Code of Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania."
[Amended 3-11-1991 by Ord. No. 1722]
A. 
The following words and terms when used in this Part 1 shall, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, mean and include as follows:
ADMINISTRATIVE
The function of carrying out the policies, ordinances or mandates of the Board.
ADVISORY
The functions of gathering facts and making recommendations to the Board or to any other body designated by the Board.
AGENCY
Department, administrative unit, board, bureau, commission or committee.
ASSISTANT
The Deputy Mayor as appointed by the Mayor with the approval of the Board.
[Amended 6-8-2009 by Ord. No. 2776, approved 11-3-2009]
BOARD
The Township Board of Commissioners consisting of those Commissioners who have assumed office.
BUREAUS
The subdivision of Department of Administration, Department of Public Safety and Department of Operations.
CITIZEN
Anyone who resides within the boundaries of Whitehall Township or who directly or indirectly owns, leases or rents real property within the boundaries of Whitehall Township.
CODE
The Administrative Code of Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania.
COMMITTEE
A body serving for a designated period of time on an ad hoc and purely advisory basis, comprised of three or more individuals appointed by the Board.
COURT OF COMMON PLEAS
The Court of Common Pleas of Lehigh County, Pennsylvania.
DEPARTMENT
A major administrative category of a government consisting of subordinate bureaus and divisions.
DIVISION
A subdivision of bureau.
EMPLOYEE
Individuals other than elected officials receiving salaries for services rendered to the Township.
HOME RULE CHARTER
The Home Rule Charter of the Township of Whitehall as approved by the electors of the said Township November 5, 1974, with amendments, if any, thereafter lawfully adopted and approved.
INDEPENDENT BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS
It is recognized that, from time to time, the Township may be required, or may desire, to establish subordinate boards and commissions which may serve in either an advisory or quasi-judicial capacity. The following definitions shall apply with respect to such subordinate boards and commissions:
(1) 
BOARDA body established by law or by a valid ordinance of the Township, on a permanent basis and for indefinite duration, to perform those functions of a quasi-judicial nature that are specified in the ordinance creating the board or the law governing it, and to be composed of three or more individuals, appointed by the Board for definite terms of office; provided, however, that where a body falling within this definition shall, by law, be required to be designated as a commission, that fact shall be clearly stated in the ordinance creating or governing that commission and that ordinance shall specify that that commission shall perform the functions of a board rather than a commission.
(2) 
COMMISSIONA body established by law or by a valid ordinance of the Township, on a permanent basis and for indefinite duration, to perform those functions of an advisory or administrative nature that are specified in the ordinance creating the commission or in the law governing it, and to be composed of three or more individuals, appointed by the Board for definite terms of office; provided, however, that where a body falling within this definition of Commission shall, by law, be required to be designated as a board, that fact shall be clearly state in the ordinance creating or governing that Board, and that ordinance shall specify that the Board shall have only the authority of a Commission, as defined in this subsection.
LAW
The Constitution and any statute of the United States of America and of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
MAYOR
The elected official in whom shall be vested the executive and administrative powers of the Township government.
[Amended 6-8-2009 by Ord. No. 2776, approved 11-3-2009]
MUNICIPAL GENERAL ELECTIONS
Those elections required by the laws of Pennsylvania to be held in odd-numbered years.
PERSON
An individual, a partnership, an association, a corporation or other entity.
TOWNSHIP
The Township of Whitehall, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania.
B. 
In this Part 1, the singular shall include the plural, the plural shall include the singular and the masculine shall include the feminine and the neuter.
If any act, matter or thing permitted to be regulated, performed, accomplished or undertaken by a first class Township within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is not governed by the provisions of the Home Rule Charter, the Administrative Code or the other ordinances of the Township of Whitehall, then the provisions of the First Class Township Code, Act of June 14, 1931, P.L. 1206, Article I, § 101, as amended, as found at 53 P.S. § 55101, et seq., shall govern, to the extent applicable.