The Executive Branch of Allegheny County Government
shall be headed by an elected, full-time Chief Executive.
The Chief Executive shall exercise all of the
powers and perform all of the duties as enumerated in Article V, § 1.5-502,
of the Charter. The Chief Executive shall exercise the veto powers
granted under the Charter in accordance with the procedures set forth
in Articles III and VIII of this Administrative Code.
No person shall be eligible to serve as Chief
Executive unless he fulfills the following requirements:
A. Citizenship. The Chief Executive shall be a citizen
of the United States of America.
B. Age. The Chief Executive shall be at least 25 years
of age at the time of taking office.
C. Residency/voter status. The Chief Executive shall
have been a resident and voter of the County for at least one year
immediately preceding election to the office, or in the case of an
appointment to fill a vacancy in office, for at least one year immediately
preceding appointment. The Chief Executive shall remain a resident
and voter of the County during his term of office.
The initial Chief Executive of Allegheny County
shall be elected at the general municipal election in 1999 and shall
serve a term of office of four years beginning on the first business
day of January of the year 2000 and ending when a successor is elected
and sworn into office. Every four years thereafter, an election for
the office of Chief Executive shall be held during the general municipal
election and the individual so elected shall serve a term of office
of four years beginning on the first business day of January following
the general municipal election and ending when a successor is elected
and sworn into office.
No Person shall be elected to more than three
consecutive terms as Chief Executive. The appointment or election
of an individual to serve as Chief Executive to fill a vacancy with
an unexpired term of two years or less shall not be considered a term
of office for purposes of the term limitations set forth in Article
III of the Charter. The appointment or election of an individual to
serve as Chief Executive to fill a vacancy with an unexpired term
of more than two years shall be considered a term of office for purposes
of the term limitations set forth in Article III of the Charter.
The Chief Executive shall forfeit office if,
during the term of office, County Council by an affirmative vote of
at least 2/3 of the seated members determines that the Chief Executive:
A. Lacks any qualification prescribed by law or by the
Charter;
B. Has been convicted of embezzlement of public monies,
bribery, perjury or other infamous crime as determined by County Council;
C. Has been found to be incapacitated by an appropriate
Court; or
D. Has failed to perform his duties of office as required
by law, ordinance or this Charter for a period of 60 consecutive days
unless detained by sickness or prevented by necessary absence from
the County. The office of Chief Executive shall not be declared forfeited
for failure to perform required duties until the Chief Executive shall
have been given a hearing before County Council, at which time the
Chief Executive may show cause why he should not forfeit the office.
If the office of Chief Executive becomes vacant
because of death, resignation, forfeiture or the failure of the elected
individual to assume the office within 30 days of the scheduled commencement
of the Chief Executive's term of office, the County Manager shall
serve as the temporary Chief Executive until County Council, by an
affirmative vote of the majority of its seated members, shall appoint
an interim Chief Executive until the vacancy is filled at the next
available municipal election. If County Council fails to appoint an
interim Chief Executive within 30 days from the date of the vacancy,
then the President Judge of the Court of Common Pleas shall appoint
an interim Chief Executive who shall serve until the vacancy is filled
at the next available municipal election. During his service in the
position, the appointed interim Chief Executive shall have all the
powers and authority granted to the elected Chief Executive under
the Charter. The person elected at the next available municipal election
shall take office as soon as possible after the certification of the
results of the election and shall serve the unexpired portion of the
vacated term.