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.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: The Charter is included at the beginning of this volume.
A. 
The oath to be taken by any person holding the office of Chief Executive shall be as follows:
I, ______(name)_______, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of Chief Executive of the County of Allegheny, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, defend and obey the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution and laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. (So help me God).
B. 
The foregoing oath shall be administered by any person authorized by law to administer oaths.
A. 
The Chief Executive shall not be a candidate for nomination or election to more than one County office at the same time.
B. 
The Chief Executive shall not hold any other elected political office and, except as specifically allowed by the Charter, receive any salary, stipend or other compensation from the County or any County authority.
C. 
The Chief Executive shall not hold any paid, appointed position in any federal, state, county or local government.
A. 
Salary. The Chief Executive's initial annual salary shall be $90,000. The Chief Executive's salary may be adjusted by ordinance adopted by County Council in accordance with the Pennsylvania Constitution and the provisions governing adoption of ordinances set forth in Article 311 of this Administrative Code; provided, however, that the adjustment shall not exceed the cumulative average of annual salary increases provided in all collective bargaining agreements of County employees. Chief Executive's annual salary shall not decrease during the Chief Executive's term of office.
B. 
Expenses.
(1) 
The Chief Executive shall be allowed and reimbursed for actual and necessary expenses incurred in the discharge of the Chief Executive's official duties or in the performance of any service, obligation or duty imposed upon the Chief Executive by the Charter or this Administrative Code; provided however, that the expense: is related to the performance of official duties; and is submitted prior to payment with such detailed information as may be required under established County fiscal management policies. The balanced annual operating budget of the County shall include a line item for such expenses incurred by the Chief Executive. The total amount of expenses incurred by the Chief Executive shall be included in and shall not exceed the budget limitations for the office of Chief Executive set forth in Article III, § 1.3-307(g), of the Charter.
(2) 
The appropriation in each annual operating budget for the Chief Executive's compensation, expenses, total staff compensation and office expenses shall not exceed 0.2% of the County's annual locally levied tax revenues as detailed in the most recent audited financial report of the County.
A. 
The Chief Executive shall have the authority to hire such personnel and staff as the Chief Executive deems necessary to discharge the duties and responsibilities of the office. The costs for the salaries, benefits and expenses of the personnel and staff of the Chief Executive shall be paid from the balanced annual operating budget appropriation for such personnel and staff as provided for in the Charter. The total amount of compensation and expenses for the personnel and staff of the Chief Executive shall be included in and shall not exceed the budget limitations for the Office of Chief Executive set forth in Article III, § 1.3-307(g), of the Charter.
B. 
In consultation with the Chief Executive, the Manager shall establish the Table of Organization of all departments and agencies, and shall appoint the directors of all Departments who shall be available to provide information and advice to members of County Council upon request. County Council shall be given the opportunity to interview all final candidates for Directors of departments and make recommendations to the Chief Executive.
C. 
The Chief Executive, without County Council confirmation, shall have the authority to appoint such voluntary advisors, and voluntary advisory boards and committees, as the Chief Executive deems necessary. The aforementioned advisors, advisory boards and committees shall only be established by the Chief Executive to provide advice and recommendations. The Chief Executive shall notify Council when a committee or board is created along with the names of the appointees. This provision shall not apply to any specific advisory boards and committees established by this Administrative Code.
D. 
The Chief Executive and County Council may jointly establish and appoint such voluntary advisors, and voluntary advisory boards and committees as they deem necessary to make recommendations on issues which require County Council review and approval.
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.
A. 
When the Chief Executive transmits to the County Manager his written declaration that either: the Chief Executive will be absent from Allegheny County for a period of more than 20 days, or that the Chief Executive is unable to discharge the duties of office due to temporary disability resulting from illness or other good cause, then the Chief Executive shall designate, in writing, the County Manager or such other administrative officer of the County temporarily to exercise the powers and perform the duties of the Chief Executive during his absence or disability. The County Manager or such administrative officer of the County designated to act as the temporary Chief Executive shall exercise the powers of the office of Chief Executive within the limitations set forth in § 5-401.11C below. Upon the end of such temporary absence or disability, the Chief Executive shall transmit to the County Manager or such other Administrative Officer of the County his written declaration certifying his return and the end of any prior delegation of authority.
B. 
In the event that the Chief Executive either fails to transmit: a written declaration of temporary inability to discharge the duties of his office due to absence or temporary disability as provided in § 5-401.11A above; or a written declaration designating the County Manager or other Administrative Officer of the County to temporarily exercise the powers and perform the duties of the Chief Executive during his absence or disability, then the County Manager shall become the temporary Chief Executive upon an affirmative vote of 2/3 of the seated members of the County Council designating him to serve in such capacity. The County Manager shall exercise the powers and duties of the office of Chief Executive within the limitations set forth in § 5-401.11C below. The County Manager shall continue to act as temporary Chief Executive until the Chief Executive shall transmit to the County Manager his written declaration certifying the end of his absence or temporary disability and the present ability to resume the exercise of the powers and duties of the office.
C. 
The County Manager, so designated by the Chief Executive to act as temporary Chief Executive pursuant to the § 5-401.11A above or so elected by County Council to act as temporary Chief Executive pursuant to the § 5-401.11B above, or such other Administrative Officer of the County, so designated by the Chief Executive to act as temporary Chief Executive pursuant to the § 5-401.11A above, shall exercise the duties and responsibilities of the Office of Chief Executive subject to the following limitations and restrictions:
(1) 
In the event of any vacancies in the office of County Solicitor or in any Directors within the County's Administrative Service, the County Manager or such other Administrative Officer of the County so designated temporarily to act as Chief Executive may appoint an acting County Solicitor or acting Directors in the County's Administrative Service subject to the provision of § 5-401.09 of this Administrative Code. The acting County Solicitor and/or acting Directors in the Administrative Service of the County's Executive Branch appointed by the County Manager, or such other Administrative Officer of the County so designated temporarily to act as Chief Executive, shall serve in their respective positions until appointed to permanent status or removed by a duly elected Chief Executive.
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.