First Class Township
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
Most first class townships have five commissioners, but there can be as many as 15.
Township appointees who may attend meetings could include the secretary, township manager, chief of police, fire chief, engineer, solicitor and others.
POTENTIALLY USEFUL FACTS
Other elected township officials include the tax collector, one assessor and one assistant assessor, three auditors or a controller, and a treasurer.
Instead of three auditors or a controller, commissioners of a first-class township may pass an ordinance to have township accounts audited by a certified public accountant.
Commissioners serve four-year overlapping terms.
If there are five commissioners, they are elected at large. In townships with more than five wards, one commissioner is elected from each ward.
Commissioners’ salaries are set by ordinance, but cannot exceed $1,875 to $5,000 per year, depending on the township population.
First-class townships with three or more police or three or more salaried fire fighters have to apply civil service regulations to those employees.
For more information, consult the Township Commissioner’s Handbook.
Is there a code of conduct for Commissioners? Anything referring to a conflict of interest?
Whitehall township has it’s own Administrative Code. I do not think that Lower Macungie Township has enacted one. If they have not enacted a code, is there an encompassing code that deals with potential conflict of interest of a commissioner of a first class townships ?
Carol Ellis
November 21, 2011 at 5:02 pm