Aug. 21, 2023
HARRISBURG – Rep. Marla Brown (R-Lawrence) has introduced a joint resolution that would provide a more efficient process to remove local elected officials who neglect the duties of their office.
“The Constitution provides the method for removing a municipal official before their term expires but the impeachment process is long and protracted,” said Brown. “To get the governor upon concurrence of two-thirds of the Senate to remove a local elected official is unlikely. We need a simpler way to remove officials who have violated the public’s trust and abused the office to which they were elected to serve.”
The legislation would amend the Pennsylvania Constitution by adding a section that authorizes the General Assembly to enact legislation that would prescribe additional methods for removing a municipal official for specific enumerated reasons:
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Absenteeism from meetings.
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Dereliction of duty.
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Inappropriate moral conduct.
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Abuse of power.
If approved by the voters, this constitutional amendment and the subsequent legislation would provide municipalities with the power to properly hold elected officials accountable and to remove those officials from their positions in a timely and orderly manner.
“Pennsylvania ranks as one of the toughest states in the nation to oust municipal officials,” said Brown.
Currently, a co-sponsorship memo is being circulated seeking bipartisan support for the legislation, which will be introduced in the coming days.