QUALIFICATIONS

Philadelphia Home Rule Charter art. III, ch. 3

in effect

Philadelphia Home Rule Charter § 3-300 Mayor.

§ 3-300. Mayor. The Mayor shall have been a resident of the City for at least three years preceding the Mayor's election and shall be at least twenty-five years of age at the time of the Mayor's election. ANNOTATION Sources: Act of June 25, 1919, P.L. 581, Article IV, Section 5. Purposes: 1. A minimum residence of three years is required so that the Mayor will have some intimate knowledge and understanding of the City's problems and needs. 2. The qualifying age must be met as of the time of the election rather than the time of nominating or taking of office. Notes 80 | Amended by approval of the voters at the election held on May 17, 2022, and certified on June 6, 2022. See Bill No. 220001 (approved February 25, 2022); Resolution No. 220009 (adopted February 24, 2022).

Philadelphia Home Rule Charter § 3-301 Managing Director.

§ 3-301. Managing Director. The Managing Director shall have had such experience for at least five years as an executive either in public service or private industry as shall qualify the person for the duties of the Managing Director. ANNOTATION Sources: No specific source. Purposes: These qualifications are prescribed because the Managing Director is to supervise the service departments. Notes 81 | Amended by approval of the voters at the election held on May 17, 2022, and certified on June 6, 2022. See Bill No. 220001 (approved February 25, 2022); Resolution No. 220009 (adopted February 24, 2022).

Philadelphia Home Rule Charter § 3-302 Director of Finance.

§ 3-302. Director of Finance. The Director of Finance shall have had such experience for at least five years as an executive or the controller of a business, or as an expert in public finance as shall qualify the person for the duties of the Director of Finance. ANNOTATION Sources: No specific source. Purposes: The qualifications for the office of Director of Finance shall be a person fully competent to fulfill the duties of the office. A controller or an executive of a business, an expert on public finance such as a university professor teaching that subject or a governmental budget and finance officer, would qualify for the office provided his experience is adequate. It should be noted that two things are required by this and the preceding section: activity in a specified field; such experience by virtue of that activity as to qualify the individual for the office. Notes 82 | Amended by approval of the voters at the election held on May 17, 2022, and certified on June 6, 2022. See Bill No. 220001 (approved February 25, 2022); Resolution No. 220009 (adopted February 24, 2022).

Philadelphia Home Rule Charter § 3-303 City Representative.

§ 3-303. City Representative. The City Representative shall have had at least five years' experience in public relations work, and shall be an experienced public speaker. ANNOTATION Sources: No specific source. Purposes: Since the City Representative is to perform the dual function of promoting the City and representing the Mayor at public affairs, it is required that he have experience in both public relations work and as a public speaker. It is to be noted that since he is also to serve as the head of the Department of Commerce, Section 3-305 applies, and he is required to be qualified in addition by experience and training for that office.

Philadelphia Home Rule Charter § 3-304 City Solicitor.

§ 3-304. City Solicitor. The City Solicitor shall be a lawyer admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania and shall have had at least five years' experience in active practice of the law. ANNOTATION Sources: No specific source. Purposes: To qualify for the office of City Solicitor, a person must be a member of the Bar of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania and must have had five years' experience in the active practice of law which includes private practice, practice as a government attorney, or a combination of both. This is the minimum experience believed to be necessary for the proper performance of the duties of the office.

Philadelphia Home Rule Charter § 3-305 Other Officers and Employees.

§ 3-305. Other Officers and Employees. All other department heads and all deputies, superintendents and bureau or division chiefs and all other employees not in the civil service shall be persons especially qualified for their positions by training and experience. ANNOTATION Sources: No specific source. Purposes: Sections 3-301 - 3-304 specify qualifications for the principal appointive officers of the executive branch of the City government. It was not deemed feasible to specify particular qualifications for other appointive, noncivil services officers beyond requiring that they meet a general standard of being especially qualified for their positions by their training and experience.

Philadelphia Home Rule Charter § 3-306 Citizenship and Residence.

§ 3-306. Citizenship and Residence. All officers and employees of the City shall be citizens of the United States. It shall not be necessary for the Managing Director, the Director of Finance, the Personnel Director, any appointed department head or any other employee not in the civil service to be a resident of the City at the time of the officer's or employee's appointment but residence in the City must be acquired within six months thereafter. Appointed members of boards and commissions shall be residents of the City or of a county of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania adjacent to the City. ANNOTATION Sources: No specific source. Purposes: 1. All officers and employees must be citizens of the United States. 2. It is not required that appointees to non-civil service positions be residents of the City at the time of their appointment in order to permit the appointment of the best qualified and most experienced persons that can be obtained. On the other hand, an appointee, once he takes office, is required to become a resident of the City within six months of his appointment. 3. All that is required in the case of members of boards and commissions is that they be residents of the City or of a Pennsylvania county adjacent to the City. At the present time, many members of boards and commissions performing important City functions are not residents of the City. Nevertheless, they serve without compensation, give of their time, and even of their money in helping to make the City a better place in which to live. Examples may be found in the Fairmount Park Commission and the Board of Trustees of the Free Library of Philadelphia. City libraries and City museums have benefitted from funds, books and objects of art donated to them by Philadelphia suburbanites. Such benefits might well be lost to the City if membership on boards and commissions were restricted to residents, and therefore, that restriction was not imposed. Law Department Note (2009): Fairmount Park Commission was reconstituted by amendment approved November 4, 2008. See Footnote to Section 3-905. 4. Residence qualifications of civil service employees are not covered by this section but by the provisions of the civil service chapter. Section 7-401(u). Notes 83 | Amended by approval of the voters at the election held on May 17, 2022, and certified on June 6, 2022. See Bill No. 220001 (approved February 25, 2022); Resolution No. 220009 (adopted February 24, 2022).

Philadelphia Home Rule Charter § 3-307 Chief Public Safety Director.

§ 3-307. Chief Public Safety Director. Qualifications for the Chief Public Safety Director shall include but not be limited to: 1. The Chief Public Safety Director shall have five years of senior leadership experience in a law enforcement agency, legal entity, or other public safety position. _______________ Notes 84 | Added by approval of the voters at the election held on May 16, 2023, and certified on June 5, 2023. See Bill No. 230106 (became law March 23, 2023); Resolution No. 230115-A (adopted March 9, 2023).

Source: City of Philadelphia, The Philadelphia Code and Home Rule Charter (American Legal Publishing, codelibrary.amlegal.com)URL: https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/philadelphia/latest/philadelphia_pa/0-0-0-264036Fetched: 10/27/2026