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GOVERNMENT IN UPPER ST. CLAIR

TOWNSHIP GOVERNMENT

The Township of Upper St. Clair is a municipal government located in Allegheny County in western Pennsylvania. Upper St. Clair students attend schools in the Upper St. Clair School District. The Township, the School District, the County and the State of Pennsylvania are separate entities with separate taxing authority. Each governmental unit is responsible for specific service provisions and law enforcement to Upper St. Clair residents.

Upper St. Clair became a Home Rule Community on January 1, 1976. As a Home Rule Municipality, the Township is governed by a locally drafted charter adopted by the voters of Upper St. Clair.

The Home Rule Charter provides for a Board of Commissioners composed of seven members. Two commissioners are elected at large by all the voters of the Township and five are elected by ward. Each Commissioner serves a four year term.

In a Commission/Manager form of government, the Charter provides a clear distinction between policy-making functions and administrative functions. The Board of Commissioners is responsible for the policy-making functions.

The Township Manager is appointed by the Board of Commissioners and serves as chef administrative officer and is directly responsible and accountable to the Board of Commissioners.

The Township's primary sources of revenue are a real estate tax and an earned income and net profits tax, which account for 75% of the Township's General Fund operating revenues. Additional revenue is derived from other taxes, licenses, permits, fees, fines, rental income, interest, service agreements, recreation fees and user fees.

The Township is required to account for operations using funds. The majority of the Township's operations are funded out of the Township's General Fund. Other funds account for only specific operations and include the Sanitary Sewer Fund, the Storm Sewer Improvement Fund, the Capital Projects Fund, the State Liquid Fuels Tax Fund (for gasoline tax revenue to finance street improvements), the Field Improvement Fund and, the Sinking Fund (for repayment of local debt).

The Township provides a full range of services including:

• Police and fire protection
• maintenance and repair of streets, sanitary sewers and storm sewers
• winter snow and ice removal on state and local roads within the Township
• enforcement of building codes and zoning ordinances
• a variety of recreation and leisure services for all age groups
• public access television
• full service adult and children's library
• emergency medical services
• general administration and tax collection