WHEREAS, On April 17th of 1951, the voters of the City of Philadelphia voted to adopt the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter, forever changing the trajectory of municipal government in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; and
WHEREAS, Prior to the adoption of the charter, governance in Philadelphia took a few different forms. Prior to 1854, Philadelphia County consisted of the City of Philadelphia and over 25 independent townships, districts and boroughs, each with their own governance and law enforcement; and
WHEREAS, This lack of coordination in such a condensed area led to district and chaos and in 1854, The Pennsylvania General Assembly passed the Act of Consolidation, dissolving the 28 separate entities and creating one municipal entity we know today as the City of Philadelphia; and
WHEREAS, In 1949. The General Assembly passed the First-Class City Home Rule Act, granting cities of the first-class broad authority to self-govern with complete powers of legislation and administration to reduce reliance on the state legislature for municipal affairs, allowing for fiscal flexibility needed by cities with larger populations unique challenges; and
WHEREAS, In the 75 years since, the Charter has served as Philadelphia’s "Constitution," providing the legal framework for the City to enact local ordinances, manage its finances, and provide essential services tailored to the unique needs of its diverse neighborhoods; and
WHEREAS, The adoption of the Home Rule Charter established a “strong-mayor” government, the 17-member legislative body, 14 departments managed under the Mayor, and the auditing department, now known as the Office of the Controller; and
WHEREAS, Those 14 original departments included Police, Fire, Streets, Water, Public Health, Human Services, Recreation, Licenses and Inspections, Records, Public Property, Revenue, Procurement, Commerce, and Law; and
WHEREAS, The 75th Anniversary of the Charter serves as a vital reminder of the power of civic engagement and the importance of a government that is "of, by, and for" the people of Philadelphia; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, Hereby honors and recognizes the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter by the voters of the City of Philadelphia and reaffirm commitment to the principles of transparency, efficiency, and local autonomy enshrined within the Charter.
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