HomeMy WebLinkAbout79-022 McCarthyThomas J. McCarthy, Esquire
McCarthy, Higgens & Watson
150 West Fifth Street
Erie, Pennsylvania 16507
Dear Mr. McCarthy:
June 15, 1979
In your letter of December 6, 1978, you requested
information concerning the status of municipal authorities
under Act 170 of 1978. Please be advised that on June 26,
1979, the State Ethics Commission issued a formal opinion
in which the Commission determined that municipal authori-
ties created pursuant to the Act of May 2, 1945, P.L. 382
Section 1, et seq., 53 P.S. Section 301 et seq., are not
covered by Act 170 and therefore solicitors for such author-
ities are not required to file a statement of financial
interests pursuant to Section 4 of the Act.
State Ethics Commission
308 Finance Building
Harrisburg, PA 17120
(717) 783 -1610
Sincerely,
Paul J. Smith
Chairman
79 -022
UPDATE: This Opinion was later reviewed by the State Ethics Commission in Opinion No. 80 -013. In that Opinion the
Commission concluded that authorities and their employees /officials may be subject to the Ethics Act.
UPDATE: The Commonwealth Court affirmed the conclusion that a municipal authority is a part of the Commonwealth so
is to subject it to the coverage of the Ethics Act. However, the court declined to extend coverage of the Ethics Act
to part-time solicitors of such authorities. See 425 A.2d 66. See also 436 A.2d 186.