In our ongoing effort as citizens and taxpayers to obtain information relating to the actions, decisions and spending of our city government under the reckless financial watch of Mayor Doherty, this page provides information and links for you to access when you proceed on a request for public records from any of our city departments, authorities, or offices.

A brief description of the PA Right to Know Law, as found in more detail in reading the exact statute 65 P.S. 66.1-66.9, is as follows:

An Act requiring certain records of the Commonwealth and its political subdivisions and of certain authorities and other agencies performing essential governmental functions, to be open for examination and inspection by citizens of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; authorizing such citizens under certain conditions to make extracts, copies, photographs or photostats of such records; and providing for appeals to the courts of common pleas. The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1. In this act the following terms shall have the following meanings:

(1) "Agency." Any department, board or commission of the executive branch of the Commonwealth, any political subdivision of the Commonwealth, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, or any State or Municipal authority or similar organization created by or pursuant to statute which declares in substance that such organization performs or has for its purpose the performance of an essential governmental function.

(2) "Public Record." Any account, voucher or contract dealing with the receipt or disbursement of funds by an agency or its acquisition, use or disposal of services or of supplies, materials, equipment or other property and any minute, order or decision by an agency fixing the personal or property rights, privileges, immunities, duties or obligations of any person or group of persons: Provided, that the term "public records" shall not mean any report, communication or other paper, the publication of which would disclose the institution, progress or result of an investigation undertaken by an agency in the performance of its official duties, except those reports filed by agencies pertaining to safety and health in industrial plants; it shall not include any record, document, material, exhibit, pleading, report, memorandum or other paper, access to or the publication of which is prohibited, restricted or forbidden by statute law or order or decree of court, or which would operate to the prejudice or impairment of a person's reputation or personal security, or which would result in the loss by the Commonwealth or any of its political subdivisions or commissions or State or municipal authorities of Federal funds, excepting therefrom however the record of any conviction for any criminal act.

Section 2. Every public record of an agency shall, at reasonable times, be open for examination and inspection by any citizen of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Section 3. Any citizen of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania shall have the right to a take extracts or make copies of public records and to make photographs or photostats of the same while such records are in the possession, custody and control of the lawful custodian thereof or his authorized deputy. The lawful custodian of such records shall have the right to adopt and enforce reasonable rules governing the making of such extracts, copies, photographs or photostats.

Section 4. Any citizen of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania denied any right granted to him by section 2 or section 3 of this act, may appeal from such denial. If such court determines that such denial was not for just and proper cause under the terms of this act, it may enter such order for disclosure as it may deem proper.
APPROVED The 21st day of June, A.D. 1957.

The following links will assist you in constructing your request, and help you understand what to expect. There are also remedies for non-compliance of the municipal or state agency and you should be prepared to follow the process up the ladder to get what information you want.

Freedom of Information Act with State Links:

Citizen Access Website: when you select the state and the type of records you want it will explain in particular how that agency should respond, how quickly, and what to do if you don't get it.

This page is currently under construction but will be updated continuously with the exact address of each city office, and we will be adding all the authorities to include the Housing Authority, the Pension Board, Police Dept. and others. At the very least, these offices can be contacted through city hall, by way of the Law Dept., to the attention of Mr. Robert Farrell.