Run for office in Philadelphia, PA.

About these offices

According to Philadelphia’s Home Rule Charter, “executive and administrative power of the City, as it now exists, shall be exclusively vested in and exercised by a Mayor and such other officers, departments, boards and commissions as are designated and authorized in this charter.” The mayor, who appoints those officers, department heads and board and commission members, also presides over a $4.7 billion budget more than 25,000 City employees. He or she must be at least 25 years old, a citizen of the U.S. and a three-year resident of Philadelphia. The mayor serves a four-year term and can be reelected once. The salary is $218,000.

City Council, Philadelphia’s 17-member legislative body, enacts bills by majority vote, which are then signed into law by the mayor, who is also empowered to veto them. But Council can override a mayoral veto with a two-thirds vote. Council also holds hearings. Of the 17 Council members, seven are elected “at-large” (by voters from throughout Philadelphia) and 10 from districts. Of the seven at-large members, no more than five can be from the political party with the largest number of registered voters in the city. There are no party restrictions on district members. All members must be at least 25 years old, be U.S. citizens and residents of the City for at least one year. (District members must have lived in their districts for a year.) Terms are four years, and there are no term limits. The Council president’s salary is $164,000. Members’ salaries begin at $130,668.

The City Legislature is the municipality's governing body, responsible for voting on ordinances and policies, and often is in charge of hiring a city manager.

Philadelphia’s Register of Wills is responsible for probating wills and granting letters of administration when persons die without leaving a will. The office also maintains records of wills, inventories of estates and similar documents and serves as an agent for the state for filing and payment of inheritance taxes. The office’s other important function is to issue marriage licenses. The register of wills, who is elected citywide to a four-year term, must be at least 25 years old, a citizen of the U.S. and a one-year resident of Philadelphia. There are no term limits. The salary is $130,668.

The County Sheriff is the chief law enforcement official of the county and is responsible for ensuring that all local, state, and federal laws are followed.

The Philadelphia Municipal Court is a court of limited jurisdiction and responsible for trying criminal offenses carrying maximum sentences of incarceration of five years or less, civil cases in which the amount is $10,000 or less for Small Claims; landlord-tenant cases; and $15,000 in real-estate and school-tax cases. The Municipal Court has initial jurisdiction in processing every adult criminal arrest in Philadelphia, and conducts preliminary hearings for most adult felony cases.

The County Controller or Comptroller is the Chief Financial Officer of the County responsible for supervising the fiscal affairs of the County. They maintain the general ledger, accounting records, financial reporting, accounts payable, payroll and garnishments.

The District Attorney prosecutes crimes committed in the county and works closely with local, state and federal law enforcement to ensure the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania are upheld and that citizens are protected. The District Attorney has authority over criminal investigations and prosecutions in the county, the steps of which include preliminary hearings, pre-trial conferences, guilty pleas, trials and appeals.