1. Q: What are the Financial Disclosure Forms?
A: Each year, certain City officials and employees are required to make disclosures about their income and other financial interests, in an effort to ensure that their official actions do not raise potential conflicts between the public’s interests and their personal financial interests. The purpose of financial disclosure is to promote transparency in government. There are three separate Financial Disclosure Forms:
(1) The City of Philadelphia Statement of Financial Interests (“City Form”), a one-page form;
(2) The Mayor’s Executive Order Financial Disclosure Statement (“Mayor’s Form”), a 3-page form; and
(3) The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Statement of Financial Interests (“State Form”), a one-page form with a yellow and white copies with carbon paper [unless you download it from the website] that has the State seal on the instructions cover page.
2. Q: Do I have to file any Financial Disclosure Statements?
A: Not every City employee must file Financial Disclosure Forms. The City Form has a cover page of instructions, which includes a list of the positions that must file the City Form. Similarly, the Mayor’s Form has a list of instructions that list the officers within the Administration who must file that form. Determining who must file the State Financial Disclosure Form requires a consideration of your job duties. All departments have been provided with a summary of the criteria for determining who must file the State Form. Some officials and employees may only have to file the State Form, while others may have to file the State and City Forms, or all three (State, City and Mayor’s) Forms.
3. Q: What is the deadline for filing the Financial Disclosure Forms?
A: Financial Disclosure Forms must be filed by 5:00 PM on May 1 of each year (except in years when May 1 falls on a weekend).
4. Q: Where do I file my form?
A: All forms, including the State Form, are filed in the same place: The Records Department in Room 156 City Hall.
5. Q. Is my financial disclosure reporting complete when I submit information using the on-line electronic system?
A: No. To file, you must take the additional steps of printing, signing, and filing the report(s) by 5:00 p.m. on May 1st at the Records Department in City Hall, Room 156. You may also mail the report(s) for receipt by May 1st to: Financial Disclosure Statements, Department of Records, City Hall, Room 156, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107. Do not forget to sign your disclosure form(s).
6. Q. Is it beneficial to use the on-line electronic system if I still have to sign and file a paper
report or reports?
A: There are several key advantages to using the on-line Financial Disclosure Website:
• You only have to enter information once and, if you are required to file more than one financial disclosure form, it will appear on all the forms you must file.
• Data is automatically placed in the correct section of each form.
• Overflow pages are automatically created.
• You can import information from an Excel spreadsheet.
• You can save your information which can be copied into amended forms or next year’s forms.
• You can preview and print your financial disclosure forms.
7. Q. How can I access the on-line electronic financial disclosure system?
A: The system is available at http://fds.phila-records.com/FDS.
8. Q. Do I have to give a copy of my form to my supervisor?
A: Yes, Mayor’s Executive Order No. 1-90 requires all City employees in the administrative branch to provide their supervisor with a copy of their form (this requirement does not apply to employees and officials in the independently elected offices). Supervisors are required to review forms for completeness, timely filing, and to identify any apparent conflicts of interest.
9. Q. What if I have questions about how to complete a particular line on the form?
A: If you still have questions, you may call or e-mail the Board's General Counsel, Evan Meyer, at (215) 686-9450; e-mail: evan.meyer@phila.gov. .
10. Q. If I have no information to report on a section of the form, should I just leave the space
blank?
A: No. Whether you are using the on-line electronic system or preparing your report on paper, be sure to check the box marked “none” if you have nothing to report on a particular line.
11. Q. Why do I have to file the State Form, if I wasn’t given it last year?
A: It is important to keep in mind that the requirement to file the form is a requirement of state law and it is a violation for any employee identified in that statute to fail to file, even if the individual’s government failed to provide him or her with a form or failed to include them on a list of required filers.
12. Q. Where do I get a form?
A: Your HR manager should have forms. Forms may also be downloaded from the Board of Ethics web site at the following link: http://www.phila.gov/ethicsboard/financialdisclosure.html. The Forms are also available on the CityNet home page. See “Financial Disclosure Forms” under Highlights. Make sure you have the correct form and that you download both the form and the instructions.
13. Q. Is it really legal for the government to require me to disclose my finances?
A: Yes. These requirements have existed for at least 20 years, and every year hundreds of City officials comply. Numerous court opinions have held that governmental employers may permissibly impose ethical requirements on their employees. If you wish formal legal advice or to challenge the application of the law to you, you may contact the Law Department or the State Ethics Commission.
14. Q. If a judge has been appointed to a City board or commission, is he or she required to file
any financial disclosure statements?
A: No.
15. Q. I am a City department head and also serve on a City board. Should I file a separate City
form for each position I hold?
A: No. Because of the positions you hold, you are required to file the State, City, and Mayoral financial disclosure forms and to report both positions on each form.
16. Q. Must I report the City of Philadelphia as a source of income on my disclosure statement?
A: Yes. Regardless of the position you hold, you must report the City of Philadelphia as a source of income. If you received less than $500 from the City during the year or are an unpaid member of a board or commission, you do not have to report the City as a source of income.
17. Q. I own a lot of stocks. Do I have to list the name and address of each company that paid me a dividend?
A: Yes, if the amount from that company exceeds the threshold amount. Please read the instructions carefully. Note that the instructions may differ for different Forms. Income means gross income.
18. Q. Must I disclose as a real estate interest that I own a vacation home in Florida?
A: Mere ownership of the home in Florida is not reported. The City and State forms require reporting only if a real estate interest was involved in a transaction with the City or State. However, income and/or gains received from a property in an amount over the applicable reporting threshold are required to be reported.
19. Q. Must I use my home address on the financial disclosure reports?
A: You are not required to use your home address, and you may use your work address.
20. Q. When reporting creditor information, must I report the amount I owe?
A: On the City and State Forms, you must report the creditor’s name and address and interest rate, but not the amount of the debt. Information is required to be reported for debts in excess of $5,000 on the City Form and for debts in excess of $6,500 on the State Form.
21. Q. Must I include the mortgage on my home as part of the creditor information?
A: You may exclude some mortgage information, but there is a difference between the requirements of the State and City forms. On the City form, you do not have to report the mortgage on your “principal residence.” On the State form, you do not have to report the mortgage on “your home (or secondary home).”
22. Q. Are my disclosure forms available to the public?
A: Filed forms are public information, and paper copies of forms may be viewed in the Department of Records by any citizen. However, the information in the electronic reporting database is not available to be accessed electronically by the public.
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