(1) Creation of Commission. The Philadelphia Allied Action Commission is hereby created as an agency in the City of Philadelphia. The Commission shall be composed of thirty-five (35) members who shall serve without compensation, and its functions shall be to plan and administer the anti-poverty programs in the City and otherwise perform the duties of a "community action board" under the United States "Economic Opportunity Act of 1964," as amended.^[16]

(2) Composition of Commission. The Mayor shall appoint the following persons as members of the Philadelphia Allied Action Commission:

(a) The Mayor of the City of Philadelphia or his designee;

(b) The President of the City Council or his designee;

(c) The Minority Leader of the City Council or his designee; or a Council member of the Minority Party;

(d) The Finance Director of the City of Philadelphia or his designee;

(e) The President Judge of the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County or his designee;

(f) The President of the Board of Education or his designee;

(g) Six persons selected by the Mayor of the City of Philadelphia who may be City officials or private citizens of the community;

(h) One member selected by each of the following designated Philadelphia Community organizations:

(.1) Delaware Valley Settlement Alliance;

(.2) Federation of Jewish Agencies of Greater Philadelphia;

(.3) Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce;

(.4) Olde Philadelphia Development Corporation;

(.5) Health and Welfare Council, Incorporated;

(.6) A committee of the Philadelphia chapter presidents, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People;

(.7) Philadelphia AFL-CIO Council;

(.8) Greater Philadelphia Council of Churches;

(.9) Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia;

(.10) Urban League of Philadelphia;

(.11) Council for Spanish Speaking Organizations.

In the event that any named organization shall decline to name a representative or be unable to do so, the Mayor shall designate with the approval of City Council a successor organization of generally similar character, which shall thereupon be entitled to select a member for appointment to the Commission.

(i) One elected representative from each of the twelve (12) geographical areas of the City designated by the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare as poverty areas who is a resident thereof. Such representatives shall be elected by a Subsidiary Board in each such area, provided the Subsidiary Board members, not to exceed twelve (12) in number were themselves elected by the residents of the area in direct elections held not more than 24 months prior to the Board’s election of a Commission representative. The Commission may impose such other requirements upon Subsidiary Boards as it may deem necessary to establish qualification to elect a Commission member. Compliance with such conditions, established to the satisfaction of the Commission, shall be a prerequisite to Board election of a Commission representative. In the event that any area lacks a Commission recognized Subsidiary Board, the Commission member for the area shall be selected by the residents thereof in direct elections.

(3) Commission Officers. The members of the Commission shall select a chairman and such other officers as they may deem appropriate from among themselves. Officers shall serve for one year and shall have such duties as the Commission may from time to time designate.

(4) Terms of Office. Unless otherwise disqualified from service by Federal regulations, members selected by designated community organization or elected to represent the residents shall serve for a term of two years and may succeed themselves, provided that such persons shall not serve more than two consecutive terms. Members selected by the Mayor shall serve at the pleasure of the Mayor.

(5) Vacancies. Any vacancies arising in the Commission shall be filled in the same manner in which the member who created the vacancy was appointed.


(6) Executive Director.

(a) The Mayor shall select an Executive Director from among a list of three persons whose names are submitted to the Mayor by the Commission. The Mayor shall be at liberty to request the Commission to present to the Mayor additional panels of three persons from which he may select an Executive Director. The request of the Mayor for additional panels shall not preclude him from selecting a name from among the prior panels.

(b) The Executive Director shall exercise the powers and perform the duties vested in him by the Commission.

(c) Upon authorization of the Managing Director of the City of Philadelphia, the Executive Director of the Commission shall on behalf of the City execute agreements relating to programs to be carried out by the Commission.

(7) Powers and Duties. The Commission shall have the following powers and duties:

(a) Consistent with the provisions of the Home Rule Charter, to appoint persons to staff positions upon recommendation of the Executive Director and to determine personnel policies consistent with Federal requirements;

(b) To recommend or to review and make recommendations to the Managing Director concerning proposals to be made in the name of and by the City of Philadelphia for Federal or State financial assistance to anti-poverty programs;

(c) To conduct, administer and carry out community action programs of the City with maximum feasible participation of residents of the areas and members of the groups served;

(d) To mobilize the resources of the City of Philadelphia and its residents to combat poverty through a community action program;

(e) To mobilize and utilize resources, public and private, in an attack on poverty;

(f) To provide, as programs of the City may call for, services, assistance and other activities of sufficient scope and size to give promise or progress through elimination of poverty or a cause or causes of poverty through developing employment opportunities, improving human performance, motivation, productivity or bettering conditions under which people live, learn and work;

(g) To cooperate with Federal, State and other local governments and with private agencies in the conduct, administration and coordination of community action programs;

(h) To adopt rules and regulations for the establishment of Subsidiary Boards in the City’s twelve (12) poverty areas and based on such rules and regulations and cause shown, to grant, deny or terminate recognition of a community council in such areas as Subsidiary Boards, provided that recognition of a community council as a Subsidiary board shall not be terminated except upon at least a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the entire Commission.

(8) Commission Meetings; Executive Committee. The Commission shall meet regularly at least once in each calendar quarter of a year and upon such other occasions as the chairman may designate upon at least ten (10) days notice to all members. The Commission may establish an executive committee thereof, representative of the Commission membership, to oversee implementation of Commission programs and policies, provided that such executive committee shall not be empowered to exercise the powers or perform the duties entrusted to the Commission by this ordinance or the "Economic Opportunity Act of 1964," as amended.

(9) Commission Action. The Commission shall act only at meetings which are open to the public, called upon such notice to its members and the public as may now or hereafter be required by the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Home Rule Charter and Ordinances of the City of Philadelphia, and at which a quorum, which shall be not less than eighteen (18) members, is in attendance. Commission action shall be by vote of a majority of its members present and voting.^[17]