Financial Disclosure season is upon us yet again. Each year, about one third of City officers and employees are required to file an annual Statement of Financial Interests with the City and/or State by May 1st. Visit financial-disclosure.phila.gov and click “Log in with your phila.gov email address” to file electronically. If you do not have a phila.gov network account, your user name should be the email address where you received financial disclosure notifications. Contact FinancialDisclosures@phila.gov for technical assistance.
What is a Statement of Financial Interests?
A Statement of Financial Interests (also known as a financial disclosure form) is an annual filing obligation for a subset of City workers as determined by both City and State law. The City and State forms require the disclosure of specific personal financial information, including:
- Income sources and creditors;
- Gifts received, including paid transportation/food/lodging expenses;
- Real estate transactions with the government;
- Business interests; and
- Non-profit leadership roles.
These financial disclosures are designed to increase government transparency and integrity by revealing potential and actual conflicts of interest.
How do I know if I need to file? And which form do I need to complete?
State form: All City workers deemed “public officials” and “public employees” under Section 1104(a) of the Pennsylvania State Ethics Act must file the State form each year. The State Ethics Commission and City Law Department determine who in the City must file under State law. The Board of Ethics coordinates the filing of the State form and will communicate with City officers and employees about their filing obligations. It is therefore critical that everyone provide up-to-date contact information to their City departments, offices, or agencies. Note that missing a filing notification from the Board of Ethics does not relieve you of your obligation to file under law. Please reach out to FinancialDisclosures@phila.gov if you are unsure whether you need to file the State form.
City form: A smaller portion of high-level City officials must file the City form as well as the State form, per Section 20-610 of the Philadelphia Code and Board of Ethics Regulation No. 3. The Mayor may also designate additional City form filers. When filing electronically, City filers will complete both the City and State forms at the same time. The Board of Ethics and Office of the Chief Integrity Officer coordinate the filing of the City form and will communicate with City officers and employees about their filing obligations. As with the State form, it is therefore critical that everyone provide up-to-date contact information to their City departments, offices, or agencies. Note that missing a filing notification from the Board of Ethics or the Chief Integrity Officer does not relieve you of your obligation to file under law. Please reach out to FinancialDisclosures@phila.gov or integrity@phila.gov if you are unsure whether you need to file the City form.
Help! I don’t know how to fill out the financial disclosure forms!
No worries, we’ve got you! The Board of Ethics is hosting 45 minute Financial Disclosure Information Sessions over Zoom throughout the filing season. Information on dates and how to register can be found here. In addition, the check out the Board’s financial disclosure resources, such as FAQs and filing instructions, on the Board of Ethics website. You can also email FinancialDisclosures@phila.gov.
For City filers, you can also check out the Chief Integrity Officer’s “FD Power Hour!” The Integrity team will be available via Teams or in-person to guide you through the online filing process. Office hours are every Tuesday from 3-4pm until the May 1st filing deadline. Access virtual meetings here and attend in-person meetings at City Hall, Room 267. If you have any questions outside of office hours, feel free to email the Office of the Chief Integrity Officer at integrity@phila.gov.
Can I view past City financial disclosure filings?
City and State forms filed by select City officials since 2015 can be found on the Financial Disclosure Filing System (redacted to remove certain personal information). Click on the “Search” tab in the top left corner. Physical copies of the filings can also be found at the City’s Department of Records.
