The law provides rules, guidance
Pennsylvania law sets rules for government purchases, appointments to boards, the interaction between former government officials and governments in which they served, campaign finance and management of conflicts of interest and undue influence issues . In some cases, different types of governmental entities are governed by different rules with modesty and self-government bodies may enact their own regulations. In general, the rules are:
Acquisitions: Governments – including counties, municipalities, schools and authorities – look no tenders or quotations before purchasing goods and services costing less than $ 4,000. Before entering into a contract for payment between $ 4,000 and $ 10,000, governments first need to search multiple price quotes by phone.
For contracts valued at more than 10. $ 000, governments should promote the opportunity, take the offers and choose the lowest responsible bidder, with some exceptions. Governments do not have to seek competitive bids before entering into insurance contracts, patented or copyrighted materials available only from a single source, textbooks and personal or professional services, among other exceptions. Governments can take advantage of contracts from other governments, provided they are legally tendered. Source: Pennsylvania Legislator Municipal Deskbook, citing various provisions of the Municipal Code
Appointments: Governments may appoint any person to the board of a municipal authority related, as long as most board members are residents of the municipality or municipalities the authority. All board members should be the taxpayers, business operators and citizens of the municipality or service area of authority. Once seated, the board members can not participate in any contract with such authority. Source: Municipal Authorities Act
Revolving Door Rule: No one who has left a government agency may be paid to act on behalf of another person before the body a year after leaving that body. Barred during this period of reflection is any personal appearance, negotiation, lobbying, or the submission of bids or proposals for contracts for government agency. Lawyers are exempted from this rule. Source: Public Officials, Law and Employee Ethics
Conflicts of interest: Public employees can not use his office or employment or any confidential information received through that office or employment for private gain, pecuniary themselves, their immediate families, or companies with which they or their immediate families are partners. Source: Public Officials, Law and Employee Ethics
Improper influence: No person shall offer, or any public officer or employee accept a gift, loan, political contribution, reward, promise of future employment or any other thing of monetary value on the understanding that a vote, official action or ruling of the official or employee would be influenced by it. Source: Public Officials, Law and Employee Ethics
Campaign contributions: Businesses, organizations or national state banks and unincorporated (including trade unions) can not make direct contributions to the campaign. Individuals, associations and political action committees – including those created by and for members of corporations, banks and unincorporated entities – can make unlimited campaign donations, which must be publicly reported by campaign committees if are in amounts above $ 50 as well as in-kind contributions. Municipalities can enact contribution limits, such as Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. Personal volunteer services provided by individuals to campaigns are not limited, nor should they be reported.