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Pennsylvania Secretary of State
| Pennsylvania Secretary of the Commonwealth | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Office Type: | Partisan |
| Office website: | Official Link |
| 2012-2013 FY Budget: | $9,109,000 |
| Term limits: | None |
| Structure | |
| Authority: | Pennsylvania Constitution, Article VI, Section 1 |
| Selection Method: | Appointed by Governor |
| Current Officeholder | |
 | |
| Name: | Carol Aichele |
| Officeholder Party: | Republican |
| Assumed office: | April 26, 2011 |
| Compensation: | $131,992 |
| Other Pennsylvania Executive Offices | |
| Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Treasurer • Auditor • Superintendent of Education • Agriculture Commissioner • Insurance Commissioner • Natural Resources Commissioner • Labor Commissioner • Public Service Commission | |
Contents |
Current officeholder
The current officeholder is Carol Aichele. She was nominated to the position by Governor Tom Corbett in January of 2011, replacing Basil L. Merenda, who filled the vacancy created when former secretary of commonwealth Pedro A. Cortés resigned to become executive vice president of Everyone Counts.
Authority
Article VI, Section 1 of the Pennsylvania Constitution provides for the creation of additional state offices not otherwise established by the constitution:
| All officers, whose selection is not provided for in this Constitution, shall be elected or appointed as may be directed by law. |
Qualifications
There are no specific qualifications for this office.
Appointments
The Office of Secretary of State is a position that is filled via appointment by the governor with the consent of the state legislature.
Term limits
There are no term limits imposed on the secretary of the commonwealth.
Vacancies
In the event of a vacancy, the governor nominates a successor who must be confirmed by the Pennsylvania state senate before assuming office.
Duties
The department protects the public's health, safety and welfare by licensing more than one million business, health and real estate professionals; maintaining registration and financial information for thousands of charities soliciting contributions from Pennsylvanians; overseeing Pennsylvania's electoral process; maintaining corporate filings; and sanctioning professional boxing, kick-boxing and wrestling in the Commonwealth. The secretary is the keeper of the Great Seal of the Commonwealth and has the duty of authenticating government documents through the seal's use. The secretary is also the Commonwealth's Chief Election Official.
By statute, the secretary is a member of the following boards and commissions:
- Chairman of the Pennsylvania Election Reform Task Force
- Chairman of the Navigation Commission for the Delaware River and its Navigable Tributaries
- The Board of Finance and Revenue
- The Board of Property
- The Pennsylvania Municipal Retirement Board
- The State Athletic Commission
- The Interbranch Commission for Gender, Racial and Ethnic Fairness
- The Lobbying Disclosure Regulations Committee
Divisions
The Department of State consists of five bureaus:
Bureau of Charitable Organizations
The Bureau of Charitable Organizations maintains registration and financial records for more than 11,000 charities currently soliciting in Pennsylvania and 400 professional solicitors and fundraising counsels. The bureau is also responsible for administering the state charitable solicitation law.[1]
| Contact the Bureau of Charitable Organizations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
Bureau of Commissions, Elections, and Legislation
The Bureau of Commissions, Elections, and Legislation is responsible for the electoral process of the commonwealth, including campaign finance, voter registration, and lobbying disclosure. The office also regulates notaries public.
| Contact Commissions, Elections, and Legislation | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs
The Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs "provides administrative and legal support to 29 professional and occupational licensing boards and commissions," ranging from "physicians and cosmetologists to accountants and funeral directors."[2]
| Contact Professional and Occupational Affairs | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
Corporation Bureau
The Corporation Bureau maintains records for the more than 2.6 million companies that conduct business in the commonwealth. It is also the central filing office for Uniform Commercial Code statements.
| Contact Corporation Bureau | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
State Athletic Commission
The State Athletic Commission licenses over 900 professional boxers, mixed martial artists, kickboxers, and wrestlers. The commission also regulates events for these sports.
| Contact the State Athletic Commission | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
State budget
The budget for the Department of State in Fiscal Year 2012-2013 was $9,109,000.[3]
Compensation
- See also: Compensation of state executive officers
2012
In 2012, the secretary of state was paid an estimated $131,992. This figure comes from the Council of State Governments.
2010
In 2010, the Pennsylvania Secretary of the Commonwealth was paid an estimated $125,939 according to the Sunshine Review[4]
Contact information
Capitol Address:
302 North Office Building
Harrisburg, PA 17120
Phone: (717) 787-6458
Fax: (717) 787-1734
E-mail: Webmaster
See also
- Carol Aichele, current Secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
- Pedro A. Cortés, former Secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
- Governor of Pennsylvania
- Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania
- Attorney General of Pennsylvania
- Pennsylvania Constitution
External links
- Office of the Pennsylvania Secretary of State
- About the organization of the office of the Pennsylvania Secretary of State
- History of the office of the Pennsylvania Secretary of State
- Wikipedia, Pennsylvania Secretary of State
Portions of this article were adapted from Wikipedia.
References
- ↑ Pennsylvania Department of State, "Bureau of charitable organizations," June 1, 2011
- ↑ Pennsylvania Department of State, "Bureau of professional and occupational affairs," June 1, 2011
- ↑ Pennsylvania Budget Office, "2012-13 Enacted Budget - Act 9A," accessed April 10, 2013
- ↑ The Sunshine Review, "Pennsylvania state government salary," June 1, 2011
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