Court Opinion

ID: 9702252
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-25 23:03:48.980443+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:21:35.667270
License: Public Domain

Dissenting Opinion by
President Judge Crumlish, Jr-:
I respectfully dissent because I believe Rollins’ demurrer should be sustained.
Article 9, §2 of our Commonwealth’s Constitution gives municipalities the authority to frame and adopt home rule charters and to exercise any power or perform any function not limited by the Constitution, charter or the General Assembly. Section 2.2-104 of Philadelphia’s Home Rule Charter directs City Council to adopt rules providing for its own organization.
Like the majority, I do not believe this Court “is at liberty to inquire into the validity of Council’s internal operating rules in the absence of any challenge to them. . . .” Majority, slip op. at 12. The appellants’ original complaint alleged that the approving resolution is in*541valid and of no effect because the Council president did not follow these rules when he caused it to be adopted. Complaint, paragraphs 21 to 23.
To this Rollins demurs, stating: “The Rules of City Council, upon which plaintiffs rely exclusively to establish their alleged right to relief, preclude any court challenge to the existence of a quorum when Resolution No. 534 was approved.” Demurrer, paragraph 1R.
I would agree. Council rules provide the means for challenging the lack of a quorum. Nowhere did the appellants aver that they have exhausted these remedies. To permit a court to inquire into allegations of voting irregularities, before a complainant establishes that he has no other recourse, is to invite a floodgate of litigation occasioned by every instance when a dissatisfied Council member chooses to challenge an enactment on the basis of a procedural infraction. This is especially true in cases of Council resolutions, which are not limited by the strict voting requirements of legislative ordinances. The Court should refrain from entertaining such challenges when internal procedural remedies exist.
Council rules provide for notice of bills to be considered and for summoning absent members. I do not condone rules which require a Council member to be present in order to object to the lack of a quorum. However, I don’t believe this Court should question the validity of those rules when that issue is simply not before us.