Solicitor
The Franklin County Solicitor’s Office, under Pennsylvania’s County Code, renders legal advice required by the commissioners and any other department or agency of the county which does not have its own solicitor or special counsel and includes not only the commencement and prosecution of all suits brought on behalf of the county, but the defense of actions or suits brought against the county.
The Franklin County Solicitor’s Office consists of the county solicitor and an assistant solicitor. Both are required to be attorneys at law and admitted to practice in the Courts of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The solicitor’s office may utilize special counsel in certain specialized areas, when necessary. It should be noted that under County Code, each row office has its own solicitor. When the matter involves insurance coverage, the insurance company provides a defense budgeted through risk management; however, the solicitor’s office supervises the litigation.
Generally, the solicitor’s office handles the following matters:
- Coordinating all legal matters with the courts, row offices and boards and authorities;
- Providing legal advice to division leaders and heads of all county departments, boards and bureaus;
- Defending all actions or suits brought against the county and rendering all legal advice incident to county government that may be required of him/her by the county commissioners;
- Reviewing and approving the legality of county policies;
- Providing legal advice on property issues, tax assessment appeals and Right to Know requests;
- Evaluating and resolving legal issues related to state and federal grants, funding and reimbursement or county programs;
- Interpreting acts, laws and other laws for various county departments;
- General supervision of all contractual matters involving the county and approval for legality thereof;
- Drafting and/or reviewing and approving for legality ordinances, resolutions, contracts and opinions;
- Reviewing financial matters requiring legal advice, opinion or interpretation;
- Advising the county on election matters;
- Advising the county tax claim bureau