Stratton v. Allegheny County

Citations

• 245 Pa. 519
• 91 A. 894
• 1914 Pa. LEXIS 910

Syllabus

<p>Constitutional law — Constitution of Pennsylvania — Article III, Sections 7 and SO — Act of April 18, 1918, P. L. 96 — Classification of cities and counties.</p> <p>1. The Act of April 18, 1913, P. L. 96, authorizing cities and counties wherein the county seat is within the limits of a city, to erect joint county and municipal buildings, is a general law and does not violate Article III, Section 7, of the Constitution, which provides that “the general assembly shall not pass any local or special law......regulating the affairs of counties, cities......nor shall any law be passed granting powers or privileges in any case where the granting of such powers and privileges shall have been provided for by general law, or where the courts have jurisdiction to grant the same or give the relief asked for,” nor does it violate Article III, Section 20, of the Constitution, which provides that the general assembly shall not delegate to any special commission, private corporation or association, any power to make, supervise or interfere with any municipal improvement.</p> <p>Municipalities — Contracts—Employment of architects — Increase of indebtedness.</p> <p>2. The provisions of the statutes requiring that contracts relating to city affairs shall be let after advertisement to the lowest responsible bidder, do not apply in the making of contracts for the employment of attorneys, physicians, engineers or others, involving professional skill. They ¿o not, therefore, apply to a contract by a city for the employment of an architect for the erection of a building, as an architect’s services involve professional skill, knowledge and judgment.</p> <p>3. Where a city has raised money by a bond issue for the construction of a municipal building, the making of a contract for the erection of such building cannot be construed as a further increase of indebtedness, where it does not appear that the money in hand will not be sufficient to answer all obligations imposed by the contract.</p