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Council requests solicitor opinion after debate over who may sign borough contracts
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Summary
Councillors debated whether department directors or other staff may sign legal and binding borough contracts, and asked the solicitor to clarify signature authority and thresholds after citing a past unauthorized large contract.
West Chester councilors raised questions Jan. 14 about who is authorized to sign borough contracts after residents and members asked for clarity about recent program agreements.
Council discussion focused on Section 502 of the borough administrative code and the allocation of signature authority. Several councilors said they want written guidance and a solicitor opinion about which contracts require the borough manager's signature and which may be signed by delegated staff or department directors. One councilor cited a prior incident in which an employee signed a construction agreement that later exceeded $1 million and said that experience counsels caution.
Councilors suggested a practical threshold approach: contracts over a specified dollar amount should require the borough manager's review and signature, while lower-dollar routine agreements could be signed at the department level with manager awareness. Council asked the solicitor to review the administrative code and return with recommended signature authority language and an approval matrix. The council did not adopt a new policy at the work session.
