A BRIEF HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIAS BOARD OF

COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
In 2012, Anthony Clark became the first African American
City Commissioner Chairman of Philadelphia since the office
was created in 1711. He is also the first African American to
certify the election of the first African American President of
the United States, Barack Obama, in Philadelphia.
The board of county commissioners constitutes the most
important administrative body in county government. In
addition to their duties related to administration, the
Anthony Clark
City Commissioner
Chairman

commissioners are also fiscal managers and have certain

policy-making powers. Their myriad responsibilities make
them the most powerful officers in the county.

When the office was originally created by statute in 1711, the commissioners were
initially charged with taking over some of the taxation functions from the county courts,
each of the three original Pennsylvania counties of Bucks, Chester and Philadelphia
had three commissioners who were appointed by the Assembly to serve until the next
session. Before 1722, appointed commissioners were provided for by statute with the
number varying between three and five. In 1722 and 1725, statutes were passed which
made the office permanent and provided for three commissioners in each county who
served three-year terms. The county commissioners were mentioned in the 1776
Constitution, but it was not until the adoption of the 1873 Constitution that the office
achieved full constitutional status, an amendment of 1909 increased their terms of office
from three to four years. The three commissioners now serve simultaneous terms with
minority representation guaranteed.
Anthony Clark, City Commissioner, Chairman who oversees the Philadelphia elections
has always been able to find the common ground to work for the greater good of the
citizens of Philadelphia in preparing for election day.
In 2012, Commissioner Clark became a partner with other elected officials and,
coalitions to fight against the Commonwealths Voter ID law (HB 934).
In 2013, Commissioner Clark introduced a placard that prominently displays the Ward
and Division number at every polling place. This was to help voters identify which table
they should go to without waiting to be directed, thereby, reducing voter confusion and

long lines. The measure was in response to the large number of confused voters trying
to find their correct divisions inside the polling place during the November 2012
Presidential Election.
City Commissioner Anthony Clark, in 2013, designed and published the Philadelphia
Public Guide on Election Information and Voter
Education. This book contains phone numbers and
addresses of all elected officials from federal, state and
local government. It also provides other critical
information not found in any other guides available in
the city of Philadelphia.
City Commissioner Clark proposed and voted at the
Sunshine Meeting on December 3, 2014, to expand the
City Commissioners website so that Philadelphia will
have the ability to download and see the ballot that
applies to his or her own ward and division to prepare
for Election Day.

Anthony Clark was a Deputy of Estates and Wills, and was

elected to State Committee in 1994. He also enjoys being
the Ward Leader of the 28th Ward for which he has served
for 20 years. Furthermore, he has been an elected

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City Commissioner Anthony Clarks voting record from
1977 to 2014 is 93%; voting 71 times out of 76 in 38
years.
Anthony Clark with Rosa
Parks Mother of the Civil
Rights Movement in 1996

In 2008, Clark voted for Barack Obama, the first African

American President of the United States. In 2012, he
became the first African American City Commissioner
Chairman to certify President Obamas election in
Philadelphia. He also voted in 2014 for Tom Wolf for
Governor.