Corbett Administration Files Petition to Appoint Receiver for Harrisburg

HARRISBURG, Pa., Nov. 18, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Secretary C. Alan Walker, under the direction of Governor Tom Corbett, filed a petition today with the Commonwealth Court to appoint David Unkovic as the receiver for the distressed City of Harrisburg.

"The city's failure to come to an agreement on an acceptable recovery plan has forced the commonwealth to take this action," Corbett said. "As more time goes by without action, the city's financial situation continues to get worse. With his more than 30 years of experience in public finance, I have the utmost confidence in David Unkovic's ability to develop and implement solutions that will address the city's fiscal difficulties and mounting debt."

Mr. Unkovic has more than 30 years of experience in public finance, primarily as bond counsel on tax-exempt financings for Pennsylvania local governments, authorities, school districts and nonprofit corporations. Unkovic earned his law degree from Harvard Law School and his undergraduate degree in political science, summa cum laude, from the University of Pennsylvania. He has been named a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer by Law & Politics in the area of Bonds and Government Finance.

The commonwealth will also retain the services of McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP, a firm based in Washington, D.C., which was selected because of the expertise and experience of its Municipal Recovery & Restructuring group. The group specializes in the areas of public finance, insolvency, tax, public policy, public-private partnerships, employee benefits and labor, government contracting, government affairs and governance – all important areas that will be addressed in the recovery plan. The firm will also work with the forensic consultants hired by the Harrisburg Authority, to review the incinerator financings.

The governor is authorized by the provisions of Act 47, as amended by Senate Bill 1151, to direct the DCED Secretary to file a petition in Commonwealth Court to appoint a receiver following the declaration of fiscal emergency in a distressed third-class city. Governor Corbett, on Nov. 16, directed Secretary Walker to file a petition with the Commonwealth Court.

The Commonwealth Court is required to hold a hearing within 15 days of the filing and will have 60 days from the date the petition was filed to make a determination. The determination will be based on three main criteria: 30 days have passed since the declaration of fiscal emergency; the governing body of the distressed city has failed to adopt an ordinance to enact an acceptable fiscal recovery plan; and a fiscal emergency continues to exist.

Once appointed, the receiver is tasked with developing and submitting a fiscal recovery plan to the Commonwealth Court, DCED Secretary, city council and the mayor within 30 days of being appointed.  The court must conduct a hearing on the recovery plan within 30 days of receipt of the receiver's plan and confirm a plan within 60 days of receipt.  

When a plan is confirmed by the court, a four-member advisory committee will be established that will include the mayor and city council president of Harrisburg, an appointee of the Dauphin County commissioners and an appointee of the governor. The advisory committee will meet with the receiver at least twice a month and will be consulted by the receiver before exercising certain powers and duties.

During receivership, the city's governing body and authorities will continue to carry out the duties of their respective offices as long as no decision or action conflicts with the receiver's fiscal recovery plan. The receiver may petition the Commonwealth Court to issue a writ of mandamus if the authorities and elected officials of Harrisburg fail to undertake the actions of the recovery plan.

For more information about McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP, visit mckennalong.com.

For more information on Act 47, visit newPA.com or call 1-866-466-3972.

Media contact:  Steven Kratz, DCED; 717-783-1132

Editor's Note: Biographies of the representatives of McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP:

Thurbert Baker, Partner: General Baker served as the attorney general for the State of Georgia for 13 years where he wrote and advocated for Georgia's groundbreaking mortgage fraud statute, the first such law in the nation, through the General Assembly. General Baker focuses on corporate compliance and investigations, public policy and regulatory affairs, multi-state litigation, public sector procurements and regulatory matters. Specifically, General Baker will review, in cooperation with the forensic consultants retained by the Harrisburg Authority, the financings of the incinerator.

Anthony A. Williams, Senior Strategic Advisor and Independent Consultant:

Mayor Anthony A. Williams served as the fourth mayor of Washington, D.C. from 1999 to 2007. During his two terms, he was widely credited with leading the District's financial comeback and improving the performance of its government agencies, all while lowering taxes and investing in infrastructure and human services. Prior to his election, he was the independent chief financial officer of the District, working with and on behalf of local officials, the D.C. Financial Control Board, and the U.S. Congress.

Stephen Goldsmith, Senior Strategic Advisor and Independent Consultant:

Mayor Stephen Goldsmith served two terms as mayor of Indianapolis, where he earned a reputation as one of the country's leaders in public-private partnerships, competition, and privatization. Mayor Goldsmith was also the deputy mayor for operations for New York City, where he was responsible for overseeing the New York Police and Fire Departments and the Departments of Transportation and Sanitation, in addition to other key city agencies. As mayor, he conducted more than 80 public-private competitions, which resulted in savings of more than $400 million, investment in infrastructure of more than $1 billion, and a transformation of downtown Indianapolis that has been singled out as a national model.

Hakim Hilliard, Partner:

Hakim Hilliard served as an Assistant City Attorney for the City of Atlanta, providing counsel to the mayor, city council and various city departments. Mr. Hilliard has assisted in the development of a variety of projects such as mixed use communities, residential subdivisions, industrial parks, waste transfer stations, schools, universities, and other public facilities. He has worked on behalf of developers, landowners, brokers, lenders and local governments in all aspects of land development. Mr. Hilliard concentrates his practice in state and local government law, specifically in the areas of land use and zoning, police licensing and permitting, economic development incentives, legislative action and procurement.

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development