Philadelphia Row Offices

Row offices are the elected offices in Philadelphia that exist outside the mayor's chain of command. The term comes from the practice of listing county offices in a row on the ballot or in county buildings. In Philadelphia, which consolidated city and county in 1854 (see City-County Consolidation), the remaining row offices are the City Controller, the District Attorney, the Sheriff, the City Commissioners and the Register of Wills.^[1]

1 What makes an office a row office

Each row office has an independent electoral mandate. The officeholder is chosen by citywide vote in the municipal cycle, is not appointed or removable by the mayor, and hires and manages their own staff, though the budget is appropriated by City Council as part of the city budget. Some offices have duties assigned by state law (the Sheriff's court functions, the District Attorney's prosecutions), while others derive from the Home Rule Charter.

2 The five offices

• City Controller: the city's independent auditor and a pre-audit check on payments. Christy Brady, elected in 2023 and re-elected in 2025.
• District Attorney: prosecutes crimes in Philadelphia. Larry Krasner, elected in 2017 and re-elected in 2021 and 2025.
• Sheriff: serves court papers, runs sheriff sales, transports prisoners and provides court security. Rochelle Bilal, elected in 2019 and re-elected in 2023.
• City Commissioners: a three-member board that runs elections and voter registration. Omar Sabir (chair), Lisa Deeley, and Seth Bluestein as of 2026.
• Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans' Court: probates wills and issues marriage licenses. John Sabatina Jr., elected in 2023.

Other former county functions, such as recording deeds, are now handled by city departments (see Department of Records).

3 Elections and budgets

Row offices are on the ballot in off-year municipal elections, with the Controller and District Attorney elected in 2025 and the Sheriff, City Commissioners and Register of Wills in 2023 and 2027. Their budgets are part of the city's operating budget, appropriated by Council.^[2] See Elections in Philadelphia and Philadelphia City Budget Process.

4 Accountability

Because row officers answer only to voters, oversight comes through elections, Council budget hearings, courts, the Board of Ethics and the Inspector General, and in some cases state and federal investigators. The Controller audits other row offices as well as city departments. In August 2026 a judge imposed six months of outside supervision over the Sheriff's Office's property auctions, and in October 2026 the Inquirer reported that the office had told the judge it found about $20 million in city money (see Philadelphia Sheriff's Office).

5 Reform debates

Civic groups have long debated whether some row offices should be elected at all. Arguments for appointment include professional management and clearer accountability to the mayor; arguments against include loss of independence, particularly for auditing and prosecution. Changing the structure of offices named in the Charter would require voter-approved amendments (see Ballot Questions and Charter Changes), while changes to duties set by state law would require the General Assembly.

See also: How Philadelphia Government Is Organized, Civil Service Commission, Philadelphia Overview.

References

1. Billy Penn, "How Philly works: a look at the city's governance," December 1, 2025.
2. Philadelphia Inquirer, "Philly judge imposes six months of outside supervision for sheriff's auctions" (August 26, 2026), and "Philly sheriff's office reneges on court-supervision deal, tells judge it found $20 million in city money" (October 1, 2026); WHYY, "Philadelphia 2025 election results."
3. Philadelphia Home Rule Charter; Pennsylvania Constitution, Article IX.