What is codification?

Municipal laws are known as ordinances, and in some cases they can become disorganized, outdated and even contradictory.

Codification is the process of organizing a municipality’s ordinances into a logical structure that is easier to understand and reference, with chapters and sections.

For instance, Concord Township in Delaware County recently approved codification of its ordinances, with an enacting ordinance that laid out the various guidelines for the process, like updating old references to the “board of supervisors” to “council,” which is the new legislative body since the township passed a home rule charter.

If you examine a municipality’s online code, you will often see a section marked “New Laws” — these are typically laws enacted after the most recent codification.