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East Whiteland board previews November referendum to fund open‑space purchases
Summary
Assistant Township Manager Catherine Ricardo told the Board the township has $11.7 million in awarded and pending grants and introduced Ordinance No. 359 to place a Nov. 5 referendum before voters to allow a small earned‑income tax increase and a property‑tax levy to finance open‑space acquisition.
Assistant Township Manager Catherine Ricardo told the Board of Supervisors on Sept. 11 that East Whiteland has $11.7 million in awarded and pending grant funds and introduced Ordinance No. 359 of 2024, which would put a referendum on the Nov. 5 general election to fund open‑space acquisition.
If approved by voters, the referendum would allow an increase in the earned‑income tax not to exceed 0.05% and a property‑tax increase not to exceed 0.45 mills ($0.45 per $1,000 assessed value). Chair Scott Lambert said the measure is intended to help the township be more competitive in acquiring open space and cited the Shiffer property as an example of a parcel the township sought to preserve.
The ordinance cites the Open Space Lands Acquisition and Preservation Act (as amended by Act 153 of 1996, 32 P.S. §5001 et seq.) as the enabling authority for placing the question before registered township voters. The Board did not take a final vote on the ordinance at the Sept. 11 meeting; the item was presented as part of grant‑funding updates and will return on the agenda for further action ahead of the election. No revenue estimates beyond the statutory rate caps were provided at the meeting.
The township posted related project materials online; the Board did not set a formal public hearing or final adoption schedule in the Sept. 11 discussion. Residents seeking details on the proposed tax changes were directed to township materials and future meetings for additional analysis and timelines.
