Special Referendum On Horsham Primary Election Ballot

HORSHAM TOWNSHIP, PA — They want you to vote YES.

Horsham Township officials are asking residents to go out to the polls in the May 19 primary election and approve an update to the township's Home Rule charter.

The township has gotten the special question on the ballot for the primary election.

Township officials said the current charter was written in 1974 and adopted on Jan. 6, 1975.

Over the last 51 years, state and federal laws and case law have overridden some sections, township officials said.

In 2024 township staff recommended updating the charter, and it received bipartisan approval.

However, some other matters took priority, and the referendum was delayed until now, officials said.

Officials said the update would modernize an outdated document, strengthen transparency, and reflect current laws.

There are no additions except for term limits allowing an elected official to serve only two terms (eight years).

There are a total of eight updates that are proposed, including: gender-neutral pronouns rather than using ‘man’ throughout the charter, aligning advertising requirements with state law, allowing more transparency, making obsolete taxation align with the state taxing laws, and changing the term ‘District Justice’ to ‘Magisterial District Judge’; as well as a few others.

Click here to view Horsham Township Home Rule Charter

(Horsham Township)