The EIT Study Group Meets To Hear From Experts, Public

With two meetings down and three to go, T/E’s Tax Study Group members are digging deeper into the questions surrounding an Earned Income Tax (EIT). The Study Group is made of up volunteers from the public. Its recommendation will be weighed by the School Board, and ultimately by the voters who will decide whether or not to support using an EIT to help fund the school district in combination with property taxes.

The Tax Study Group has been briefed by Dr. Dave Davare, of the Pennsylvania School Board Assocication, guided by Art McDonnell, the district’s business manager and Board Secretary, and advised by the board’s Vice President Betsy Fadem.

In addition to the township’s fiscal, demographic, land assessment, and tax data, the Study Group has asked for and received supplemental information, including the TE District’s 2011-2012 budget summary and projections, TE’s tax rate and appeal history, past presentations on the possibility of an EIT, including a Tax Study Commission report from 2006, district aid ratios and state wide standings, enrollment numbers and even the percentage of students who receive free lunch.

They’ve listened to one or two citizens. The resident turnout has been minimal, to say the least.

At the third meeting, scheduled for Thursday, September 22, the panel was expecting to listen to local sources in order to get their opinions and perspectives on the issue at hand. At this week's meeting, members were to host four different speakers. Each was scheduled to speak for 15 minutes on their area of expertise and how it relates to the EIT, after which, there would be 5 minutes of Q&A.

This week’s scheduled speakers include the VP of Marketing Prudential Fox & Roach, Steve Stori, President and CEO of the Main Line Chamber of Commerce Bernie Dagenais, Vanguard's Bill McNabb, and Jim Hannah a local CPA.

The speakers were asked to shed some light on the subject of an EIT, from within their own niches. Tredyffrin has been looking to the Main Line Chamber of Commerce on many levels lately, all pertaining to economic growth and development within the region. 

President and CEO of the Main Line Chamber of Commerce, Bernie Dagenais is still on his own fact-finding mission for the presentation, he said during a brief phone interview.

“My goal is to provide an economic and business perspective, said Dagenais, “The pros and cons tied to the EIT creation.”