Tredyffrin Charter Referendum Explained: Town's 1st Policy Changes In 50 Years Up For Vote

TREDYFFRIN, PA — As Congressional elections take center stage during the midterms, Tredyffrin residents will vote on whether to update the township's home rule charter for the first time in 50 years.

Tredyffrin is one of Pennsylvania's many "home rule" municipalities. Each of these cities and towns have a charter that guides certain local laws, such as government structure and procedures.

The charter must be approved in a referendum. This election, Tredyffrin residents will vote on whether to update the township's charter for the first time since the 1970s.

Local officials say the current charter has a strong foundation, but the outdated language and updates in modern technology make some of its provisions outdated. Some of the document's policies have been updated since, while others are no longer enforced.

Along with modern-era revisions, the updated charter would also shorten the township's process for adopting an annual budget, change public notice requirements, and eliminate township-residency requirements for certain leadership roles.

The ballot question contains a large paragraph of text that takes up nearly half of each double-sided ballot. So residents are urged to learn more about the referendum before they vote — not only because it's important, but that helps keep the line moving at the polls.

With Election Day on Nov. 3, here's what to know about the home rule charter referendum:

One Vote For Dozens Of Amendments

The proposed charter update contains 40 amendments. A "yes" vote approves all of them, and a "no" vote strikes them all down.

These changes are all contained in one ballot question — residents cannot vote in favor of some measures while opposing others.

Where To Read The Proposals

The township has a webpage with some resources:

• the ballot question itself
• the township's executive summary of the proposals
• where a successful referendum would change the charter

Modernizing The Rules

Voters approved the current charter in 1974, and it took effect in 1976. It contains measures that officials consider to be outdated, such as male-dominated gender language and provisions for elections that no longer exist.

Some of the provisions in the new charter would include:

• Officially eliminating elections for tax collector an auditor: These are already no longer elected positions. The township appoints a tax collector appoints a third party for annual audits.
• Gender neutral language: the charter from the 70s defaults to male pronouns. Those references will be replaced with gender-neutral language.
• Discrimination: the anti-discrimination clause would be updated to reflect the township's modern standards. This includes prohibiting the township government from discriminating based on disability, sexual orientation, and gender (which includes sex discrimination).

New Budget Process

The new charter would speed up the process for approving the township's budget while removing some of the public-facing steps in place now.

Currently, Tredyffrin Township must place advertisements in two newspapers to announce upcoming budget votes from the Board of Supervisors.

If the referendum passes, the township would no longer be required to advertise its preliminary budget. Instead, it would be shared on the township's website before the supervisors vote on it.

The final budget would need to be advertised in one newspaper, instead of two.

"It is costing us money," Board of Supervisors Chair David Miller said at Monday's meeting. "We spend $20,000 a year publishing and advertising in newspapers that nobody reads. So that is to save us money and to make our own lives here more efficient. That’s why we’re doing it now."

Additionally, the updated charter would let the Board of Supervisors pass the final budget as a resolution, which only require one vote. The final budget is currently approved as an ordinance, which requires separate public votes for introduction and adoption, plus public advertisement of the budget in between.

Public documents explaining the charter call the current budget process "time-consuming."

A similar provision would require the Board of Supervisors to approve township contracts via resolution instead of ordinance.

Zoning

Ambiguous language about zoning would also be eliminated. The current charter requires the township to notify neighbors about zoning changes that apply to "only a small portion of the township." But the charter doesn't specify what's considered small.

The township still has to notify neighboring property owners about zoning changes, no matter the size.

Residency Requirements

Tredyffrin would no longer require the township manager and police superintendent to live in the township — a rule that's been waived in the past.

With just over 30,000 residents, Tredyffrin's population is a limited pool for filling these leadership roles, Miller says.

"To limit your community pool to that tiny little bit is just not how the world works," Miller said.

Supervisor Salaries Not Changing

One amendment proposes doubling township supervisors' annual salaries from $1,500 to $3,000. But supervisor salaries increased to $3,000 in 1985, so they wouldn't be getting pay raises.

Other Changes

• Virtual votes: Township supervisors can attend meetings virtually. But the update would clarify that they count toward quorum.
• Agenda postings: Agendas will need to be publicly posted at least 24 hours before a meeting, instead of 8 hours in advance.
• Free minutes: This would codify that meeting minutes for the Board of Supervisors become available at no cost. These are already posted on the township website.