Tredyffrin Township Home Rule Charter Amendments (40 Changes, Including Supervisor Pay and an Appointed Auditor)

Official plain English statement

The ballot question asks the voters of Tredyffrin Township whether the Tredyffrin Township Home Rule Charter shall be amended in the following manners: (1) whether the “except for the first Board to serve under this Charter, the members of which will serve for staggered terms as provided in § 1201 of this Charter” language shall be deleted from Art. II., § 202; (2) whether to clarify that the office of Supervisor shall be forfeited if the person is convicted in any state, federal district, or territory or of the United States of any crime comparable to a misdemeanor of the second degree or higher under the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; (3) whether the rate of compensation for Supervisors shall be changed from $1,500 per annum to $3,000 per annum and the reference to the first four years that this Charter is in effect be removed from Art. II., § 208(A); (4) whether to clarify that notice of special meetings shall be prominently posted at the township office, and as otherwise approved by the Board; (5) whether to clarify that a quorum of the Board may be established by in-person presence of Board members as well as by means of electronic telecommunication; (6) whether Art. II., § 210(C) shall be amended to ensure accuracy and consistency with the Pennsylvania Sunshine Act; (7) whether to clarify that voting on ordinances and resolutions shall be by roll call vote of the Board and that all other votes may be by motion of the Board with each Board member’s vote duly recorded in the public meeting minutes; (8) whether copies of the minutes of the meetings of the Board shall be available to the public at no cost; (9) whether to make the meeting agenda available at least twenty-four hours prior to the start of the meeting instead of eight hours; (10) whether to clarify that it is the duty and responsibility of the Board to adopt, and amend as necessary, an Administrative Code defining the organization and assignment of duties and responsibilities of township officers and employees; (11) whether to clarify that it is the duty and responsibility of the Board to initiate by motion, resolution, or ordinance by the Board as a body or through committees of the Board and/or township citizens, inquiries and investigations in aid of its legislative functions; (12) whether the current text of Art. III., § 301 shall be deleted in its entirety and replaced with language abolishing the elected position of Auditor and replacing it with an appointed, outside, independent auditor to ensure that the audit is performed by qualified and competent professionals; (13) whether the following provisions should be deleted in their entirety: Art. IV. Elected Tax Collector; Art. VI.(F) and (G); Art. VI. § C – 38(D); Art. VI. § C – 39; Art. XII., §§ C – 71 and C – 72; Art. XII., §§ C - 73(B)-(C), C – 74, C – 75, and C – 76; (14) whether the Township residency requirement for the Township Manager and Superintendent of Police shall be removed; (15) whether to amend the requirement that a proposed ordinance be advertised in two or more newspapers to one, unless otherwise required by law; (16) whether to remove the requirement that notice of an amendment to the Zoning Ordinance applying only to a small portion of the township be given directly to neighboring property owners of the area affected; (17) whether to amend the effective date of an ordinance adopted by the Board from the 31st day after the date of adoption to immediately, or at any later date specified therein; (18) whether copies of standards codes shall be available at the office of the township for public inspection with deletion of “and for purchase at a reasonable price fixed by the Board”; (19) whether the requirement that the general compilation be published “in loose leaf form” be removed; (20) whether language requiring copies of “The General Laws of the Township of Tredyffrin” be furnished to township officers, placed in township libraries and the township office for free public reference and be made available for purchase be removed as the Township’s website has made this information available online and free of charge to the public; (21) whether language from Art. VII. § C – 44 requiring all changes in organization and procedures set forth in the Administrative Code be effected by amendment of the Administrative Code in the same manner as other ordinances be removed as said language is superfluous; (22) whether Art. VII. § C – 45(C) shall be amended to align with current practice as no rules or regulations for the tenure, suspension, removal, furloughing, and reinstatement of police officers were ever adopted and these provisions are otherwise provided for in the Police Collective Bargaining Agreement; (23) whether it shall be clarified that the Township Solicitor shall be a member of the Bar of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania in good standing; (24) whether Art. VII. § C – 46(B)(1) shall be amended to require Board approval before the Township Solicitor acts as a legal advisor to other township officers, departments, boards, commissions, authorities and agencies and to reflect that a law firm is appointed not just one individual attorney from the law firm; (25) whether language addressing who is responsible for the duties of Finance Manager until such time as the position is established shall be deleted as this position has been created and filled; (26) whether the requirement to advertise the preliminary budget shall be removed but it still must be discussed and acted upon at a public meeting and be available on the Township’s website or as otherwise provided for by law for public inspection; (27) whether the process for advertising and adopting the final budget shall be clarified and the requirement that the final budget be advertised in two newspapers be amended to one newspaper; (28) whether the requirement that the final budget be adopted by ordinance be removed; (29) whether the requirement that the budget be amended by ordinance to be amended to by resolution; (30) whether the capitalization policy be removed as it will now be in the Administrative Code so that it may be more easily amended and updated by the Board as necessary; (31) whether to amend the requirement that all contracts of the Township involving sums in excess of an amount specified by the Board be by resolution as opposed to ordinance; (32) whether the requirement that the procedure for competitive bidding include advertisement in two newspapers be amended to one; (33) whether to clarify that competitive bidding is not required for, inter alia, contracts for labor, material, supplies or services aggregating less than the amount otherwise specified by the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, as opposed to amount otherwise specified by for the item in the year supplied; (34) whether the categories in which discrimination is prohibited shall be updated to reflect current standards; (35) whether to clarify that the statement of direct, indirect or beneficial ownership of real property in the Township to be filed by Supervisors, the Township Manager, and their direct appointees does not include a principal residence; (36) whether to clarify which jurisdictions’ comparable laws by which a person may be convicted preclude qualification to hold township office or employment; (37) whether to clarify that any qualified citizen of the township may participate in the governing of the township by serving on boards, commissions, authorities, committees or other agencies of the township when “appointed” as opposed to when “requested”; (38) whether to clarify a transition period for any elected auditor that is in place prior to the adoption of the Charter amendment which permits the Township to abolish the elected auditor position; (39) whether to make various changes to terminology including changing all mentions of “the Constitution” or the “Constitution of Pennsylvania” to “the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania” and all references to the “commonwealth” to “Commonwealth of Pennsylvania”; replacing all gender-specific terms with gender-neutral terms; and replacing “qualified electors”, “registered electors”, and/or “electors” with “registered voters”, “qualified voters”, and/or “voters”; (40) whether to amend numbering and naming of the provisions of the Charter and make other minor changes to wording. A vote of YES will approve the proposed amendments to the Home Rule Charter for the Township of Tredyffrin. A vote of NO will disapprove the proposed amendments to Home Rule Charter for the Township of Tredyffrin.