The speedy process by which the Towamencin Township Government Study Commission is pushing through a home rule charter in an effort to block a multimillion dollar sanitary sewer sale to a Florida corporation is not sitting well with some residents, who have recently challenged the commission on its process and claim that they are not abiding by the language in the November 2022 ballot referendum.
Since December, the commission has adopted a budget and presented a third draft of the proposed home rule charter. The commission is pushing to get the home rule charter on the May ballot to be voted on by Towamencin residents.
According to The Reporter, a group of residents grilled the commission on court costs and the timeline of the process at its Feb. 1 meeting. Watch the meeting here on YouTube.
“You have an obligation to the citizenry to put what you think in writing, so that we can all evaluate it,” said resident Rich Costlow at the Feb. 1 meeting. “What is likely to be the cost? I have done a little bit of personal research, and this thing could run five, to six, maybe even seven figures, depending on how many people get involved. And I, for one, don’t think the township should be putting ourselves on the hook for that kind of money over this issue.”
Resident Shannon Main commented that the home rule option has evolved to be a bad option for townships. Main was interested in if the proposed charter would change requirements on the number of voters needed to petition for a ballot question and if there will be a limit to the number of questions per election, according to the article.
Main’s husband, Mike Main, who ran unsuccessfully for the commission last November, posed questions to commission solicitor Lauren Gallagher, primarily if her firm agreed with the 12-to-18-month timeline for drafting a charter laid out in the home rule handbook. Gallagher said her office does not make a recommendation on the timeline, but rather “whether or not the study they’re performing is complaint with the statute. It is.”
In responding to Mike Main’s question, Gallagher said the draft charter complies with state laws.
As far as challenging the home rule charter in state court, should it come down to it, Gallagher told Main, per the article, that representation either by her firm or by township solicitor Bob Iannozzi would depend on the nature of the challenge and who is bringing the challenge to court.
Gallagher could not answer how much such a challenge would cost in legal fees, according to the article.
Supervisor Rich Marino told the commission at the Feb. 1 meeting that he voted to sell the sewer system due to financial reasons, per the article. Marino said there are numerous infrastructure needs in the township and his vote for the sale was done to help retire the township’s debt and help with financial responsibilities.
Commission Chairman Kofi Osei told the public that the commission has no intention to touch the township’s tax structure, but rather “leave any financial discussions to the amendment process.”
Resident Christian Fusco, who also sits as vice president of the North Penn School Board, believed the fast timeline is necessary.
“(It) would actually fly in the face of the purpose of this process, as it has been understood by the community. The clock is ticking. There is an imminent sale. And we want to be able to have a voice as citizens in this community, as residents in this community, as taxpayers in this community, to weigh in,” Fusco said.
The commission meets again Wednesday night at 7 p.m. The agenda and Zoom meeting link were unavailable on the township website as of Wednesday morning. Previous meetings can be viewed on the Commission’s YouTube channel.
See also:
Submission: Towamencin Government Study Commission Update
Towamencin Government Study Commission Discusses Schedule and Spending, Fills 1 Vacancy
Towamencin Passes 2023 Budget with 24% Tax Increase
Towamencin Supervisors Approve Land Development Plan for Wawa at Sumneytown and Forty Foot
Towamencin Officially Names New Township Manager
