Aside from the big ticket races, some Chester County voters will have a say in how their local government runs when they cast their ballots in the general election next week, in votes that could change how many officials serve on municipal councils.
Voters in East Whiteland and Malvern will weigh how many elected officials will represent them, while residents in Tredyffrin are considering a robust update to modernize their Home Rule Charter. Polls open at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3.
Here’s a little more about each question, to which voters will cast a “yes” or “no” answer.
East Whiteland residents could expand their board of supervisors from three to five members
In East Whiteland, much of the year has been colored by a sprawling and controversial 1.5 million square foot data center project, which, despite its approvals in 2024, saw forceful opposition when it surfaced again this year as the developers sought changes to the plan.
Concerned about the project, residents swiftly gathered enough signatures over the summer to ask the community to add two more supervisors to the board to increase and give “more balanced” representation and a range of perspectives over future projects, organizers said previously.
If the ballot issue is approved, it would expand the board of supervisors from three to five members.
Board members are elected at-large and serve six-year terms. They appoint township staff and members of the boards and commissions within the township, plus hear conditional use applications, levy taxes, and more.
“Ultimately, after attending several meetings and watching residents passionately oppose the project, it felt like we could use a little bit more representation,” township resident Jessica Larkin, who spearheaded the effort to collect signatures for the referendum, previously told the Inquirer.
Malvern could shrink its board from seven to five
Residents in Malvern are leading the charge to downsize their board of supervisors from seven elected officials to five, arguing that a smaller board will be more efficient and lead to more qualified candidates, said Danny Fruchter, one of the petition leaders.
A group of nine bipartisan residents — including a former mayor, former president of borough council, and zoning hearing board chairman — successfully petitioned to get the question on the ballot.
In Malvern, supervisors are elected at-large and serve four-year terms. They are limited to serving two consecutive terms.
With a population of roughly 3,500 within one-square mile and waning volunteerism, the borough is spread thin across its numerous volunteer positions, from the elected positions to numerous committees, Fruchter said.
“We lose a lot of the most experienced, qualified people due to [term limits], and neither party, in anybody’s memory, has come up with four qualified candidates,” he said.
It would also reduce the number of people the relatively small township staff have to communicate with, Fruchter said.
With two of its neighboring municipalities, East Whiteland and Willistown, operating with fewer elected officials, Fruchter said “a lot of us are very, very comfortable suggesting that the borough should be five.”
If the referendum passes, terms of current council members would not be affected. In the 2027 election, voters would only elect two members, rather than four. The staggered election system would continue; the three seats that aren’t up for election next year would be on the ballot in 2029.
The borough has had seven officials since at least 2008, when the Home Rule Charter was adopted. Under Pennsylvania law, municipalities can have between three and nine council positions.
After decades, Tredyffrin seeks a robust update to its charter
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, scores of municipalities embraced online meetings, coming together on Zoom or livestreaming to the public on Youtube or municipal websites. Tredyffrin was no different; its members still occasionally join that way, said board chairman David Miller.
But it’s not explicitly permitted in the municipality’s Home Rule Charter, which was adopted and last changed in 1975. Making videoconferencing explicitly permitted within the governing document kicked off the revision voters will decide on next week, which packs in 40 amendments to the charter.
The change is not altering how the government runs, but rather “making things more efficient and saving ourselves some money,” Miller said.
The updated version would allow quorum for council meetings to be established by in-person and virtual attendance. It also removes some physical printing requirements, instead updating the charter to provide meeting minutes, law language, budget documents, and more for free online.
It codifies a change that was made in the 1980s, Miller said, which increased supervisors’ compensation from $1,500 to $3,000. The vote wouldn’t increase their compensation, but reflect what they actually make, Miller said.
The proposed update removes a requirement that the township manager and police chief reside in Tredyffrin, a provision Miller said the board had previously been able — and has often decided — to waive.
It updates some language around agendas and voting, too. If voters approve the referendum, the charter will codify state law making agendas public 24 hours prior to a meeting, rather than eight hours. It requires board members vote by roll call on ordinances and resolutions, and that those votes are recorded in the minutes.
It abolishes the office of elected auditor and tax collector positions, using third parties instead, which the township was already doing.
It also cleans up language and broadens the non-discrimination clause.
The township held several public meetings as they drafted the changes over the past year, which saw low attendance, Miller said.
As sample ballots have circulated, more people have started to ask about it, he said.
“Unfortunately, it’s long because it hasn’t been updated in a very long time,” Miller said.
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