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Ballot Questions 11/04/08

BRISTOL TOWNSHIP GOVERNMENT STUDY COMMISSION REFERENDUM
Shall a government study commission of seven (7) members be elected to study the existing form of government of the municipality; to consider the advisability of the adoption of an optional form of government or home rule charter; to recommend the adoption of an optional form of government, or to draft and recommend a home rule charter?

YES or NO

This group of citizens is the Government Study Commission.  At the conclusion of the study, the Commission will make one of four (4) recommendations to the voters:

            (1)   No change;
            (2)   Repeal of current Optional Plan Form of Government
            (3)   Adoption of a different Optional Plan of Government; or
            (4)    Adoption of a Home Rule Charter.

To the extent that the Commission recommends the repeal of the current Optional Plan Form of Government, the adoption of a different Optional Plan Form of Government or the adoption of a Home Rule Charter, the recommendation would be put to the voters at a subsequent election.  Thus, the repeal of the current form of government, the adoption of a different optional plan form of government or the adoption of a Home Rule Charter cannot be approved without the consent of the voters.

Home Rule means nothing more than shifting responsibility for local government from the State Government in Harrisburg to the community here in Bristol Township.  The main goal of Home Rule is to increase the effectiveness of and citizen participation in local government.

An Optional Plan is simply a plan for a different form of government that does not involve shifting any powers currently held by the Commonwealth to the Township.

Each voter shall vote on the question and, regardless of the manner of his/her vote on the question, vote for not more than seven members of a government study commission who shall serve if the question is or has been determined in the affirmative.

BUCKINGHAM TOWNSHIP
AMBULANCE SQUAD TAX REFERENDUM

Shall Buckingham Township levy an annual real estate tax of one quarter (1/4) mill for the purpose of funding ambulance, rescue, and other emergency services serving the Township?

YES or NO

A vote of “YES” approves the levying of a real estate tax of one-quarter (1/4) mill for this purpose.

DOYLESTOWN TOWNSHIP
AMBULANCE AND RESCUE SQUAD TAX REFERENDUM

Shall Doylestown Township be authorized to levy a real estate tax of .25 mills for supporting emergency medical service ambulance and rescue squads serving Doylestown Township?

YES or NO

YES or NO

PLAIN ENGLISH STATEMENT

The ballot question asks the voters of the Township of Lower Makefield whether the Township should borrow up to $15 million to finance the acquisition of interests in or improvements to land for open space, including
the preservation of environmentally sensitive areas and open space for active and passive recreation.  The Township would use the money for one or more of the following:

1. Finance the acquisition or maintenance of property for open space:The Township would purchase farmland or other undeveloped land from landowners in the Township and restrict the land from further development or would maintain or improve existing properties previously purchased as open space.
2. Acquire agricultural conservation easements:  The Township would purchase agricultural conservation easements or participate in State or County land preservation programs which acquire agricultural conservation easements.  An agricultural conservation easement  prevents a land owner from developing the land but allows the  land owner to retain his or her land and farm it.
3. Acquire transferable development rights:  Under this option, a land owner would sell the development rights in a property to the Township. The land owner would retain the property, but once the development rights are sold, the property could not be developed.
4. Acquire or improve land for recreation:  The Township would purchase or improve land to use for recreational purposes.

A vote of “YES” to the ballot question approves borrowing the money for  these purposes.

YES or NO

NEWTOWN TOWNSHIP OPEN SPACE REFERENDUM

“Do you favor the imposition of an Earned Income Tax at a rate not to exceed .1% by Newtown Township to be used for financing the acquisition of open space;  for the purpose of acquiring agricultural conservation easements and for the purpose of acquiring recreation or historic lands?”

YES or NO

Plain English Version:  The ballot question asks the voters of Newtown Township whether the Township should impose an Earned Income Tax at a rate not to exceed .1% on an annual basis to purchase land or interests in land for the preservation and conservation of open, undeveloped land in Newtown Township.  The Township would use the money to do one (1) or more of the following:

1. Acquire agricultural or natural resource conservation easements: The Township would purchase agricultural conservation easements or participate in State or County land preservation programs which acquire agricultural conservation easements.  An agricultural conservation easement   allows the landowner to retain his/her land and use it for farming and other agricultural purposes.
2. Finance the acquisition of open space:  The Township would purchase   undeveloped land from landowners in the Township in order to protect sensitive natural areas such as woodlands, stream valleys or other unique natural resources or habitats. 
3. Finance the acquisition of recreation or historic land:  The Township would purchase undeveloped land from landowners in the Township for the purpose of developing additional recreational facilities for residents or for historic preservation purposes.

A vote of “YES” to the ballot question approves the imposition of an Earned Income  Tax at a rate not to exceed .1% upon Township residents for the foregoing purposes.

YES or NO

Plain English Version:  The ballot question asks the voters of Northampton Township whether the Township should borrow up to Twenty Five Million Dollars ($25,000,000.00) over a ten (10) year period to subsidize the actual construction costs of public sanitary sewer projects to residential properties within the Township which are currently served by on-lot sanitary sewer systems.  The Township would use the money to do the following:

Subsidizing the actual construction costs of public sanitary sewer projects:  the Township would reimburse the Northampton, Bucks County, Municipal Authority (the water and sewer authority) for all construction costs incurred by the Authority which are not reimbursable by the residential property owners who will receive  the benefit of public sanitary sewer service availability.

A vote of “YES” to the ballot question approves borrowing the money for this purpose.