Westtown Township, Pennsylvania, Crebilly Farm Open Space Fund Tax Measure (November 2022)
| Westtown Township (Chester County) Crebilly Farm Measure | |
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| Election date |
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| Topic City tax and Local environment |
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| Type Referral |
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Westtown Township (Chester County) Crebilly Farm Measure was on the ballot as a referral in Westtown Township (Chester County) on November 8, 2022. It was approved.
A "yes" vote supported this referendum to:
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A "no" vote opposes this referendum to enact an earned income tax (EIT) and a real property tax and use the revenue to purchase interest in real property for open space benefits, including the preservation of Crebilly Farm. |
Overview
What is an open space tax?
In Pennsylvania, local governments, excluding counties, can adopt an open space tax with voter approval. An open space tax is defined as a tax on real property, such as land and houses, or a tax on earned income that is used to generate revenue to acquire an interest in land, such as ownership or an easement, or improve land acquired for open space purposes.[1]
Pennsylvania Act 442 defines open space purposes as:[1]
- the protection and conservation of water resources and watersheds;
- the protection and conservation of forests and land used for timber crops;
- the protection and conservation of farmland;
- the protection of existing or planned park, recreation, or conservation sites;
- the protection and conservation of natural or scenic resources such as soils, beaches, streams, floodplains, steep slopes, and marshes;
- the protection of scenic areas for public visual enjoyment;
- the preservation of sites of historic, geologic, or botanic interest; and
- the preservation of spaces between communities to promote "sound, cohesive, and efficient land development."
Act 442 was amended in 2013 to allow 25% of the annual revenue from the taxes to also be spent on improvements to land acquired with the referendum, such as design and engineering projects and maintenance.[1] In 2021, Act 442 was amended to allow the 25% to also be spent on improvements to open space land not acquired pursuant to the referendum.[2]
Election results
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Westtown Township (Chester County) Crebilly Farm Measure |
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| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
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4,202 | 67.98% | ||
| No | 1,979 | 32.02% | ||
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- Results are officially certified.
Text of measure
Ballot title
The ballot title for Crebilly Farm Measure was as follows:
| “ | Do you favor the imposition of an increase in the earned income tax at a rate not to exceed eight one hundredths (8/100th) of one percent (0.08%) and an increase in the real property tax at a rate not to exceed 0.42 mills ($0.42 per $1,000 assessed valuation) by the Township of Westtown to be used to purchase interest in real property for purposes of securing open space benefits and for transactional fees incidental to acquisitions of open space property; retire indebtedness incurred in acquiring open space; and the expenditure of funds for any purpose relating to the acquisition, planning for acquisition, preservation, improvement and maintenance of open space or for an open space benefits? | ” |
Full Text
The full text of this measure is available here.
Path to the ballot
On June 20, 2022, the Westtown Township Board of Supervisors voted 3-0 to place the referendum on the ballot for the election on November 8, 2022.[3]
How to cast a vote
- See also: Voting in Pennsylvania
See below to learn more about current voter registration rules, identification requirements, and poll times in Pennsylvania.
See also
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Pennsylvania State Legislature, "Act 442 of 1967," accessed October 5, 2022
- ↑ Pennsylvania State Legislature, "House Bill 221," accessed November 16, 2023
- ↑ Westtown Township, "Regular Meeting Minutes," accessed October 5, 2022
- ↑ Department of State, “First Time Voters,” accessed March 21, 2023
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Department of State, “Voter Registration Application,” accessed March 21, 2023
- ↑ Department of State, “Contact Your Election Officials,” accessed March 21, 2023
- ↑ Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, "Governor Shapiro Implements Automatic Voter Registration in Pennsylvania, Joining Bipartisan Group of States That Have Taken Commonsense Step to Make Voter Registration More Streamlined and Secure," September 19, 2023
- ↑ NBC, "Pennsylvania rolls out automatic voter registration," September 19, 2023
- ↑ The Patriot-News, “Thousands take advantage of new online voter registration in Pennsylvania,” September 2, 2015
- ↑ Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
- ↑ Congress, "H.R.3295 - Help America Vote Act of 2002," accessed September 30, 2025
- ↑ Department of State, "First Time Voters," accessed October 8, 2025
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
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