TL; DR
On November 3, 2026, US citizens in Tredyffrin will be asked to vote on an amendment to our Home Rule Charter. Please vote YES.
- What it is: it is an amendment to bring a half-century old document up to date, including cleaning up the language and aligning with current Pennsylvania law. The charter was passed in 1974 and never updated.
- What it is not:
- It does not make any substantial change to the way Tredyffrin is governed.
- It does not increase Supervisor compensation - compensation was increased more than 40 years ago; part of cleaning up the language is to state the current compensation.
Read on for more information. Details are in the Links.
Summary
A Charter Review Committee consisting of Tredyffrin citizens, representatives of Township staff, representatives of Township Supervisors, and Township Solicitor met over many months to review the current charter and propose updates. Two public workshops were held, on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, and it was passed by the Board of Supervisors. The ballot language was approved by Chester County Voter Services.
Modernization of Charter Powers and Structure
Powers continue to vest with the Board of Supervisors, but definitions for greater legal precision and references to current laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania are updated.
No Changes to Board of Supervisor Qualifications
The qualifications continue to be the same (US citizen, Township resident, District resident for positions elected by District), but wording is modernized and clarified. Supervisor compensation reflects the compensation update of 1985. Where the previous charter could be read as disqualifying a Supervisor convicted of a crime in a US state, but not disqualifying on the basis of a conviction in, for example, the District of Columbia or Puerto Rico, the language is clarified to include all territories of the United States.
Transparency and Meeting Procedure Modernization
There was no video conferencing in 1974. The update allows for remote participation. Agendas must be publicly posted 24 hours in advance, rather than 8 hours. The modernization reflect current Pennsylvania Sunshine Act standards as well as public expectations.
Elimination of Obsolete Elected Offices
The 1974 charter calls for the election of an Auditor; however, a Resolution since then has required the Audit to be conducted by a CPA firm. An elected Tax Collector position was previously removed as a consequence of tax collection being handled by Township Staff.
Executive Management
Requirements for a Township Manager, Solicitor, Superintendent of Police, and optional Finance Director remain. The language is modernized to not require the Manager and Superintendent to reside in Tredyffrin, a requirement that was routinely waived. The Solicitor is a modernized to be a firm, not an individual.
Significant Modernization of Budget and Financial Administration
There are multiple changes that simplify and modernization administration. For example, the 1974 charter includes a requirement to advertise requirements in two newspapers; there was no Internet in those days. The new requirement is one newspaper and allowing posting on the web. Competitive bidding and emergency appropriations clauses are updated to align with current Pennsylvania law. Language is also updated.
Ethics, Conflict-of-Interest & Anti-Discrimination Modernization
The list of protected classes is expanded to make it consistent with the current Police Oath and updates conflict-of-interest language to modern standards.
Structural Reorganization & Cleanup
Transitional language that was meaningful to the original charter coming into force is removed. Articles are renumbered. Language is updated.
Summary
While there is no fundamental change to the way Tredyffrin is managed, the update makes the charter more aligned with the legal standards, technology, and municipal best practices of 2025, rather than 1974. I would hope that future updates happen before cobwebs grow on a 2025 charter update!
VOTE!
Charter amendments must be passed by a majority of votes in a referendum. VOTE YES on November 3!
Links
- Charter Review Committee.
- Slides from presentation by Township Manager at Board of Supervisors meeting, October 19, 2026.
- Summary of Proposed Amendments (on which this blog post draws heavily).
- Redline of 1974 charter with proposed changes.
- Ordinance for Amending the Charter, passed by the Supervisors on May 20, 2026. My signature is not on it as I was traveling overseas and had to miss that meeting; had I been present, I would have voted to pass it.
