Are There Alterntives to a New EIT?
YES. There are many alternatives. Here are just a few examples:
1. An increased property transfer tax
Radnor and Tredyffrin both impose a 2.5% property transfer tax; Easttown's is only 2%.
In 2023, 104 homes sold in Easttown. If we had a 2.5% property transfer tax (instead of 2%) Easttown would have netted an additional $593,917.00 in revenue that year alone.
2. A Local Services Tax
Other local townships impose a Local Services Tax (LST) of $52 on everyone who works in their townships; Easttown could do the same. Using an average of 2016-2020, a $52 LST would have generated an additional $158,444 per year - and be dedicated to Fire/EMT services.
** Taken together, alternatives 1 and 2 would have raised more than the $630k the Supervisors say we need for increased Fire/EMT funding for 2025, and would have been about 40% of the ENTIRE Fire/EMT budget for 2025.
3. A Dedicated Fire/EMT Fee
There is strong community support to help fund our Fire/EMT through a dedicated fee for just that purpose (no extra Supervisor wish list items) rather than an unchecked new tax whose revenues far exceed the money needed to pay for these services.
***Taken with alternative 1 and 2, a dedicated Fire/EMT fee would be a reasonable amount.
4. Find Cost Savings
The Board has also refused to look at other cost saving measures such as allowing remote work to open up office space in the township building, or even renting empty commercial space in the township for certain departments to avoid building a new municipal facility. And there are certainly "wish list" items that Easttown can live without.
5. Other Ideas
In a township with so many residents, there are surely more ideas than just those mentioned above. If you have ideas, share them with the Supervisors.
What Can You Do? Speak Up!
Easttown Township's Board of Supervisors (BOS) have voted to officially advertise the creation of a new, earned income tax of 0.5% to be levied on all township residents - on top of the property taxes they already pay.
The BOS will make a final vote to create and impose this new tax on August 19th at their Board Meeting to be held at 7:00 pm at Beaumont Elementary School.
In 2023, the BOS considered an EIT but chose to table their discussion after hundreds of Easttown residents expressed their opposition at a special township meeting.
This year, hundreds of residents again came to a special township meeting and again expressed their opposition - but this time the Supervisors chose not to listen.
Now residents have one last chance to try and convince their elected officials NOT to impose the new income tax - either by contacting Supervisors before the August 19th meeting or by attending the August 19th meeting and expressing their opposition.
Make your voice heard. Contact the Supervisors today. Tell them that there are alternatives to a new tax on 45% of the community.
