Upper Providence Township voters will have an additional decision to make when they go to vote in November — “Do I want to increase my taxes to preserve open space?” At the July 21 meeting, township supervisors voted 3-0 to adopt an ordinance putting a referendum on the November ballot, asking if residents are willing to increase both earned income taxes and property taxes to create a fund to preservice open space. The text of the question, which can be found here on the township website, indicates a yes vote would increase earned income taxes by six hundredths of 1 percent, or 0.06 percent, and property taxes by .5 mills, or 50 cents for every $1,000 of property valuation. Township Manager Timothy Tieperman estimated those increases would generate about $1 million in additional tax revenues per year “to be used to expand the township’s trail and recreation systems; mitigate flood damage; preserve clean water and wildlife habitats; acquire interests in real property for purposes of securing open space benefits and for transactional fees incidental to such acquisitions; to retire indebtedness incurred in acquiring open space; and for 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 benefit.” The last township open space plan was adopted in 2006, although the 2021 parks master plan calls for “preserving open space and environmentally sensitive areas with a broader goal of protecting and creating open space networks (greenways, trail systems, viewsheds, interconnected natural areas, etc.).” Tieperman said the supervisors intend to host a special workshop meeting in the fall, “probably sometime in October,” to explain the referendum to residents and answer questions.
Source: The Times Herald; 7/25/2025