Measure on the ballot in the 2026 Pennsylvania Primary Election in Horsham township.
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Get StartedThe ballot question asks the voters of Horsham Township whether the Horsham Township Home Rule Charter shall be amended in the following manners: (1) whether all gender-specific references to Councilmembers and other persons shall be changed to gender-neutral vocabulary, (2) whether term limits should be imposed on Councilmembers so that no member may serve more than two terms in a row, (3) whether the obsolete term of “District Justice” shall be updated to “Magisterial District Judge” consistent with state law, (4) whether the Township’s requirements to advertise proposed ordinances shall, consistent with state law, be amended so that: (i) general ordinances must be advertised once, no less than 7 days before the date the ordinance will be considered; (ii) zoning, subdivision, land development, and land use ordinances must be advertised twice over two weeks anywhere between 30 and 7 days before the date the ordinance will be considered; and (iii) tax-related ordinances must be advertised three times over three weeks not less than 7 days before the date the ordinance will be considered; (5) whether an ordinance may become immediately effective upon adoption if desired unless prohibited by law, removing the current provision in the Charter that provides that an ordinance is only effective once published in a newspaper; (6) whether to make the Township’s taxing ability consistent with authority granted to home rule municipalities under the Home Rule Charter and Optional Plans Law and Local Tax Enabling Act; (7) whether the provisions allowing voters to propose ordinances or reconsideration of ordinances should be amended to reflect that such voter proposals are not permitted under state law for certain types of ordinances, specifically those relating to the budget or capital program, the appropriation of money, levy of taxes, or salaries of Township officers or employees, or to any zoning, land use, or subdivision or land development ordinance; and (8) whether the sections providing for the recall of Councilmembers shall be eliminated because they are not allowed under the Pennsylvania Constitution and Pennsylvania Supreme Court decisions.
Shall the Horsham Township Charter be amended: (1) to amend all mentions of “Councilman” to “Councilmember” and replace all gender-specific pronouns with gender-neutral pronouns throughout; (2) to provide that no Councilmember may serve on Council for more than two consecutive terms in office; (3) to amend the term “District Justice” to “Magisterial District Judge” to reflect the change in name to that position under state law; (4) to align the Township’s advertisement requirements for proposed ordinances with applicable state law by providing that a general ordinance shall be advertised once no less than 7 days prior to the public hearing at which adoption thereof shall be considered, an ordinance relating to zoning or land development shall be advertised once a week for two consecutive weeks at least 7 days nor more than 30 days prior to such public hearing, and an ordinance relating to taxation shall be advertised at least once a week for three consecutive weeks not less than 7 days prior to such public hearing; (5) to provide that an ordinance may become effective immediately upon adoption by Council unless a later date is specified or required; (6) to repeal obsolete Section 402 so that the Township’s taxing ability may be consistent with authority granted under the Home Rule Charter and Optional Plans Law and Local Tax Enabling Act; (7) to clarify that the voters may petition Council for the adoption or reconsideration of any ordinance except for those relating to the budget or capital program, appropriation of money, levy of taxes, salaries of Township officers or employees, or any zoning, land use, or subdivision or land development ordinance; and (8) to eliminate all Councilmember recall provisions which have been deemed unconstitutional.
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