Earned Income Tax increase to be on May 17th ballot in Whitpain Township

During a January 19th meeting, the Whitpain Township’s Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to approve an ordinance that will place a referendum on an increase to the current Earned Income Tax (EIT) on the May 17, 2022 election ballot. If approved by voters, the 0.06% increase in the EIT would go into effect in 2023.

The township intends to utilize the increase in EIT revenue to pay down debt from open space acquisition and for open space maintenance. According to the township, the 0.06% increase would add $40 to the typical person’s EIT payment and would have the “least impact on families and not impact citizens on a fixed income.”

“The Township has done a wonderful job of purchasing parkland and open space which provides additional recreational opportunities for residents and environmental benefits for our larger community,” said Board Chair Kimberly Koch. “Purchasing, preserving, and developing parks in Whitpain Township is an expensive endeavor, and we believe a modest adjustment to the earned income tax offers a very viable solution to pay down debt incurred from open space purchases.”

In the township’s announcement about the referendum, it was stated:

The Township has held the line on taxes since 2010. In the 12 years since, the Township has made a number of open space acquisitions and improvements, including purchasing Mermaid Park, partnering with the county and Wissahickon Trails to preserve the Cheston property, investing in planned improvements at Wissahickon Park, and upgrading Erbs Mill Park, while also partnering with our youth sports associations to build restroom facilities at Centre Square Park and Stony Creek Sports Park.

You can view a presentation on the tax increase here. You can view the meeting and vote here. The portion about the referendum starts just after the one-minute mark.

In other news, the closed caption system used by the township is really bad. It referred to the township solicitor as a “dummy.”