Berwyn, PA

The Easttown Township supervisors meeting scheduled for November 2nd is to be held at Beaumont Elementary School starting at 8 PM with a working session beginning at 7.15 PM. On the agenda will be a combination of the expenses and revenue for the township budget, including discussion of additional taxes including an earned income tax.

The last supervisors meeting was also held at the school across the road from the township building and there was spirited discussion on the subject of the earned income tax. Whilst the township is proposing a 1% earned income tax to increase revenues due to the drop in the budget from Real Estate Transfer Taxes due to a sharp decrease in real estate sales, many of those residents speaking pointed out this would produce a much bigger increase in revenus than was needed and that what needed to be addressed was cuts to the budget. Obviously an earned income tax will affect both residents and those working on the township. Many townships already have have earned income taxes in their budgets. How this has or would affect property values is a question that has been put forward but to which there are no statistics to prove one way or another that the writer knows about.

This meeting on November 2nd will be to bring together projections and suggestions on both sides of the budget with a final meeting proposed for November 19th to decide on final budget. Easttown Township furloghed their office staff this year.

The YMCA of the Upper Main Line will host a "Haunted Mansion" on Saturday & Sunday, October 24th & 25th. The event will take place in the Cassatt Mansion, a 102 year old building that is ready made for haunting. The mansion is located at 1416 Berwyn-Paoli Road in Berwyn, Pennsylvania. Torture chambers, a cemetery and spirits from the past are a few highlights. Parental discretion is advised. Hours are 6-10 pm on Saturday & 6-9 pm on Sunday. The cost is $10 for YMCA members & $13 for non-members. Proceeds provide YMCA summer camp scholarships.

For those looking for a more scare friendly event, a "lights on" tour for children 10 & under will be held Sunday from 12-3 pm. Kids can join a mystery solving team as they search the haunted mansion for Scooby, the missing crime solving dog. Costs are $5 for YMCA members & $7 for non-members.

On Friday, October 30th the Berwyn Fire Company will host its annual Halloween Parade. Participants should gather at the end of Bridge Street in the township building parking lot starting at 6:00 pm. The parade will begin at 6:30 pm. Refreshments will be provided and prizes awarded for various costume categories. Judges will be courtesy of the Berwyn-Devon Business & Professional Association.

THe Easttown Township Supervisors meeting to consider Earned Income Tax held October 19th at Beaumont School across from the township building the discussion was all about the budget and the proposal from the Supervisors to consider implementing an Earned Income Tax or other taxes, such as an amusement tax, per capita tax, and several other options.

There was some confusion among residents as this was the second of several meetings on the budget discussing the hole in the budget that needs to be filled, either through cuts or increased revenue. At the previous meeting the discussion was on the expenses side and this meeting was to deal with revenue options. However it quickly becasme clear from residents comments they felt the Board of Supervisors needed to consider cuts to the budget before considering increased revenue streams.

Whilst it was a pretty vocal meeting with a lot of passion, the board of Supervisors did vote to continue to keep all their options open for increasing revenue. As was explained by Mr Rau the Township Attorney, legal issues require them to begin advertising these possible tax increases to be able to implement them for the next fiscal year, as the state needs to be notified so employers are aware that they need to collect these taxes on behalf of the township.

The next meeting will be held November 2nd advertised last night to be at Hilltop House, although this may need to moved to accomodate the numbers of people who will turn up. This meeting will combine the proposed expenses and the proposed revenue to agree upon a way forward.

One of the parties to speak last night was a residents advisory group who have been and will continue to meet with the township employees to see where savings can be made as opposed to increasing revenue. So save the date November 2nd 8.00 PM Easttown Township Supervisors Meeting at Hilltop House, Berwyn.

Easttown township is considering a potential earned income tax to balance the budget that has been affected so dramtically by the drop in home sales in the township. Already staff do not work Fridays having been furloughed several months ago to save costs but the dramatic drop in home sales has still left the budget with big holes.

The Borad of Supervisors has announed recently their intention to levy an earned income tax following a public meeting on October 19th at 8 PM at Beaumont Elementary School. Many residents at the October 5th Board of Supervisors meeting voiced their concern that the township has yet to consider all the alternatives, exploring other revenue streams and cutting expesnes further.

So, if you have any interest in Easttown Township as a businessman or resident you will want to be present at the meeting on the 19th of October.

On Saturday, October 17th from 10:30 am to 4:00 pm the Berwyn fire company will have a special celebration to commemorate its' 115th anniversary. It will include a parade through downtown Berwyn past the original fire station site on Berwyn Avenue. An official "housing" ceremony will begin at noon. In addition, vehicle rescue and home fire safety demonstrations will take place. Fire truck rides will also be available. The fire house will be open to the public for tours from 1:30 pm to 4:00 pm. Refreshments will be available during that time. Go to www.berwynfirecompany.org for additional information.