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ORDINANCE 2006-19
RADNOR TOWNSHIP
AN ORDINANCE OF THE TOWNSHIP OF RADNOR, DELAWARE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA, PLACING ON THE BALLOT FOR THE GENERAL ELECTION TO BE HELD ON NOVEMBER 7, 2006, THE QUESTION OF WHETHER RESIDENTS OF RADNOR TOWNSHIP ARE IN FAVOR OF INCURRING DEBT UP TO 20 MILLION DOLLARS FOR THE PURCHASE AND/OR PRESERVATION OF LAND OR INTEREST IN LAND, INCLUDING THE USE OF EASEMENTS AND THE TRANSFER OF DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS, FOR POSSIBLE USE, PROTECTION, PRESERVATION AND CONSERVATION OF OPEN SPACE WITHIN THE TOWNSHIP, WITH SUCH DEBT OR PORTIONS THEREOF TO BE REPAID WITH INCREASED REAL ESTATE TAXES AND/OR OTHER TAXES AND FEES.
NOW, therefore be it ENACTED and ORDAINED, by the Board of Commissioners of Radnor Township, Delaware County, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and it is hereby ENACTED and ORDAINED by its authority that:
WHEREAS, the Board of Commissioners (the Board) is committed to providing for a desired quality of life in Radnor Township (the Township) by acquiring and preserving key lands for the environmental, scenic and recreational benefit, use and enjoyment of all residents in accordance with recommendations made by the Township Parks and Recreation Board and as contained in the Township’s 2003 Comprehensive Land Use Plan and in the Township’s 1991 Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Plan as may be updated from time to time; and
WHEREAS, the Board recognizes that many methods are available to the Township to achieve these goals, including, without limitation, accepting private donations, acquisition of conservation easements, transfer of development rights, fee simple purchase, and the use of suitable zoning and subdivision controls; and
WHEREAS, the Board believes that it is in the best interest of the Township that additional funding for the acquisition and preservation of land be provided through the issuance of electoral bonds to preserve the Township’s non-electoral borrowing capacity.
NOW, THEREFORE, it is hereby enacted and ordained as follows:
1. The following question shall be placed on the ballot for the general election to be held on November 7, 2006:
“Shall debt of up to $20 million to finance the acquisition and preservation of real property, interests therein and contracts related to real property, all for purposes of open space preservation, recreation, and environmental and historic preservation, be authorized to be incurred as debt approved by the electors?”
Yes or No.
2. The Delaware County Board of Elections is hereby directed to place the above-referenced question on the ballot at the November 7, 2006 election for the registered voters of Radnor Township to consider. The Delaware County Board of Elections is further directed that the question should be submitted to the voters in the same manner as other questions are submitted under the provisions of the Pennsylvania Election Code.
3. If any section, subsection, sentence or clause of this ordinance is held for any reason to be invalid, such decision or decisions shall not affect that validity of the remaining portions of this ordinance.
4)This ordinance shall become effective immediately upon adoption.
Duly ENACTED and ORDAINED this 11th day of September, 2006 A.D. by the Board of Commissioners of Radnor Township.
TOWNSHIP OF RADNOR
By: __________________________________
Harry G. Mahoney, Esq., President
Attest: __________________________________
Concetta R. Clayton, CMC, Secretary
PLAIN ENGLISH STATEMENT TO THE
DELAWARE COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS
RE:RADNOR TOWNSHIP REFERENDUM ON THE MATTER OF
AUTHORIZING THE INCURRENCE OF DEBT TO FINANCE
THE ACQUISITION AND/OR PRESERVATION OF LAND
The ballot question asks the voters of Radnor Township (the Township):
Shall debt of up to $20 million to finance the acquisition and preservation of real property, interests therein and contracts related to real property, all for purposes of open space preservation, recreation, and environmental and historic preservation, be authorized to be incurred as debt approved by the electors?
If a majority of Radnor voters should vote AYES@ on this question on November 7, 2006, the Township Board of Commissioners (the ABoard@) would be authorized to borrow up to $20 million, in one or more increments at any time in the future. Proceeds from such borrowing(s) could be used to acquire any interest in real property located within the Township boundaries by purchase, contract, easement, transfer of development rights, gift, or other legal means, as the Board may deem in the best interest of the Township, to protect, conserve, promote, and/or create any of the following:
Scenic vistas for public visual enjoyment from public rights of way;
Farm land and other active agricultural uses;
Natural resources, including but not limited to woodlands, soils, streams, flood plains, or marshes;
Sites of historic, geologic, or botanic interest;
Water resources and watersheds;
An existing or planned park, woodland, wildlife preserve, nature reserve, or other recreation or conservation site by controlling the use of contiguous or nearby lands to protect the scenic, aesthetic, or watershed values of the site;
Active and passive recreational opportunities for residents and the general public;
Sound, cohesive, and efficient land development by creating or preserving open spaces between neighborhoods.
Any additional debt incurred as a result of the voters= approval of the aforementioned ballot question would be considered as electoral debt and not count against the Township=s legal nonelectoral borrowing authority under the Local Government Unit Debt Act of Pennsylvania (53 P.S. 6780-1), and would be repaid by any combination of one or more of the following sources: revenues derived by existing realty transfer taxes and interest earned thereon, real estate or other taxes, and/or other fees that may be imposed by the Board for this purpose.
The principal and interest on $10 million in open space bonds that have been issued as a result of authority granted by Radnor voters in 1994 have been paid by revenues derived from 0.25% of the total 2.5% realty transfer tax that buyers and sellers of real property in Radnor Township share when a property exchanges ownership. Based on recent trends, the Township estimates that future annual realty transfer tax revenues will be about the same as or, at best, will slightly outpace current principal and interest obligations, leaving little, if any, transfer tax revenues to pay for any new debt, thus requiring additional revenues from real estate or other taxes and/or other sources.
For illustration purposes only, if any new debt incurred as a result of the proposed 2006 ballot question were to be repaid in full by increased real estate taxes, and assuming that any debt so incurred was through the issuance of general obligation bonds repaid in level amounts over 30 years and issued at current tax-exempt interest rates for highly-rated bonds like Radnor=s, then a Radnor Township property owner would pay additional Township real estate taxes of approximately $40 per year for each $100,000 of assessed value on his/her property.
This equates to an increase of 0.4 mills, or 1.6% of the total real estate taxes currently paid by a Radnor Township property owner to Delaware County, Radnor Township School District, and Radnor Township. A property owner can calculate the approximate impact on his/her own property by multiplying the assessed value of his/her property by .0004. Thus, under this scenario, a residential property owner whose property is assessed at the Township average of $280,000 would pay an additional $112 in Township real estate taxes per year ($280,000 X .0004 = $112). Other property owners would be affected as follows:
PROPERTYADDITIONAL ANNUAL
ASSESSMENT REAL ESTATE TAXES
$100,000 $40
$150,000 $60
$200,000 $80
$250,000 $100
$300,000 $120
$350,000 $140
$400,000 $160
$450,000 $180
$500,000 $200
$550,000 $220
$600,000 $240
$650,000 $260
$700,000 $280
$750,000 $300
$800,000 $320
$850,000 $340
$900,000 $360
$950,000 $380
$1,000,000 $400
ELECTION NOTICE
Notice is hereby given to the electors of Rador Township, Delaware County, PA, that at the General Election to be held on Tuesday, November 7, 2006, from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., prevailing time, the following Question shall be voted upon in Radnor Township:
DEBT AUTHORIZATION
YES NO
AShall debt of up to $20 million to finance the acquisition and preservation of real property, interests therein and contracts related to real property, all for purposes of open space preservation, recreation, and environmental and historic preservation, be authorized to be incurred as debt approved by the electors?
EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
The purpose of the foregoing question is for the voters of Radnor Township to decide whether or not to authorize the Board of Commissioners of Radnor Township to incur debt of up to $20 million to enable the Board to finance the acquisition and preservation of land within the Township, in accordance with the Township’s 2003 Comprehensive Land Use Plan and the 1991 Parks and Recreation and Open Space Study. The incurring of any debt by the Township resulting from such voter authorization shall constitute electoral debt of the Township and shall not count against the Township’s legal nonelectoral borrowing authority pursuant to the Local Government Unit Debt Act of Pennsylvania (53 P.S. 6780-1 et seq.).
POLLING PLACES FOR RADNOR TOWNSHIP
Ward 1, Precinct 1 B
Ward 1, Precinct 2 B
Ward 2, Precinct 1 B
Ward 2, Precinct 2 B
Ward 3, Precinct 1 B
Ward 3, Precinct 2 B
Ward 4, Precinct 1 B
Ward 4, Precinct 2 B
Ward 5, Precinct 1 B
Ward 5, Precinct 2 B
Ward 6, Precinct 1 B
Ward 6, Precinct 2 B
Ward 7, Precinct 1 B
Ward 7, Precinct 2 B
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