Charlestown takes small government to new heights

Without the historic courthouse, what kind of a place would West Chester be?

How about a Philadelphia without Billy Penn atop City Hall, or if there was no Capitol Dome in Washington, D.C.?

Grand public buildings give us a sense of power and make us feel secure, though all that pomp does come at a major cost.

Recently, many municipalities in Chester County have built new town halls. New public spaces now include cathedral-like ceilings, faux stone (both inside and out) and floor to ceiling windows. Many of these “Taj Mahal’s” (a term I hear used by many residents) are nicer than the average McMansion – with taxpayers footing the bill.

While regularly covering public meetings in several townships I sit in spacious meeting rooms. Most of the time, there are plenty of open seats. Who is paying the heating and air conditioning bills?

And then there is Charlestown Township. Monday’s Board of Supervisors meeting was held in the band room at the Great Valley Middle School. With a few exceptions, the township has met in schools since 1958.

The township shares a small building with a U.S. Post Office. One full-time township employee and several part timers work from a 1,050-square-foot rented space. Some records are stored elsewhere.

Supervisor Kevin Kuhn said that while the township has considered growing its footprint, officials have hoped that a large developer anxious to subdivide will someday foot the bill for a larger public space.

So why does the township charging just .075 mills, decreased from a rate of 1.0 during 2003 stay afloat and keep taxes down?

Residents pay an earned income tax of 1 percent, half of which is set aside for open space acquisition. The board passed a resolution that the other half of the earned income tax destined for general purposes to instead also be used mostly for open space acquisition, improvements and maintenance, with a third of that half percent used for road improvements.

“We just don’t need it,” Supervisor Frank A. Piliero said about a township building with a large meeting space, while surveying the band room. “This is more than ample.”

Kuhn agrees. The school district charged the township $385 for custodial and overtime pay to use the band room during 2013. Township taxpayers saved a bundle by using an available public space.

“The taxpayers already pay school district taxes and they already pay for this building,” Kuhn said.

The township of 5,671 residents has no local police force

and instead relies on state police for coverage. Supervisors estimated the start-up cost to establish a township police department at $2 million to $5 million. Kuhn noted that state police do a great job and the township is able to tap into resources that wouldn’t be available otherwise.

Township Manager/Secretary/Treasurer Linda Cs ete is the township’s only full-time employee. The township even hires a part time road manager.

C sete said by contracting through a part time road department the township cuts expenses.

“Since even though we’re paying labor and equipment rates to an outside contractor, we’re not paying for employees, benefits, insurance, equipment, maintenance and buildings, etc., “C sete said. “There’s no ‘down time’ when a large piece of equipment is just sitting there and we’re paying to store it. Contractors only work when there’s work to do.”

Supervisor Hugh Willig said the township spends much of its revenues purchasing property easements and development property rights. Thirty percent of the township, located just north of the Great Valley Corporate Center, is preserved for development.

“It keeps the number of dwelling units way down which keeps the need for services down,” Willig said. `

Rodgers said that if development had grown as it has in much of the county, the school district would have needed to build an additional school for students living in newly constructed homes carved out of existing open space.

Charlestown voters were asked if they favored raising taxes to preserve open space.

“Residents supported a referendum,” said Rogers. “They like living here. They like what we do to keep taxes down.”

So, does Charlestown have all the answers? Of course not. And should township buildings become even remotely elaborate as the Houses of Parliament? Creating wonderful, comfortable and spacious new buildings and having plenty of employees on the payroll are nice.

But what about the cost?