Dallas Township Referendum
Why 3 Supervisors Aren't Enough
2 People Rule the Town: Under a 3-member board, a legal majority requires only two people to control local taxes, town spending, and neighborhood zoning.
No Public Discussion: Budgets and ordinances pass with rapid 3-0 votes without open discussion during public meetings.
No Work Sessions: Dallas Township skips the public workshops held by neighboring municipalities.
A $400,000 Surprise Job
Not in the Budget
• Created Without Notice: Mid-year, two supervisors created a new $67,000-a-year administrative job for the Board Chairwoman without posting a job ad, taking applications, or holding public interviews.
• The Cost of 2-Person Control: This is what happens when two people make every decision alone. Over a single 6-year term, this one unbudgeted position will cost local taxpayers over $400,000.
• Hidden Receipts: The board mixes all health insurance money into one big $185,000 budget pool (Line Item 487.1). They refuse to show itemized receipts, leaving taxpayers to pay the bill while being blocked from seeing individual costs.
The Math and Sources Behind the $400,000 Position
- $19,146.40 a year in regular pay, calculated at $18.41 an hour for 20 hours a week over 52 weeks. The baseline hourly rate is sourced directly from page 1 of the official Dallas Township Wage Schedule.
- $1,464.70 a year added to the cost, which is mandated by federal and state law for Social Security and Medicare payroll taxes.
- $46,388.90 a year in estimated costs to give full family health coverage to a part-time worker. This is sourced from the national Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) Employer Health Benefits Survey for full family medical plans. This entire cost is drawn from the township’s $185,000 insurance budget pool listed under Line Item 487.1 (Health Care Insurance – Admin) in the official Dallas Township Operating Budget.
- $67,000 a year when you add the pay, taxes, and family insurance together. Because township supervisors serve standard 6-year terms, this single unbudgeted job is on track to cost local taxpayers a total of $402,000 over one full term.
Capped Salaries
State law caps supervisor salaries to prevent overspending, but Dallas Township Ordinance § 23-1 sets an even lower local limit of $125 per meeting ($2,500 per year max per supervisor).
Zero Extra Overhead
Expanding the board requires no new office space, no extra staff, and no new equipment. It simply adds two more chairs to the public meeting table.
You Choose the Leaders
A ballot question cannot hand seats to any specific person. If passed, voters elect both new supervisors in an open public election.
Healthcare Spending is 100% Optional
• Optional Policy Choice: Under the Pennsylvania Second Class Township Code, providing health insurance to part time supervisors is completely optional, not mandatory.
• No Automatic Spending: Adding two supervisor seats does NOT force Dallas Township to spend a single extra dollar on health insurance.
• Current Expenses: High insurance costs exist today only because the board voted to give themselves taxpayer funded coverage.
Adding seats brings more oversight, it does not automatically add health plans, new staff, or tax hikes.
Crucial Community Decisions Belong in the Public Eye
The major choices that shape our community should be openly discussed and debated in front of the public before any action is taken. Taxpayers have a right to hear their elected officials ask tough questions and explain their reasoning before voting on heavy municipal responsibilities:
Voting on how to spend your local tax dollars, including funding levels for police, road repairs, snow plowing, and township employee salaries.
Voting on local real estate and earned income tax rates, which determine exactly how much property owners must pay each year.
Making final decisions to approve or deny new housing developments, commercial businesses, and major land projects that change local neighborhoods.
Voting on which private companies get paid with tax dollars to handle township projects like paving roads or buying municipal vehicles.
Writing and voting on local laws and regulations that every resident and business owner must follow.
Voting to hire township employees and appointing citizens to influential local boards like the planning commission and zoning board.
Learning From Experience
Luzerne County Precedent: Remember when Luzerne County had just three commissioners? Voters switched to a Home Rule Charter with an 11-member council, and local government got so much better.
Dallas Township Solution: That is all we are doing here in Dallas Township. Right now, just two people can control every decision in our town. Moving from 3 supervisors to 5 breaks up two-person control, brings more voices to the table, and ensures decisions are always fair and open.
