The proposal offered a property tax break to those who make less than $164,833 and people on fixed incomes.
By: Linda Seida
Voters in the New Hope-Solebury School District on Tuesday narrowly shot down a referendum that offered homeowners a property tax break but also would have raised the earned income tax.
The referendum was defeated 665-603.
The referendum was put on the ballot under a controversial property tax reform law known as Act 1. Persons on fixed incomes and those who earn less than $164,833 in the New Hope-Solebury area would have benefited, while renters and persons whose earnings are higher would have ended up paying more.
Registered voters in both New Hope and Solebury Township voted along the same lines to defeat the referendum, but in Solebury, the margin was even closer with a split of 519-514. In New Hope, the split was 146-89.
The referendum would have increased the earned income tax in the school district by .6 percent to 1.1 percent, and homeowners would have been granted an estimated $989 annual reduction in property taxes. During the first year, the tax break would have been less, $692.
Currently, the school district takes .5 percent of a 1 percent earned income tax with the remainder going to the municipalities.
In Solebury’s municipal primary, longtime Board of Supervisors incumbent Thomas Caracio failed to win one of two spots on the ballot in the general election in November. Mr. Caracio garnered 260 votes.
The two candidates who took the top spots in a five-way race among Republicans were Peter Augenblick, 351, and Dominic C. Marano, 348.
David Hahn earned 336 votes. Conrad E. Gack earned 131.
Mr. Augenblick and Mr. Marano will face off for two six-year terms against the only two Democrats who ran in the municipal primary, Joseph McCabe and Roberta M. Foerst.
Mr. McCabe garnered 227 votes. Ms. Foerst earned 229 votes.
In New Hope’s primary, three incumbent Democrats won the chance to face off in November against a Republican who wants to return to the Borough Council after six years out of office.
Borough Council President Richard Hirschfield earned 150 votes, Councilwoman Geri Delevich, 177, and Councilman Rey Velasco, 171. Their challenger, Howard Cooperman, earned 78 votes.
Former councilman Robert Gerenser ran unopposed for the GOP and earned 93 votes. With three four-year terms available, he’ll have to defeat one of the incumbents in November to win a council seat.