Horsham Township officials are moving forward with proposed updates to the township’s Home Rule Charter, a governing document that has not undergone a comprehensive review since it was first adopted in 1975.
During a recent public hearing, Township Council discussed a proposed ordinance that would place several charter amendments before voters as a referendum question on the May 19, 2026, primary election ballot.
The Home Rule Charter functions as Horsham’s local constitution, allowing the township to govern itself by replacing certain state regulations with locally adopted rules. While amendments were approved in 1998 and 2012, township leaders said those changes were limited in scope and did not represent a full review of the charter.
The current proposal includes nine updates, most described by officials as administrative or “housekeeping” changes designed to modernize language and align township procedures with current Pennsylvania law.
Among the proposed amendments is a shift to gender-neutral language throughout the charter, replacing outdated terms such as “councilman” with “council member.” Another significant change would introduce term limits for Township Council members, restricting service to two consecutive four-year terms, followed by a required four-year break before running again.
Additional revisions would update legal terminology following Pennsylvania Supreme Court rulings, revise public advertising and notification requirements to match modern state law, and allow ordinances to take effect immediately after adoption rather than waiting for newspaper publication deadlines.
The proposal also updates township tax provisions to reflect changes in state tax laws, clarifies residents’ rights to petition for ordinance adoption or reconsideration — including zoning and land-use matters, and removes recall provisions for council members that courts have ruled unconstitutional.
If approved by council, the amendments will appear on the May primary ballot, giving Horsham voters the final say on whether to adopt the changes.
