The two Republican commissioner candidates may be painting their Democrat rivals into a position where voters might view them as typical big spending Democrats, even if its centered on such a hot button issue as open space.

Carol Aichele and Terrence Farrell recently unveiled a proposal that would give residents the opportunity to vote on county land preservation spending that exceeds $20 million annually. The two Republican candidates have already promised to spend $20 million annually on Landscapes, the county's award-winning land preservation plan.

But any amount above that, Aichele and Farrell say should be approved by the voters through a referendum vote. This comes on the heels of a promise by their Democrat challengers, Bill Scott and Kathi Cozzone, to outspend their Republican counterparts by upping the ante spend on open space preservation by $5 million to $25 million.

Under the Aichele-Farrell proposal, county residents would vote on a plan to increase annual open space funding above the $20 million level in either the 2008 Primary Election or General Election. If approved by the voters, the increased funds would be proposed for the County's budget that takes effect in January of 2009.

"Over the summer, Carol and I called for a record-setting $80 million four-year investment in land preservation and Landscapes funding," Farrell said. "We believe this $20 million annual investment can be achieved without an extra burden on county taxpayers. Our opponents have called for a larger spending plan that could lead to a significant property tax increase for many residents. Carol and I believe that before the County moves forward with such a plan, we need to hear from the taxpayers. A referendum is a common sense way to approach this important subject," Farrell said.

"Over the last four years we've committed $64 million in open space and Landscapes funding, more than any other four-year period in Chester County's history," Aichele said. "Because of the county's sound fiscal management and future savings from our Triple A bond rating, Terence and I proposed increasing that funding to $80 million over the next four years. Exceeding $80 million will have an impact on the county's budget and property tax rates. I believe we have a responsibility to the taxpayers to get their input before a decision of this magnitude can be made by county officials. This is a more responsible approach," Aichele added.

Chester County is recognized as a national leader in land preservation. Earlier this year, the County received the prestigious Pennsylvania Land Conservation Leadership Award from the Pennsylvania Land Trust Association.