In Today’s Issue of Downingtown Local Pulse…

☀️ Downingtown PA Weather

🚨 Election Director Resigns After String of Voting Errors

🏅 Chester Water Authority Recognizes County Commissioners for Ratepayer Advocacy

⛓️‍💥 WCU Convenes Statewide Gathering on Social Issues

🪶 Town Tours and Village Walks Return April 30 with Expanded Schedule for America's 250th

🏘️ Local Real Estate Listings

🗓️ Upcoming Local Events

WEST CHESTER, PA — Karen Barsoum, who has served as Chester County's director of voter services for five years, announced Thursday that she will step down on June 12, once results from the county's 2026 primary election are officially certified. The resignation follows an extended period of scrutiny stemming from two notable administrative errors and a wave of criticism regarding workplace culture inside the department.

The most damaging incident occurred during the November 2025 municipal election, when pollbooks used to check in voters at the polls were printed without the names of independent and third-party voters. Over 12,000 affected voters were required to cast provisional ballots, though the vast majority were ultimately counted. An independent review found that the root cause was human error, but concluded that poor training practices and weak internal verification procedures had allowed the mistake to reach polling places on Election Day.

Scrutiny of the department intensified in the weeks that followed. A February 2026 board of elections meeting drew public speakers — including former department employees — who demanded Barsoum's firing and described a difficult and demoralizing work environment under her management. A December investigation by The Philadelphia Inquirer had already highlighted unusually high staff turnover in the office and collected accounts from former employees describing bullying and a hostile atmosphere. Around the same time as the February meeting, it was also reported that the county had mailed out voter applications with names misprinted due to a vendor error.

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WEST CHESTER, PA — The Chester County Board of Commissioners was honored this week with the Public Water Warrior Award, presented by the Chester Water Authority in recognition of the board's sustained advocacy for keeping the region's drinking water system in public hands. Commissioner Marian Moskowitz was among those on hand for the recognition.

The award comes amid broader discussions about the future governance of the Chester Water Authority, which provides water service to communities across southern Chester County. The commissioners have been vocal in their opposition to privatization, contending that local control is the most reliable safeguard for maintaining water quality and keeping rates manageable for the households and businesses that depend on the system.

WEST CHESTER, PA — West Chester University will host a free two-day conference and debate tournament on March 31 and April 1, bringing together all ten Frederick Douglass Institutes from across Pennsylvania's state university system. The event, timed to the nation's 250th anniversary, will open with a keynote from Princeton professor Dr. Eddie Glaude Jr. and conclude with a competitive student debate. WCU has a historic connection to Frederick Douglass, who delivered his final public lecture on campus in 1895.

WEST CHESTER, PA — The Chester County Planning Commission has set April 30 as the opening date for the 32nd season of its Town Tours and Village Walks program, a long-running series that takes residents and visitors on guided explorations of the county's historic communities. This year's program will feature an expanded schedule, timed to the national celebration of America's 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Since its launch more than three decades ago, the program has grown into one of the county's most anticipated seasonal offerings, drawing participants interested in local architecture, history and the stories embedded in Chester County's older neighborhoods and village centers. The 2026 expansion suggests organizers plan to use the semiquincentennial as a lens through which to revisit and reinterpret the region's deep historical roots.

Specific tour dates, locations and registration information have not yet been released but will be made available on the Planning Commission's website at chescoplanning.org in the weeks ahead.

Market Snapshot for Downingtown

Just Listed:
335 E LANCASTER AVE #E4 Downingtown ($190,000)
19 PONDS END DR Downingtown ($615,000)
34 BUTTERWORTH CT Downingtown ($850,000)


Coming Soon:
902 CHISWELL DR Downingtown ($576,900)
212 TRUMAN WAY Downingtown ($775,000)
800 DOWLIN FORGE RD RD Downingtown ($775,000)
32 DOMINIC DR Downingtown ($899,000)

Active:
161 JEFFERSON AVE Downingtown ($215,000)
334 MARY ST Downingtown ($318,000)
255 PROSPECT AVE #B Downingtown ($325,000)
390 MARY ST Downingtown ($500,000)
58 GRAYSON LN Downingtown ($549,000)
121 FOUR LEAF DR Downingtown ($574,000)
9 WHITELY RD Downingtown ($599,900)
120 ARDEN WAY Downingtown ($615,000)
141 FOUR LEAF DR Downingtown ($625,000)
122 AMERICAN Downingtown ($659,900)
1026 HALTER RD Downingtown ($739,900)
923 STABLE WAY Downingtown ($770,000)
735 APPALOOSA RD Downingtown ($849,900)
798 SOUTHWIND LN Downingtown ($875,000)
103 TREGO LN Downingtown ($1,175,000)
1464 W STONINGTON Downingtown ($1,199,000)

See more listings at ChesterCountyRealty.com

INSTANT HOME VALUE CLICK HERE

Upcoming local events…

Free Kids’ Fishing Rodeo (Kerr Park) - March 28th, 9am-2pm

Downingtown Farmers’ Market (Kerr Park) - March 28th, 10am-12pm

West Pikeland Community Egg Hunt (Chester Springs) - March 28, 11am

Upper Uwchlan Easter Egg Hunt (Hickory Park) - March 28, 11am

West Bradford Easter Egg Hunt (Broad Run Park) - March 28, 12pm

Caln Easter Egg Hunt (Caln Municipal Park) - April 4th, 1pm

Coatesville Star Party Rescheduled - April 4, 7:30-9:30pm

Downingtown Main St Clean Up - April 11, 10am-1pm

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