Welcome!

My name is John Mack and on November 5, 2019, I was re-elected to serve a 6-year term as a Newtown Supervisor. I would like to thank all the citizens who came out and voted that Tuesday and especially those who voted for me. I will do my best to work in the best interest of all Newtown residents.

Honesty · Integrity · Experience

As a Supervisor, I keep busy learning about and making decisions about issues of concern to residents, including the pollution of our streams and lakes, perfluoronated hydrocarbons (PFAS) in our drinking water, preservation of open space, traffic and parking, public safety, fiscal management, and development. On average, I spend more than 40 hours every month on official Supervisor activities including interacting with residents, preparing for meetings, and attending meetings (read "What's the Hourly 'Wage' of a Newtown Township Supervisor?").

Can We Open the Clark Nature Center Trails? Yes, And It May Cost Much Less Than Some Have Estimated

The trails were closed “indefinitely” to the public in the spring of 2017 due to trees killed by an insect known as the Emerald Ash Borer. But after 4 years of inaction, some people believe it is time to have a plan to do what is necessary to open these trails again to the public.

Along with Elen Snyder, 2021 candidate for Newtown Supervisor, I recently walked the 1-mile Blue Trail in the park. The purpose was to evaluate for ourselves the potential danger of dead ash trees to hikers and to get an idea of the condition of the stream banks.

We saw many dead ash trees while walking the trail. The majority of these were too far from the trail to present a danger to hikers if they fell. Several dead trees near the trail that could eventually fall on the trail and possibly hit hikers. Of course, the odds of that happening are pretty low unless you are walking the trail during a heavy windstorm.

What needs to be done?  Removal of Dangerous Trees May Be Less Expensive Than Anticipated. Read more to find out why...