Highlights from the December 10, 2025 Newtown Township Board of Supervisors Meeting
Prepared by Supervisor John Mack
The December 10, 2025 Newtown Township Board of Supervisors (BOS) meeting was a milestone for me personally as it marked the end of my service on the Board and the adoption of a 2026 budget that brings one of the largest tax hikes in years, while still underfunding critical road repair work.
Supervisor Service Recognition & My Farewell Speech
The meeting began with a recognition of my service as a Newtown Township Supervisor. In my farewell remarks, I emphasized my commitment to transparency, open government, and keeping residents informed and engaged.
“Tonight marks the close of my time serving as a Newtown Township Supervisor, and I want to use this moment to express my deep gratitude to the residents of this community. It has truly been an honor to serve you, to be your voice on this Board, and to work every day with the belief that local government functions best when it is transparent, accountable, and open to the people it represents.”
“From the very beginning, I made a commitment to keep residents informed. Whether through public meetings, reports, newsletters, social media updates, or my ‘Meet Mack Monday’ (and Tuesday) discussions, my goal was always the same: to make sure you knew what was happening in your government before decisions were made—not after.”
“As I step away from the dais, I’m not stepping away from Newtown. I will continue to support transparency, good governance, and resident involvement in every way I can.”
I closed by thanking township staff, our police and fire departments, volunteers, and my colleagues on the Board, while underscoring that democracy “is not a spectator sport” and depends on residents who show up, ask questions, and hold their government accountable.
2026 Budget & Tax Rates Adopted
The Board adopted the 2026 budget by a 3–2 vote. I voted NO, along with Supervisor Calabro.
NOTE: A resident pointed out that when the Chair put forward the motion for a vote, she said “All those in favor of establishing the tax rate for twenty twenty-six in the resolution please say aye” (view the video). In other words, she did not ask for a vote on the actual 2026 Budget Resolution.
According to Google AI: “In Robert's Rules, the exact wording of a motion matters significantly because the group votes on precise language to take official action, not vague ideas, requiring clarity for recording in minutes and ensuring everyone understands what they're approving, with motions often needing to be written and restated accurately by the chair to present a clear ‘yes’ or ‘no’ question.”
To rectify this, the BOS should have held a special meeting to take another vote. Instead of doing that, however, the management has opted to post the “Adopted December 10, 2025” 2026 Budget to the township website.
Budget Resolution
- General Fund Revenues: $18,916,097 (estimated)
- General Fund Expenditures: $16,856,596 (estimated)
- Projected 2026 Year-End Fund Balance: $2,059,501
Township Manager Michael Lewis noted that the general fund features a roughly $3.23 million structural deficit, yet no tax increase was proposed for the General Fund. The projected ending balance of about $2.06 million is not sufficient to cover a deficit of that size in 2027, meaning taxes will almost certainly need to be raised again or spending will have to be cut—likely both.
For further detail on the tax impact, see my article: “#NewtownPA’s 2026 Budget Triggers One of the Largest Tax Hikes in Years” .
2026 Township Tax Millage
- General Fund: 4.5 mills
- Debt Service: 3.0 mills
- Fire Protection Services: 7.0 mills (3-mill increase)
- Fire Hydrants: 0.615 mill
- Rescue Squad: 2.0 mills (1-mill increase)
Overall, taxpayers will see about a 30% increase in total township millage, with significant increases dedicated to Fire and Rescue services.
Meanwhile, the road program remains underfunded even as the tax burden grows.
Taxes Up 30%, Roadwork Down 25% – My Alternative Proposal
Data supplied by the Police Chief show that the current police fleet is in stable operating condition, with several brand-new units already in service. Nonetheless, the adopted budget still funds multiple new police vehicles and a new dump truck—while road paving is scaled back compared to 2025.
According to PennDOT District 6, resurfacing roads in Bucks County costs $350,000–$600,000 per lane mile. Using an average of $475,000 per mile, I proposed a reallocation of funds to restore more miles of paving:
- Police vehicles: Approving only 2 new police cars instead of more would free up about $170,000.
- Dump truck: Removing the proposed new dump truck would save another $205,000.
- New hires: Eliminating two new exempt positions could free up an additional $100,000+ annually.
Combined, that’s roughly $475,000 that could be redirected to paving, adding nearly one additional mile of roadwork in 2026. Instead, the adopted budget paves fewer miles than what is realistically needed.
In my view, no convincing justification was offered to the public for prioritizing new vehicles and positions over badly needed road repairs.
The Board also approved a 2026 exempt personnel salary resolution. You can review the details here: 2026 Executive & Exempt Salaries .
Zoning Hearing Board: Questions About “Selective Enforcement”
I reported on the December 4, 2025 Zoning Hearing Board (ZHB) meeting, which included discussion of signage for the Newtown Athletic Club (NAC) on the Bypass.
The ZHB Chair openly questioned the Township’s approach, suggesting it looked like selective enforcement of sign ordinances:
- The Chair noted that the Township has historically “repeatedly fought and challenged signs, particularly those on the Bypass,” yet chose to remain silent on this application.
- The silence led the Chair to remark that he “can’t help but wonder why the township's position on this application was silenced.”
This case began when the Zoning Officer sent NAC a notice-of-violation letter regarding signage. However, at the hearing, she sat at the applicant’s table between the NAC representative and their attorney Ed Murphy, and her testimony was effectively presented by Mr. Murphy.
While the ZHB Solicitor had requested her presence, I felt the optics were wrong: someone paid by the Township appeared to be part of the applicant’s team. As I later suggested, she could have sat near the court reporter or on the dais to avoid confusion about whom she was representing.
Neighbors for Open Government
As I mentioned in my farewell address, stepping off the Board does not mean stepping away from Newtown. I am working with residents to form “Neighbors for Open Government” (NOG), a nonpartisan group dedicated to improving transparency and resident participation in township decision-making.
Draft Mission Highlights:
- NOG is a group of Newtown Township residents committed to strengthening transparency, accountability, and community participation in local government.
- We believe residents have the right to understand how decisions are made, access public documents before meetings, and engage in respectful, informed civic dialogue.
- Our mission is to promote open communication, encourage fact-based decision-making, and empower neighbors to play an active role in shaping the future of Newtown Township.
You’ll be hearing much more about this effort in the new year.
NBCJMA: WWTP Land Offer Update
At the December 9, 2025 Newtown Bucks County Joint Municipal Authority (NBCJMA) meeting, the board addressed my inquiry about the former Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) parcel.
The Authority has offered to sell the land back to the original owners. That offer was sent at the end of November 2025, and the owners have 90 days to respond.
Consent Agenda: December 10, 2025 Spending Snapshot
The Board approved the December 10, 2025 bills list and transfers:
- Total Bills: $1,080,224.44
- Total Transfers: $28,735.84
Highlights from the infographic include:
- Over $444,000 dedicated to road projects from the Highway Aid Fund.
- Roughly $385,000 used to pay down township debt (principal and interest).
- Health insurance costs continue to be a major expense in the General and Fire Protection Funds.
November 2025 Police Report
Chief Hearn presented the Newtown Township Police: November 2025 Activity Report. The infographic tells the story of a busy month for our police department.
Key November 2025 Stats:
- 2,215 total incidents documented (about 74 incidents per day).
- +167% increase in DUI arrests compared with November 2024.
- 98 total traffic crashes, including 30 deer collisions.
- 13 fraud investigations, including forged checks and identity theft.
- 534 proactive property checks to protect local businesses and neighborhoods.
These numbers reflect both the workload of our officers and ongoing public safety challenges such as impaired driving, fraud, and traffic crashes. Listen to this Deep Dive podcast:
As always, these are my personal notes and observations and should not be considered the official minutes of the Board of Supervisors. I share them to help residents stay informed and engaged with their local government.