What Newtown Township Spent in 2025

Infographic prepared by Google Gemini AI

6 Eye-Opening Items from 2025 Bills Lists

You pay your property taxes, but what happens next? Beyond the newly paved roads and the police cars on patrol, a town's checkbook tells a surprising story about its priorities and pressures. We often see the tangible results of government work, but the day-to-day, nuts-and-bolts costs of running a municipality remain largely invisible.

To get a clearer picture, we reviewed the public expense reports (“Bills Lists”) from Newtown Township, Bucks County, PA for the year 2025. Unless requested officially via Right-to-Know (RTK) requests, these documents are not provided to the public.

This article highlights six of the most surprising, impactful, or simply interesting categories of spending. From massive, long-term obligations to the cost of a slice of pizza for an office meeting, these line items paint a fuller picture of what it takes to run a modern township.

For a quick 13-minute synopsis, listen to this “Deep Dive” podcast:

Mack's Newtown Voice · Township Finances: From Mouse Traps to Pensions

Note: The December 22, 2025, Bills List, which includes $575,742.34 in total bills and $10,246.55 in fund transfers, is included in this analysis although payment of these bills probably will not be in 2025 – it needs to be approved by the BOS in January 2026.

1) The “Invisible Giants”: Pensions and Paving Dominate

While capital projects like road programs are highly visible, some of the largest single payments made by a township are for less tangible—but crucial—long-term obligations.

Largest single payment: $452,138.92 (October) contribution to the “NEWTOWN TOWNSHIP POLICE PENSION FUND.”
Major infrastructure spend: $444,144.66 (December) to “MORRISSEY INC., JAMES D.” for the “2025 Road Program.”

Why this matters: These massive, recurring costs show how much of the budget is effectively pre-committed—shaping what’s left for everything else.

2) The High Cost of Outside Expertise

Municipalities rely on external specialists for engineering, legal, zoning, and planning. The bills lists show that professional services can be a significant—and ongoing—expense.

Barry Isett & Associates Inc. (zoning officer & inspections): multiple large payments including $26,401.20 (Jan), $54,759.60 (Oct), and $71,452.46 (Nov). Total authorized billing: $503,786.76. Note: The 2025 budget specifies $250,000 for “Professional Svcs” under Code Enforcement & Zoning. Also, I’m a little surprised by this number since the contract says “Barry Isett & Associates, Inc. (Isett) proposes a rate of one hundred dollars ($100) per hour for service to Newtown Township, Bucks County for Zoning Officer and Code Enforcement Officer services.” At that rate the vendor would need to work over 5,000 hours per year or nearly 100 hours per week! Even with maybe two people on the job that still seems unlikely. I’ll have to examine a couple of their invoices to see if there are any details that would help me understand these charges.
Remington & Vernick Engineers Inc.: authorizations across multiple funds (general engineering, MS4 consulting, road programs, and escrow-funded development reviews). Based on the provided sources, the total authorized billings for the firm amount to $393,983.50. The largest portion of the firm’s billings, totaling $227,261.92, was allocated to the Escrow Fund for reviewing and managing private land development projects such as the Toll Bros housing development on Durham Rd and Wawa on the Bypass.
Kilkenny Law LLC: Total authorized billings: $114,509.56.
One November bill alone was $9,780.07. These expenditures were divided between general municipal legal support and specialized reviews for private land development projects. Legal fees for township solicitor services are a major expense, illustrated by a single bill in November for $9,780.07.

3) Keeping the Lights On: The Relentless Cost of Utilities

Utilities—especially electricity—are a constant operational drain: buildings, streetlights, traffic signals, and parks all require power.

PECO Energy Company (electric & gas): $260,661.16 total authorized billings across 2025 records. :contentReference[oaicite:12]{index=12}
Street lighting services & infrastructure: approximately $331,814.14 in 2025.
Armour & Sons Electric Inc. (streetlight maintenance/repairs): $82,684.09 total, including pole replacements such as:
- Cypress Place: $3,618.12
- 110 Pheasant Run: $6,480.75
- Jonquil Drive: $3,398.76
- Eagleton Farm Road: $3,910.6

Why this matters: A big chunk of municipal spending goes to maintaining 24/7 infrastructure that residents rely on—often without noticing it until something fails.

4) Beyond Asphalt and Invoices: Community and Compassion

Mixed in with big contracts are smaller, human-scale expenses—recreation, events, and employee-related gestures—that show a different side of municipal government.

Community events: $26.00 reimbursement for “Santa Suit Dry Cleaning” after the Candy Cane Hunt; $800.00 deposit to DAVE & BUSTER’S for a summer Adventure Camp trip.
Recreation: $300.00 to NEWTOWN FRIENDS MEETING for “Evening Yoga Usage”; $2,034.00 to Tiny Tumbles LLC for a children’s gymnastics program.
Employee welfare: $80.95 for a “Sympathy arrangement” and $68.85 for a “Sympathy Basket for Captain’s Mother.”

Why this matters: These discretionary items directly support quality of life and reflect community-building—not just administration.

5) Notable Capital Expenditures

Police vehicles: Authorized payments included $90,368.00 for two 2025 Ford Police Interceptors in March and $137,234.40 for three additional 2025 Ford Explorers. NOTE: The approved 2026 budget includes 4 additional police cars for $340,000. In addition, in 2026 the Chief will likely request the purchase of a Police Pursuit Vehicle for $110,000 - laughably referred to as a “Drug Education” vehicle (for more on that, read “Opioid Funds For Police Surveillance Truck?”)..
Public works equipment: $144,640.24 for a John Deere tractor with boom-mower. NOTE: The approved 2026 budget includes $205,000 for a Dump Truck. At a public BOS meeting, I asked the Township Manager to explain what the need was for this truck. The answer was simply “the Director said it was needed.”

6) From Pizza to Paper Clips: The Everyday Reality of Running the Office

Behind the big-ticket items are the mundane costs that keep any workplace functioning—supplies, refreshments, and basic admin needs.

$100.47 for an “Office Meeting/Pizza” (Jan 6).
$124.63 combined for “Coffee/Gen’l admin” on the same day.
Recurring bottled water/cooler rentals (e.g., $781.30 payment in January).

Why this matters: These relatable costs demystify government operations—municipal work is done by people, and basic office functions and morale are part of effectiveness.

Conclusion: The Story in the Spreadsheets

A town’s expense report is more than a list of numbers—it’s a story of priorities. Public safety shows up in pension funding; fiscal responsibility appears in the use of specialized legal and engineering expertise; quality of life is reflected in recreation and community events; and basic humanity shows up in small gestures like sympathy baskets. From pensions to pizza, each line item plays a role in keeping the township functioning.

It’s a shame, however, that residents do not have routine access to the Bills Lists to better understand where their tax dollars go—and to comment on specific expenses.

Call to action: If you think Bills Lists should be routinely accessible (without a Right-to-Know request), share this post and let township leaders know transparency shouldn’t require extra paperwork.

Posted on 22 Dec 2025, 11:57 - Category: Finances