Newtown Township supervisors approved a $16.86M budget for 2026, raising municipal taxes by 4 mills — about $160 more per average household.
Residents voiced concern about the shrinking general fund, warning that Newtown could follow neighboring towns facing steep tax jumps if spending isn’t reined in. [Read “Middletown Proposes Nearly a 60% Tax Hike in 2026”]
Read more...
|
At the 4 December 2025 Newtown Zoning Hearing Board meeting, the Newtown Athletic Club (NAC) sought relief to allow a wall sign, installed in 2019, to remain in its current location facing the Newtown Bypass, violating size restrictions and the distance requirements stipulated in the municipal code.
According to the briefing document, the NAC claimed the placement was due to an "inadvertent installation error" that contradicted a previous 2014 decision, which led to a zoning violation notice issued in 2025.
Listen to this "Deep Dive" podcast...
| |
Further Notes:
I was at the ZHB meeting and was surprised to see Ana Gindhart - the Newtown Twp Zoning Officer - sitting between the NAC applicant representative and Ed Murphy, being introduced by Mr. Murphy. Boad optics! Just sayin'
|
|
At the 20 December 2025 BOS public meeting, Newtown Supervisors approved the 2026 Budget and a 30% tax increase, raising the total millage to 17.115 mills. The budget projects a $3.23M structural deficit and drastically reduces road paving funding by 25%, even as spending increases for police vehicles, a dump truck, and new administrative positions.
I proposed reallocations that would restore nearly one extra mile of paving, but the majority did not adopt the changes. It was said that more roads could be added to the list by the new BOS in 2026. If yoou believe that, I have a bridge to sell you in Brooklyn!
The meeting also featured my farewell remarks after eight years of service, emphasizing transparency, public access to documents, and resident engagement.
More details...
| |
Further Notes:
After the meeting, a resident pointed out yo me that when the Chair put forward the motion for a vote on the 2026 budget, 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. Nevertheless, the township posted the budget as "ADOPTED DECEMBER 10, 2025."
|
|
|
With the controversial wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) officially abandoned [read "#NewtownPA Sewer Authority Scraps $128 Million Wastewater Treatment Plant"], the question is “What to do with the Lower Silver Lake Road parcel originally slated for the facility?”
Comparing the parcel to Silver Lake Park, at the 9 December 2025 Sewer Authority meeting, argued against any future construction: “If you want to know my opinion, we don’t want any kind of development there. I think the land should remain undeveloped with the provision that it never be developed.”
Mack noted that the Authority raised rates by 43% ro secure a loan to purchase the land. He noted that like the price of eggs, the rate increase will never be decreased even if the land is sold back to the original owners.
Read more...
| |
Further Notes:
At the 9 December 2025 Sewer Authority meeting, Mack was informed that the Authority sent the buy back offer to the original owners in the last week of November. The owners have 90 days from receipt of the offer to respond. The township now awaits responses from both the authority and the developer, leaving the fate of the land—and its role in shaping Newtown’s future—still unresolved.
|
|
At the Newtown, Bucks County, Joint Municipal Authority (NBCJMA) board meeting held on December 9, 2025, discussions centered on the Penns Commons Sewer Lining and Replacement project. An engineer's report detailed an unforeseen storm sewer conflict and project progress.
Listen to the "Deep Dive" podcast...
|
By diving into the November 2025 activity report from the Newtown Township Police Department in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, we can look at the raw data. The numbers and incident logs tell a story that is far more nuanced and service-oriented than fiction. This analysis will reveal how data dismantles the myth of TV police work and illustrates a department's true, multifaceted role in its community.
Listen to this "Deep Dive" podcast...
|
|
