Quick Highlights
- Meet Mack Monday (Nov 3) Recap – Key resident questions, discussion themes, and follow-ups.
- Consent Agenda – Bills list reviewed and approved.
- 413 Durham Road – Sewage Planning Module; EDU/GPD flow calculation discussed.
- Fire Apparatus Grant – Resolution to pursue a $1,000,000 LSA grant for a new aerial truck and pumper.
- Fire Services Agreement – 2026 fire services agreement with the Newtown Fire Association (NFA).
- Borough Fire Services Payment – Unexpected update on the Borough’s contribution.
- Police Report (October 2025) – Monthly statistical summary.
- 2026 Budget – Proposed 4-mill tax increase; questions on revenue projections, HR position funding, police vehicle replacements, and technology spending.
- Road Program – Funding allows only 1.85 miles of paving vs. roughly 3.56 miles needed annually to maintain the 28-year paving cycle.
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The differences between the 2026 Fire Services Agreement and the 2020 Fire Services Agreement touch upon the duration of the agreement, organizational structure, funding specifics, operational requirements, and reporting details.
To summarize the operational shift: the 2026 agreement reflects a more integrated and formalized structure ("Newtown Fire Rescue") that relies heavily on a unified "Operations Manual," while eliminating specific performance metrics (like response times and specific initial funding) and detailed internal procedures found in the 2020 document, moving those details into the new manual or generalized language. It also introduces the Township's right of refusal on equipment.
Listen to this "Deep Dive" podcast...
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Further Notes:
When I asked Fire Chief Forsythe why accountability metrics such as time it takes for apparatus to arrive on scene were absent from the 2026 agreement, he said “...to put that in writing to a document that we’re going to sign, I feel as though it leaves us open to a certain liability, which I don’t think we should do when you folks know that we can’t do it. ... You all know it. And we’ve done nothing to take the proper steps to fix it. Nothing.”.
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The central conflict revolves around the borough's contribution for fire protection, with many township residents, including speaker Eric Pomerantz (shown below), arguing that the suggested payment of $275,000 is unfairly low and forces the township to raise their own taxes via a millage increase. He made his comments at the 12 November 2025 BOS meeting.
The residents and several supervisors maintain that the borough should pay at least $350,000, a figure apparently supported by a Harrisburg calculation, to ensure an equal share of the burden. For more on that read “2022 #NewtownPA Borough Fire Protection Fair Share Analysis".
Listen to this "Deep Dive" podcast...
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Further Notes:
At the 12 November 2025 BOS meeting, the Supervisors voted 3-2 to increase the fee from the propose $275,000 per year to $350,000. This decision only authorized the Solicitor to draft a letter to the Borough. The Supervisors are likely to revisit this at the 25 November 2025 BOS meeting when it comes time to actually send the letter.
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When a headline announces a local tax increase, it’s easy to feel a familiar sense of resignation. But what if the numbers on the page are only a fraction of the story?
A recent "Meet Mack Monday" community meeting, hosted by Supervisor John Mack, pulled back the curtain on Newtown's 2026 draft budget. Beyond the expected figures, the discussion and subsequent Q&A revealed several surprising and impactful truths about how the township operates, where our tax dollars really go, and the quiet challenges shaping our community's future.
Listen to the "Deep Dive" podcast...
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The financial statements of Newtown Township for the year ended December 31, 2024, were audited by the firm Maillie LLP. The findings and context of this audit are crucial for understanding the reliability of the financial data not only for 2024 but going forward to 2026 as well.
The audit process identified risks of management override and improper revenue recognition for planning purposes and noted a material weakness in a separate communication to the Board of Supervisors. Specifically, the auditors noted that Newtown Township did not consistently record revenues in the proper accounting period. Specifically, certain revenues related to intergovernmental grants and charges for services were recorded in the incorrect fiscal year.
Listen to the "Deep Dive" podcast...
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A Comment:
Given this scathing report, I wonder how accurate the 2026 revenue estimates are. The Township Manager, for example, expects a decrease in real estate taxes in 2026.
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The Newtown Gate Master Association, representing nearly 400 households and more than 800 residents, raised urgent concerns in a November 13, 2025 letter to supervisors following a sudden wave of parking tickets along Fountain Farm Lane (FFL).
The Newtown Gate HOA boards are seeking a collaborative path forward to address both the parking limitations and safety issues. They requested a temporary moratorium on parking ticket enforcement along Fountain Farm Laneand strongly urged the Board of Supervisors to commission a professional, township-funded traffic engineering study. The key objective of this study would be to determine the viability of changing the road's classification from an arterial road to a non-arterial road, which could potentially allow for parking in designated areas
Finally, the HOA hopes the Township will address concerns regarding communication and transparency, specifically regarding the origin of the enforcement directive and the sharing of traffic monitoring data.
Read more details here...
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The goal of Meet Mack Monday Zoom meetings is to keep residents informed about township issues that affect them and to gather their feedback and comments. This helps Supervisor Mack stay closely aligned with residents’ concerns when voting on matters at Board of Supervisors meetings.
Agenda
- 2026 Draft Newtown Township Budget
- 2026 Road Paving Program
- Fire Services Non-Agreement with the Borough
- 22 October 2025 BOS Meeting Summary
- Fountain Farm Lane Parking Problem
- My Plans After BOS
View the video presentation...
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