Defining the Issues

I just finished answering a questionnaire for the League of Women Voters of Bucks County. In response to their question, “What do you consider the most important issues facing your community and how would you address them? (In 75 words or less)” I answered, “Traffic congestion is one of the major problems in Middletown. We must continue our aggressive approach to protect remaining undeveloped parcels of land to reduce the potential for additional development, which contributes to traffic congestion. We must also work with other municipalities and our traffic engineer to create ways to move traffic more efficiently and eliminate bottlenecks – which has proved successful in several areas we tackled during my time in office.”

The 75-word restriction was … well, restricting. I have learned during my last almost 18 months on the Board of Supervisors, that there is a whole host of problems that must be addressed, Prioritizing them is a difficult task itself.

This is not to say Middletown Township isn’t a premier municipality worthy of respect and admiration. It is. In my estimation, it is one of the top communities in the country. A great place to live, raise a family and retire in.

Facing up to the fact that there are problems that need to be addressed only means that one is willing to put the effort into defining what flaws exist and determining ways to correct them to pass on an even greater community than one inherited.

One of the biggest problems we addressed in the past year and a half was what was described by one investigator from Harrisburg as a dysfunctional administration in the police department. We have a number of outstanding police officers, some of whom would admit off the record many of the problems that existed in the administration. These problems affected morale as well as the overall safety of our residents.

As a result, the Democratic majority on the Board voted to create the position of Public Safety Director to replace the position of Chief when Chief McKenna retired at the end of January of this year. Pat McGinty has been in the position of Acting Public Safety Director for only a few months now and already some of the problems have been addressed and corrected. I am confident this move is leading to a much more efficient and effective police force. I am also confident that those within the department who are truly dedicated to protecting the residents of Middletown Township are quietly cheering.

The Director of Public Safety oversees the fire and emergency services as well as the police department. There are four fire companies that provide service to Middletown Township organized under an entity called the Skyline Fire District. We know that there are a number of issues that Acting PSD McGinty and the Supervisors will have to address in the coming months regarding how the taxes allocated for fire services are utilized and options that are available that could ultimately lead to reductions in the cost of homeowners insurance.

We will be addressing these and other issues in the weeks and months ahead, but we are most interested in what you, as a resident of Middletown Township, think are the most important issues that need to be addressed. You are welcome to submit a comment to this blog. And, Julie, Harry and I will be out knocking on doors throughout the campaign, so please don’t hesitate to let is know what you think.