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My name is John Mack and on November 5, 2019, I was re-elected to serve a 6-year term as a Newtown Supervisor. I would like to thank all the citizens who came out and voted that Tuesday. I will do my best to work as a Supervisor serving all Newtown Township residents.

Honesty · Integrity · Experience

As a Supervisor, I go the extra mile to alert my constituents to new and developing issues and utilize my position as an elected official to obtain input from local residents as to significant issues facing our community (e.g., via “Meet Mack Monday” Zoom meetings). I keep busy learning about and making decisions about issues of concern to residents, including traffic and pedestrian safety, the pollution of our streams and lakes, perfluoronated hydrocarbons (PFAS) in our drinking water, preservation of open space, fiscal responsibility, and over development (read “Newtown Area Residents Are Very Concerned About Overdevelopment”). On average, I spend more than 40 hours every month on official Supervisor activities including interacting with residents, preparing for meetings, and attending meetings (read "What's the Hourly 'Wage' of a Newtown Township Supervisor?").

Survey: What Do You Think of the New Higher Fire & EMS Tax Limits?

To meet the increasing financial needs of fire and ambulance services, on 11 July 2024 the Pennsylvania General Assembly passed Regular Session 2023-2024 House Bill 2310, which authorized increased millage rates for annual taxes levied by Townships of the Second Class for Fire Protection and Emergency Services from 3 mills to 10 mills (read "Millage Rate Limits Raised for Dedicated Fire & EMS Taxes").

The Newtown Board of Supervisors can enact an ordinance authorizing the levy of up to 10 mills of fire tax annually and up to 5 mills of emergency services tax annually without specifying the actual tax rate. The actual tax rate, however, for each given year would be decided by the Board during its year-end budgeting process.

What do you think? Should Newtown Township authorize this new limit in Fire and EMS Services Tax? And if it does, should it actually increase these taxes and if so, by how much? NOTE: A tax increase may not be proposed for 2025. However, this may likely need to be addressed in the near future as additional resources become necessary.

“Our founders wanted us to know what our government representatives are doing. They knew that a healthy press is essential to a healthy democracy—and it’s worked for almost 250 years.” – Bucks County Herald. Also important, IMHO, is for elected government representatives to keep citizens they represent informed.