Mack's Newtown Voice

This short audio podcast is a quick review of letters, emails, and handwritten notes sent to the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General (OAG) regarding the sale of Chandler Hall. The letters were received via a Right-to-Know Law request filed by John Mack. While the OAG granted the request in part by providing the relevant communications, it also redacted specific details to protect the personal...

Public Meeting Announcement Date & Time: Tuesday, September 22, 2026, at 7:00 PM Location: Chancellor Center, 30 N. Congress Street, Newtown, PA 18940 Purpose: A public presentation before the Newtown Borough Council regarding the updated plans for the Liberty Centre Development Project Project Details: The proposed redevelopment features 125 apartments, a expanded open plaza, a creekside greenway...

This audio briefing examines how the Newtown YMCA managed the announcement that it must leave its Chandler Hall location by December 31, 2026. YMCA’s reassuring public message promises a new Newtown home for the Fitness Center and Childcare Facility. Staff were told told that childcare already had a new home at Holy Family University beginning January 4, 2027, while arrangements for the health and...

This Audio Overview focuses on the specific intergovernmental agreements and shared funding decisions that caused split votes among the Newtown Board of Supervisors (BOS) in the period from January through August 2026. The contentious votes involved Fire Services Agreement with Newtown Borough and Opioid Settlement MOU with Bucks County. Battlegrounds emerge when the township is asked to share its...

At the September 9, 2026 Newtown Township Board of Supervisors meeting, Todd McGonigal delivered a pointed critique of the abandoned sewer treatment plant project and the political and professional relationships surrounding it. McGonigal repeatedly asked “Who benefited?” He argued that Newtown residents did not appear to benefit: sewer customers received a 47% rate increase, roughly $11.5 million...

Newtown Township faced a tight 18-month deadline to obligate approximately $133,000 in opioid settlement funds (which grew to the final $167,240.04 disbursement in September 2026). Ultimately, the Board of Supervisors voted on June 24, 2026, to approve a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to transfer these funds to Bucks County, because the township lacked the healthcare infrastructure to run drug...

The 26 August 2026 Newtown Township Bills List provides a comprehensive summary of expenditures for the township. It outlines a total distribution of $350,311.41 across several municipal accounts, including the General Fund, Fire Protection, and Capital Projects. The records detail payments for police equipment, public works maintenance, and various community recreation programs. Key costs include...

An early childhood education center named Apple Montessori Schools is proposing to repurpose a vacant Rite Aid pharmacy in Newtown, Pennsylvania, into a new school. The project involves converting the building into a facility for 142 students and replacing a section of the parking lot with a fenced playground and pool. While the property owner believes the school is a compatible tenant for the Goo...

This podcast debates the pros and cons on a official statement from the Plymouth Township Council regarding a controversial proposal to build a hyperscale data center at the site of a former steel plant. While Pennsylvania law requires the municipality to permit all legitimate land uses, the Council is formally opposing the current application because the developer rejected a comprehensive list of...

The April 2026 Newtown Township Treasurer's Report documents that the township has significantly exceeded its budget just a third of the way into the year, such as Public Works Overtime (which is currently at 538% of its budget), Snow & Ice Removal Contracted Services (156% of its budget), and General Administration Credit Card Fees (103% of its budget). Nevertheless, total spending is still under...

The Newtown Creek Pedestrian Bridge project is currently facing a significant financial crisis as construction bids have repeatedly exceeded the available grant funding. Although the township secured nearly one million dollars for the work, a substantial portion has already been consumed by administrative and legal fees, leaving only $836,025 for actual building costs. Despite efforts to reduce ex...

Residents are asking for a sewer rate refund because the authority previously raised sewer rates to purchase land for a sewer project that has now been canceled. The Newtown Bucks County Joint Municipal Authority (NBCJMA) originally borrowed money to purchase a property for $11.5 million, which caused residents' rates to increase. Now that the authority is abandoning the project and selling the la...

At the 22 July 2026 Newtown Township Board of Supervisors meeting, several residents spoke out against duplicate billing, Chandler Hall sale and data centers and in support of safer crosswalks. Regarding the "dupilcate" billing: The two invoices were obtained via a RTK AFTER this recording was made. The first for $25,000 was actually a for a deposit to purchase the equipment/boiler, NOT the actual...

In Falls Township, Pennsylvania, an $800 million Amazon data center project is creating a new kind of friction in local communities. Occupying the site of a former industrial titan, this data center campus—part of a broader $20 billion investment in the state—is testing the limits of local infrastructure, environmental policy, and community patience. This “Deep Dive” podcast debates the pros and c...

This "Deep Dive" podcast recaps the July 8, 2026, Newtown Township Board of Supervisors session. At the very beginning a public comments by a resident regarding pedestrian safety and request for updates on progress regarding safe crosswalks is met with complete silence. Crickets were heard is how to best describe this, During the meeting, local officials discussed several infrastructure and safety...

This "Deep Dive" podcast documents a July 2026 public meeting where Sunoco Pipeline and its consultants presented a Remedial Action Plan (RAP) to address a jet fuel leak in Washington Crossing, PA. The representatives detailed a strategy centered on multi-phase extraction (MPE), a technology designed to remove fuel vapors, liquid product, and contaminated groundwater through a 30-day pilot test. L...

This July 2026 newsletter provides a comprehensive update on civic and financial matters affecting the Newtown, Pennsylvania area. It highlights the midyear budget analysis, revealing how tax dollars are allocated toward public safety and infrastructure maintenance. The Editor - John Mack - examines the operational transparency of the local Zoning Hearing Board, specifically explaining the legal b...

This "Deep Dive" podcast analyzes official law enforcement records detailing traffic citations issued by the Newtown Township Police Department (NTPD) in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The logs cover several months in 2026, specifically documenting enforcement activity during January, February, March, April, and May. Each entry provides precise data including the date, time, and specific location of...

This "Deep Dive" podcast outlines the municipal financial obligations for Newtown Township scheduled for approval on July 8, 2026. The records detail a comprehensive Bills List totaling over $934,000 across various accounts, including the General Fund, Fire Protection, and Rescue Squad funds. Significant expenditures are allocated toward public health insurance premiums, recreational camp activiti...

This "Deep Dive" podcast analyzes the Newtown Township Treasurer’s Report for the period ending March 31, 2026. This comprehensive financial summary details the allocation of over $11 million in combined cash across various municipal accounts, including the General Fund, Fire Protection, and Capital Projects. The reports include detailed balance sheets that list local assets and liabilities alongs...

Several Pennsylvania legislators are currently advancing multiple bills designed to regulate and restrict the rapid growth of massive data centers across the state. These legislative efforts aim to provide local municipalities with the legal authority to pause developments for up to 180 days, allowing them to update zoning laws without the pressure of immediate applications. Other proposed measure...

This "Deep Dive" podcast focuses on a comparison of two data center ordinances. While both aim to regulate large-scale data storage and processing facilities, they approach the task differently: the "G-17 Ordinance" is a specific draft for a multi-municipality jointure in Pennsylvania (Newtown, Wrightstown, and Upper Makefield Townships), whereas the "PennFuture" document is a customizable model o...

At its 16 June 2026 public meeting, the Newtown Township Planning Commission granted unanimous support for the redevelopment of the former Guru’s building into a high-end restaurant. The property owner, Adam Baratta, is working with historic preservation experts to restore the structure’s nineteenth-century character while addressing its current state as a local eyesore. To facilitate this transfo...

This "Deep Dive" podcast outlines the legislative framework and safety requirements for establishing large-scale data centers within the Newtown three-township (Newtown, Wrightstown, Upper Makefield) "Jointure." The proposed ordinance classifies these facilities as conditional uses in industrial and agricultural zones, provided they meet strict environmental and operational standards regarding noi...

This “Deep Dive” podcast documents a Newtown Township Board of Supervisors meeting where officials debated the allocation of $133,000 in opioid settlement funds. The township solicitor proposed a Memorandum of Understanding to transfer these funds to Bucks County, arguing that the township lacks the necessary infrastructure to manage permitted drug treatment programs. While some board members supp...