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November 2019
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Holiday Open House
Middletown Township is excited to invite you to the annual Holiday Open House on December 12th at the Municipal Center.
Indoor activities run from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and include pictures with Santa, face painting, arts and crafts, balloon sculptures, and refreshments. You can also work on your gift shopping, as both the Styers Market and Tracy's Custom Cakery will sell small gift items.
For the first time, this year's event will also feature a beer garden in the parking lot from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. All proceeds from the beer garden go to the
Middletown Community Foundation. Other outdoor features include a food truck, horse drawn carriage rides, an inflatable slide, and an inflatable snowboard activity.
As always, the Holiday Open House will feature live music from local youth, this year including the Neshaminy High School Orchestra, Our Lady of Grace School Choir, and local band Nothing but a Nightmare.
Attendees are asked to bring one non-perishable food item to be donated to the Lower Bucks County Food Pantry. Please note that all attendees should park at The Shoppes of Flowers Mill and walk to the Municipal Center.
We hope to see everyone there and look forward to celebrating the holidays with the community.
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2020 Proposed Budget
 The 2020 Proposed Budget is now available to the public.
Developed after two public budget workshops, the Proposed Budget was presented at the November 18th Board of Supervisors meeting. It features detailed descriptions of the Township's goals for 2020, healthy financial standing, and projected revenues and expenditures for next year. Below are some of the highlighted features of the 2020 Proposed Budget:
- A balanced budget with no increase in taxes
- The Township will continue actively seeking grants to offset project costs, and the Township has secured more than $8.5 million in grant revenue since 2011
- General Fund revenues come from a variety of sources, with 36 percent from the Earned Income Tax and 17 percent from the Real Estate Tax
- The largest expenditure categories are Police Services (51 percent), Employer Paid Benefits and Pension (20 percent), and Public Works (8 percent)
- The Township's portion of the Real Estate Tax only makes up 9 percent of what residents pay, with the remainder going to the Neshaminy School District and Bucks County
- All Township funds have a healthy projected fund balance heading into 2020
- Proposed $6.6 million in capital investment, including $1 million for road improvement and $750,000 for stormwater projects
The 2020 Proposed Budget is currently available for public inspection and can be viewed online here. The Board of Supervisors will consider adoption of the Budget at the December 16th meeting.
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Middletown Receives Highest Bond Rating
The Township is very excited to announce that it has been assigned a rating of "Aaa" from Moody's Investor Service.
This rating is the highest that Moody's assigns, and it is a reflection of the Township's sound financial position. Middletown is the only municipality in Bucks County to have this rating from Moody's, and it is just the tenth in all of Pennsylvania to earn it. The rating is based on strong financial management practices, healthy fund balances, and economic conditions.
The "Aaa" rating will have a positive impact on the Township moving forward. At the November 18th meeting, the Board of Supervisors approved a Parameters Ordinance to authorize the refinancing of existing debt and additional borrowing of up to $3 million for capital projects. The improved bond rating will lower interest rates, making it easier for the Township to borrow money to invest in the community.
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It's something very special to be the only municipality in Bucks County to receive this rating from Moody's," said Board of Supervisors Chairperson Tom Tosti. "I want to thank our Township Manager and staff for their great work in getting the Township in such a good financial position."
Middletown is not new to earning recognition for financial management policies. Earlier this year, Middletown Township was awarded the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA). This prestigious award represents the Township's commitment to meeting the highest principles of budgeting and transparency. The Township has also earned the GFOA Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for the 15th time. Middletown is only the 11th governmental entity in Pennsylvania to earn both recognitions.
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Yard Waste Collection
Please be advised that regular Wednesday yard waste collection will end for the year at the end of November. Collection will resume on Wednesday, April 1, 2020.
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Emergency Services Fund Drive
 The Penndel-Middletown Emergency Squad (PMES) would like highlight their subscription drive. This funding helps PMES provide quality service and manage the high costs of purchasing and operating ambulances and other medical equipment. In addition, subscribers can save money, themselves, as their one-time payment will replace any co-pay or deductible from their insurance company should they need ambulance services.
For additional information on how to sign up and the benefits of subscription, please visit the PMES website.
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An Award for Officer Robison
School Resource Officer Melissa Robison received the Neshaminy - We Build Futures Award from the School District for her great work in the schools. The award recognizes individuals whose work furthers the District's mission of empowering students.
"Officer Robison has made, and continues to make, a positive impact in the schools every day, and getting recognized for her efforts makes the Police Department proud," said Chief Joe Bartorilla.
Congratulations, Officer Robison!
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Welcome Officer Osinski
The Middletown Township Police Department is excited to welcome its newest member, Robert Osinski.
Officer Osinski grew up in Northeast Philadelphia and graduated from Archbishop Ryan High School. He attended Bucks County Community College, and later earned a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from Temple University's Fox School of Business. For the last twelve years, he has been a Bucks County resident living in Warrington. Until he graduated the Montgomery County Police Academy in June 2018, he worked as the food and beverage manager of the Bucks County Country Club. After graduating, he served one year as a Police Officer in Penndel Borough before joining Middletown.
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Snow Plowing Reminders
 Temperatures are dropping, and we've already had our first snow flurries of the season. Before the snow comes in force, Middletown would like to provide the following reminders to ensure that snow can be cleared quickly and safely:
- Vehicles must be moved off the roadway within one hour of the snow beginning to fall
- Do not deposit shoveled snow onto the street - it will just get pushed back when the snow plow comes through
- Fixed basketball nets cannot extend past the curb line, and portable ones should be removed from the street
- Sidewalks must be cleared within 24 hours of the end of the snowfall, and residents living on a corner are responsible for the portion of the sidewalk around the corner
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Skate Park Grand Opening
After years in the making, the Middletown Township Skate Park is officially open.
The Township marked this special occasion with live music, a ribbon cutting ceremony, and, of course, a lot of skating at an event held on November 9th.
The original Skate Park at Middletown Community Park was closed in 2015 due to damage and safety concerns, leaving the skaters in the community without a major attraction. In the years since, the community has worked very hard to bring back this important feature. Residents and businesses, especially Waste Management and Brian's Harley Davidson, helped raise money, and the Township received a grant from the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to help fund the project. A local firm, 5th Pocket Skateparks, completed both the design and construction, which began this summer.
"Our community has wonderful facilities for recreation, including fields for baseball and soccer, but it is important that none of our youth are left out," said Board of Supervisors Chairperson Tom Tosti. "I am very proud of everyone involved in making sure that skaters in Middletown have the same opportunities as those with other interests."
As the ribbon was cut, dozens of people grabbed their skate boards and enjoyed using the new facility.
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From the Permit Corner
Welcome to the Permit Corner, where you can find out about the new businesses and major construction projects in the Township.
- An Auto Wash car wash is now open at 2345 East Lincoln Highway at the former site of Toys R Us
- Chipotle and Metropolitan Diner are currently under construction in Lincoln Plaza
- The new 5,000 square foot Wawa on Lincoln Highway is expected to be constructed in 2020
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Upcoming Events
November 28-29
- Township offices closed for Thanksgiving Day
December 2 - Board of Supervisors meeting, 7 p.m. in the Public Hall of the Municipal Center
December 4
- Planning Commission meeting, 7 p.m. in the Public Hall of the Municipal Center
December 11 - Zoning Hearing Board meeting, 7 p.m. in the Public Hall of the Municipal Center
December 12 -
Holiday Open House, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Municipal Center (Beer Garden starts at 5:30 p.m.)
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Middletown Township
3 Municipal Way,
Langhorne, PA 19047
215-750-3800
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We'd like to hear from you! If you have an idea for something that we can cover in the eNews, please let us know by emailing
ssadowsky@middletownbucks.org.
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