Democrat Announces Summer/Fall Campaign For Buckingham Supervisor

BUCKINGHAM TOWNSHIP, PA — Democrat Mike Bateman has announced his summer and fall campaign for an open six year seat on the board of supervisors in Buckingham Township.

"Being born and raised about 45 minutes from Buckingham, when an opportunity presented itself for my family to return to Pennsylvania from Southern California I knew this would be the ideal environment to raise my family and put down roots. I was familiar with the area, still have family here, and understand what makes our community special," he wrote in a press release to Patch officially announcing his campaign.

"I'm new to politics," said Bateman. "There's no hiding that and no shame to it either. I will bring an open and curious mind to all local issues, and I think that’s exactly what Buckingham needs - someone who isn't tied to the local partisan political game for decades, someone who's energetic and has ideas. The ideas may not always work out, but I want to bring fresh thoughts to the Board of Supervisors for this township to make our community better for everyone."

His platform includes making permitting easier, improving community spaces, establishing a Buckingham Farmer's Market, budget transparency, mandatory requests for proposals for third party vendors, pay better attention to township roads, preserve history and improve community communications, providing timely minutes and meeting videos, no airport expansion and continued land preservation efforts.

As an entrepreneur and small business owner, Bateman said he first "fell in love with the green space and rolling fields" of Buckingham. "Then we began to discover the local produce, dairy and goods that we could find at farms and small businesses. As a small business owner myself, I know the value and importance of supporting local businesses and industries.

"I take community participation very seriously as a value in my life, and having been here for several years and observing our elected leadership’s strengths and weaknesses, I knew that several challenges we are facing could only be solved with new faces and a different leadership style," he said.

"Since we want Buckingham to be our 'forever home' and our kids to grow up in a thriving community, I am committed to being a part of Buckingham’s leadership for a growing future generation.

"I love our community’s connectedness – we’re all invested in our shared success," he said. "With more and more people moving to Buckingham, we need to proactively plan for that growth while preserving the essence of what makes our township great.

"While our current leadership has stewarded our community to where we are today, it is time for a spirited contrast of visions and goals for our community," said Bateman. "I don’t expect anybody to do work that I’m not willing to do myself, and I’m at a point in my life, business and community engagement to put my name forward as a candidate for Buckingham Township Supervisor."

For additional information on Bateman's platform, click here.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Any candidate running for political office is welcome to reach out to the Patch to announce their campaigns and platforms.