Doylestown Borough Rejects First Draft Of Police Commission Budget

DOYLESTOWN BOROUGH, PA — The Doylestown Borough Council this week unanimously rejected the first draft of a budget submitted by the Central Bucks Regional Police Commission for 2024.

Under its inter-municipal agreement with Doylestown Borough, New Britain Borough, and Chalfont Borough, the commission is required to submit a draft budget to the municipalities by September 1 keeping in mind the budget remains a "work in progress" relying on multiple assumptions.

The borough's public safety committee recommended the rejection of the draft budget in an action anticipated by the police commission.

As it currently stands, the budget includes an increase in expenditures of 8.28 percent, or $565,656, over the 2023 budget.

Driving the increase is the addition of two new full-time officers at a cost of $247,300 and a 3.25 percent salary increase for police and a three percent increase for clerical at an additional annual cost of $104,500.

The budget also allocates an increase of $25,000 for legal expenses based on 2023 numbers, open litigation, and Right-To-Know requests, and an increase of $143,000 in estimated health, workers' compensation, and property and liability premiums.

In other business at its Sept 18 meeting, the council:

• Voted to waive the 2023 Neis Field permit fee of $210 for the Newtown-based Rock Gold softball program. The program has accommodated a number of Doylestown children in its travel program since the Doylestown Athletic Association no longer offers the program.
• Approved a proposal from Melissa Russell to create a mural on the playground side of the Burpee Park Pavilion. The new mural would cover the current, over 30-year-old mural which is badly in need of replacement. Borough staff will prep the wall and reimburse paint costs.
• Approved the drafting of an ordinance that would add red maples back to the list of approved plantings in the borough's subdivision and land development ordinance. The tree was removed from the list due to concerns related to the spotted lanternfly. "There's now been nearly three years to observe conditions and the Environment and Recreation Committee is recommending that red maple (acer rubrum) be added back to the list," said Councilwoman Wendy Margolis.

During public comment, North Hamilton Street resident Matt Major asked the council to consider options for traffic control on North Hamilton Street.

"With the prospect of a new business coming in where the old borough building is there is a concern on the street about the rate of speed vehicles are traveling. They fly up North Hamilton on a constant basis."

He requested that a new speed study be conducted on the street. Speed tables have also been suggested to restrict the flow and the speed of traffic, he said.

"Love the development, but we just want to protect the young kids and families who are walking up and down North Hamilton Street on the sidewalks and have to deal with people using that
street as a cut-through."

After listening to the concerns, Borough Manager John Davis said the borough would follow through and schedule a speed study for the street.