Doylestown Township Supervisor Announces Re-Election Campaign

DOYLESTOWN TOWNSHIP, PA — Doylestown Township Supervisor Jennifer Herring on Monday announced her campaign for re-election to another six year term on the board of supervisors.

Herring, a certified public accountant and a Democrat, said she has been honored to represent the residents of the township during the past six years and is looking forward to continuing to represent the township for the next six.

"Over my first term we have built strategies to help secure our financial stability for years to come
through smarter investing decisions and responsible debt management," said Herring. "We have also worked to make sure our local infrastructure works and is in better repair. Our new Accelerated Roads Program will continue to rebuild our township roads systems after many had fallen in disrepair."

During her first term as supervisor, Herring was appointed in a bipartisan vote to serve as the vice chair of the board of supervisors.

"I believe that shows you how well I can work with people of different political beliefs in our township and that I work for the betterment of the community," said Herring.

She also earned appointment as liaison to the township’s most influential financial committee (formerly Ways and Means), the Environmental Advisory Council, the pension advisory committee and the planning commission.

Herring also served as liaison on the township's Telecommunications Committee and on the Parks and Recreation Board during the initial stages of planning and discussion for a new community center. The township is expected to break ground on the new facility this spring.

During her first six years on the board, Herring has worked to make local government more accessible to the public, successfully lobbying to move the time of board meetings from a 4:30 p.m. start time to 7 p.m. to accommodate residents who work during the day.

But among her proudest accomplishments have centered around the environment.

Herring has lobbied hard for environmental issues, serving as the board's liaison to the Environmental Advisory Council. She proposed and passed the Green Points ordinance, which grants fee reductions to homeowners who, for example, install solar panels or replace their windows with higher than average energy efficiency.

Herring also strongly supported the township's Ready for 100 resolution, a commitment to reduce the township's carbon emissions to zero by the year 2050.

Herring also supported a resolution educating the community on single use plastics and its negative impact on the environment, while strongly encouraging businesses to eliminate the use of single use plastic bags in the township.

"I believe a large part of what our function is as township supervisors is to make sure the environment stays healthy for our community," said Herring. "And I am committed to making sure the environment is considered in all major decisions of the township."

Looking ahead, Herring said she will continue her focus on improving the township's financial position and its commitment to the environment.

"Financially, the one thing I'm proud of is we managed to keep our bond rating at the best bond rating we could have for a municipality of our size," she said.

"We have also worked on our pension to make sure that in the future we don't end up flat footed," she said. "It's like a credit card. You can pay the minimum balance and still comply with all the regulations, but fees and interest just piles up and piles up. We're now putting more against that minimum balance so we're not stuck with a huge amount of debt in the future.

"I look forward to continuing those types of things and that the environment is something we are focused on," said Herring.

Another issue high on her agenda in a second term is water quality and ways to address PFAS contamination. "Any environmental issue like that are big on my radar right now because it affects so many parts of our community, but most importantly it affects the health of the people who live here. That will be one of the things that drives me for the next six years and beyond."