Election 2023: Democrat Elen Snyder For Newtown Township Supervisor

Candidates running in the Nov. 7 general election are providing background about themselves and their positions on the issues to voters in these profiles, which will run in Patch individually for each candidate.

NEWTOWN TOWNSHIP, PA — Democrat Elen Snyder is seeking a six-year term on the Newtown Township Board of Supervisors. Four candidates are vying for two open seats in the General Election. They are Democrats Elen Snyder and Phil Calabro and Republicans Andrea Ahern and Debbie Verwoerd.

Biographical Information

Name: Elen Snyder

Age: 66
Residence: Newtown Township
Position Sought: Newtown Township Supervisor, 6-year term
Party Affiliation: Democrat
Family: Two sons, Jesse and Ian
Occupation: Retired

Questions

Why are you running?

To preserve and protect our township from future threats of over-development while maintaining our parks and open space for the enjoyment of our families.

What are the top issues facing the township and how do you plan to address them?

Our emergency services, specifically our fire department, needs a sound fiscal plan that addresses their immediate future. While we have received a grant that is helpful for the next 3 years we must figure out a way to add new revenue to afford them after that. One new source would include rezoning underutilized areas of Newtown for more beneficial uses. There are other areas in town where similar rezoning might be appropriate.

What would you work to accomplish over the next 6 years?

The rezoning that I mentioned above could include opening the Newtown Business Commons to more family-friendly uses. When the sidewalk project is finished, this might make the area an attractive destination for our residents.

I’d also like to keep working on environmental projects that will bring our township into the future such as adding charging stations for electric vehicles and making it easier to use solar-generated or electric power for our needs. We will look for grants to make this possible.

What is your position on a new sewage treatment plant in the township?

Newtown has maintained our current utility in such a manner that has shown excellence in maintenance and management. If the sewer authority shows that this can be done in an environmentally safe manner, it would be an asset for our community. This would free us from the county facilities with their unpredictable rate increases that would negatively impact the community.