Calabro To Seek Fourth Term On Newtown Township Board Of Supervisors

NEWTOWN TOWNSHIP, PA — Newtown Township Supervisor Phil Calabro has announced his bid for re-election in 2023.

Calabro, a 35 year resident of the township and a Democrat, is finishing his third six-year term on the board. The Democrats currently hold a 4-1 majority on the board.

During his nearly 18 years on the board of supervisors, Calabro said he has served in the minority - as well as the majority - and has learned to work with both sides in order to accomplish goals.

Calabro said he is proud of the board’s persistence early in his tenure to secure open space along the Newtown Creek. More recently, Calabro helped negotiate with Toll Brothers to earmark 100 acres of land at the former All Saints Cemetery property on Route 413 and Twining Bridge Road as open space. He has also taken developers to task when they failed to make good on their land development contracts.

In the area of safety and quality of life, Calabro has lobbied for the expansion of the annual road program from roughly one to three miles of road improvements each year. For 2023, Newtown Township plans to pave 10 roads.

Calabro has also been an advocate for collaboration with the township's municipal neighbors, pushing for joint fire agreement with Newtown Borough. He also assisted Wrightstown in providing round-the-clock police protection.

Looking ahead, Calabro said he would like to see Newtown Township and Newtown Borough work cooperatively to provide joint police service.

Combining the two police departments would result in significant cost savings for each municipality, would strengthen both police departments and would keep intact much of the existing infrastructure, he said.

Calabro said he's also committed to finding “out-of-the-box” revenue generators for the township. As more municipalities enact an earned income tax, he said Newtown Township stands to lose a projected $170,000 in 2023 alone.

“We have to start thinking about how we’re going to derive revenue,” he said, adding that the board needs to come up with creative means of gaining income.

Calabro envisions smart development as a revenue generator.

As the newly-appointed liaison to the Newtown Township Planning Commission, Calabro, in conjunction with the planning commission and the Bucks County Planning Commission, is overseeing the creation of an overlay district in the Newtown Business Commons.

Once finalized, the overlay will introduce new uses in those zones and aid the township in adapting to the 21st century by permitting a limited number of high-end apartments, as well as restaurants and entertainment, which could potentially include a multiplex theater, a bowling alley and miniature golf.

The idea is to develop in harmony with Sycamore Street and State Street in Newtown Borough, he said.

Calabro, who has always worked in customer service, believes that local government is a pure form of customer service.

“My reason to run again is just to serve the township the best way possible,” he said. “I can only
guarantee that I’ll do my best.”