A steady line on Upper Makefield's spending plan allows the Township Board of Supervisors to again adopt a "no new taxes" budget for 2019 at their December 4, 2018 public meeting.

This newsletter outlines projects and services planned for Upper Makefield in 2019, including extending park trails, stream erosion management, and a grant in support of our volunteer fire companies.

The average assessment of a residential property in Upper Makefield Township is $65,748, which equates to an average Township real estate tax of $500. That tax has remained for 3 years at 7.6025 mils, down from a high in 2011 of 13.3525 mils.

The 2019 budget projects almost $7 million in expenditures from the General Fund, projecting an end-of-2019 General Fund balance of $2.5 million.

In his Budget Message this fall, Township Manager Dave Nyman credited the Board of Supervisors for prudent financial planning and the Township staff for consistent efforts to contain and reduce overall expenses. Expenses in 2018 are projected to tally approximately $235,000 under budget. The Township continues to fund the five-year Capital Improvement Plan for Administration, Police, and Public Works facilities. In addition, there are capital reserve funds for the water and/or sewer plants serving the Heritage Hills, Enclave, and Dutchess Farm developments. These are proprietary funds that are provided on a user charge basis.

The 2019 Budget and the Budget Message are posted on the Upper Makefield Township website.

The Upper Makefield Department of Public Works has been allocated over $600,000 in 2019 funds for road improvements. This work is in addition to $293,000 allocated for other road repair, resurfacing and maintenance, plus snow removal expenditures.

These roads have been designated for improvements in 2019: Barlow Ridge Road, Woodside Lane, Fieldstone Way, Avondale Drive, Davis Drive, Timber Knoll Drive, Old Dolington Road, and Cooper Road.

As volunteer time continues to be precious and training requirements for fire com pany volunteers grow, Upper Makefield extended a grant in 2018 in support of the Upper Makefield Fire Company stipend program designed to incentivize volunteer members. Early reports from the fire company indicate positive results. 

The 2019 Upper Makefield Township Budget calls for callout/drill stipend pay up to $ 83,600 t o the volunteers of the Upper Makefield Fire Company and $11,400 to support Lingohocken Fire Company's volunteer incentives.

Upper Makefield is continually grateful for the highly trained and dedicated fire company volunteers who serve our community in so many ways. We encourage you to consider volunteering in 2019. Both firefighting and support roles are open! Support of all fire company fundraising activities is always appreciated.

Upper Makefield Township residents are served by two fire companies. View a map of fire districts on the Township website to find which company serves your neighborhood.

This year the Township received a $103,000 grant from the Bucks County Open Space Program, which will be used to build connections among existing walking trails at Lookout Park. Soon there will be a loop around the perimeter that continues through the center of the park for dog walkers, joggers and walkers alike. More benches and dog stations will be added too. The County grant has a 25% Township match of $34,000, and construction is expected to begin in 2019.

 

Use of Brownsburg and Lookout Parks has grown significantly over the last ten years. Working together, the Board of Supervisors and the Parks and Recreation Board have implemented many improvements to encourage active lifestyles. On a visit to Township parks, residents and visitors can enjoy playgrounds, basketball and tennis courts, and quality playing fields. If you are thinking of hosting an event this summer, consider renting Brownsburg Park pavilion. 

Upper Makefield Township this year received a $30,000 grant toward the purchase of a new police vehicle for the Truck Enforcement Task Force. The grant comes from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development.

The Newtown-Makefield Police Truck Enforcement Task Force is dedicated to improving truck safety on our roadways, enforcing trucking laws, and education programs for trucks moving through the Upper Makefield area. The Task Force's regular cooperative truck enforcement details have netted drug arrests, DUI’s and numerous safety violations that have resulted in enforcement actions against both drivers and companies. 

More than 50 residents serve as volunteers on the Township’s many boards and commissions.

If you have professional skills or personal interests in areas including community planning, parks and recreation, environmental conservation, historic preservation, or if you just want to learn more about volunteering, please review descriptions of our Boards and Commissions on our website. There you can also find meeting minutes and schedules.