Advertise on podcast: Mack's Newtown Voice

This short audio podcast is a quick review of letters, emails, and handwritten notes sent to the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General (OAG) regarding the sale of Chandler Hall. The letters were received via a Right-to-Know Law request filed by John Mack. While the OAG granted the request in part by providing the relevant communications, it also redacted specific details to protect the personal privacy of individual citizens. However, a 22 June 2026 letter from PA Senate member Steve Santarsiero and PA House member Perry Warren was NOT redacted. These local leaders "requested" that the OAG "take great care reviewing this sale to ensure the public interest, and specifically that of the residents and their families, is maintained through this transaction and under the new management and ownership."

Public Meeting Announcement Date & Time: Tuesday, September 22, 2026, at 7:00 PM Location: Chancellor Center, 30 N. Congress Street, Newtown, PA 18940 Purpose: A public presentation before the Newtown Borough Council regarding the updated plans for the Liberty Centre Development Project Project Details: The proposed redevelopment features 125 apartments, a expanded open plaza, a creekside greenway trail, and public parking Attendance: Open to all local residents, business owners, neighbors, and walk-ins

This audio briefing examines how the Newtown YMCA managed the announcement that it must leave its Chandler Hall location by December 31, 2026. YMCA’s reassuring public message promises a new Newtown home for the Fitness Center and Childcare Facility. Staff were told told that childcare already had a new home at Holy Family University beginning January 4, 2027, while arrangements for the health and wellness/gym operation were still being finalized.

This Audio Overview focuses on the specific intergovernmental agreements and shared funding decisions that caused split votes among the Newtown Board of Supervisors (BOS) in the period from January through August 2026. The contentious votes involved Fire Services Agreement with Newtown Borough and Opioid Settlement MOU with Bucks County. Battlegrounds emerge when the township is asked to share its money or services with questionable payback. Also read "Inside the Newtown Board of Supervisors' 2026 Voting Record"; https://rebrand.ly/2026bosvote

At the September 9, 2026 Newtown Township Board of Supervisors meeting, Todd McGonigal delivered a pointed critique of the abandoned sewer treatment plant project and the political and professional relationships surrounding it. McGonigal repeatedly asked “Who benefited?” He argued that Newtown residents did not appear to benefit: sewer customers received a 47% rate increase, roughly $11.5 million was spent pursuing a treatment plant that was never built, and the property acquired for the project is now being considered for sale and possible residential development. A major focus of his remarks was Kilkenny Law and its relationship with Newtown government. McGonigal questioned whether political contributions, municipal appointments, and taxpayer-funded legal work create at least the appearance of a pay-to-play conflict of interest. He cited controversies involving the firm in other Pennsylvania municipalities and stressed that these facts do not by themselves prove wrongdoing in Newtown, but said they warrant scrutiny. McGonigal concluded by asking the Board of Supervisors to take two actions: reconsider whether Kilkenny Law should continue representing Newtown Township and refuse to rezone the former sewer-treatment-plant property for residential development. His central message was that before anything further happens with the property, residents deserve a complete accounting of what happened, why millions were spent, who made the decisions, and who ultimately benefited.

Newtown Township faced a tight 18-month deadline to obligate approximately $133,000 in opioid settlement funds (which grew to the final $167,240.04 disbursement in September 2026). Ultimately, the Board of Supervisors voted on June 24, 2026, to approve a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to transfer these funds to Bucks County, because the township lacked the healthcare infrastructure to run drug rehabilitation and treatment programs locally. In exchange, the county committed to supporting the continuation of its co-responder program, which embeds social workers within the local police force to handle emergency substance abuse and mental health calls.

The 26 August 2026 Newtown Township Bills List provides a comprehensive summary of expenditures for the township. It outlines a total distribution of $350,311.41 across several municipal accounts, including the General Fund, Fire Protection, and Capital Projects. The records detail payments for police equipment, public works maintenance, and various community recreation programs. Key costs include monthly inspection fees, infrastructure engineering, and essential utility payments like street lighting. The list also tracks escrow disbursements related to specific local development and professional consulting services. Information is categorized by vendor names, specific check amounts, and designated ledger accounts to ensure fiscal transparency.

An early childhood education center named Apple Montessori Schools is proposing to repurpose a vacant Rite Aid pharmacy in Newtown, Pennsylvania, into a new school. The project involves converting the building into a facility for 142 students and replacing a section of the parking lot with a fenced playground and pool. While the property owner believes the school is a compatible tenant for the Goodnoe Corner Shopping Center, local officials have expressed significant safety and traffic concerns. Supervisors argue that the existing parking lot is already hazardous and suggest that the school consider a more suitable business district location instead. Despite these objections, the school maintains that its staggered schedule and strict security measures will prevent congestion and ensure student protection. The proposal is currently moving through the township planning commission and awaits a formal conditional use hearing.

This podcast debates the pros and cons on a official statement from the Plymouth Township Council regarding a controversial proposal to build a hyperscale data center at the site of a former steel plant. While Pennsylvania law requires the municipality to permit all legitimate land uses, the Council is formally opposing the current application because the developer rejected a comprehensive list of safety and environmental safeguards. These proposed mandates include strict noise and vibration limits, green building certifications, and the use of closed-loop cooling systems to protect local resources. The text emphasizes the local government's commitment to prioritizing resident welfare over the interests of the developer, who has challenged the township's zoning authority. Ultimately, the Council outlines forty-three specific demands designed to mitigate the industrial impacts of the facility on the surrounding community.

The April 2026 Newtown Township Treasurer's Report documents that the township has significantly exceeded its budget just a third of the way into the year, such as Public Works Overtime (which is currently at 538% of its budget), Snow & Ice Removal Contracted Services (156% of its budget), and General Administration Credit Card Fees (103% of its budget). Nevertheless, total spending is still under budget because these overruns are offset by cutting back services provided by other departments such as engineering. Some members of the public have questioned why the township has been so slow in beginning preliminary work on approved pedestrian safety projects. Now they know why!

The Newtown Creek Pedestrian Bridge project is currently facing a significant financial crisis as construction bids have repeatedly exceeded the available grant funding. Although the township secured nearly one million dollars for the work, a substantial portion has already been consumed by administrative and legal fees, leaving only $836,025 for actual building costs. Despite efforts to reduce expenses through simplified design specifications, the most recent contractor proposals still far outpace this remaining budget. This persistent gap has led to sharp criticism regarding the engineering firm’s ability to align the project’s scope with its economic reality. Consequently, local leaders must now decide whether to seek a third round of bids, replace their current consultants, or cancel the bridge project entirely.

Residents are asking for a sewer rate refund because the authority previously raised sewer rates to purchase land for a sewer project that has now been canceled. The Newtown Bucks County Joint Municipal Authority (NBCJMA) originally borrowed money to purchase a property for $11.5 million, which caused residents' rates to increase. Now that the authority is abandoning the project and selling the land to DeLuca's Newtown LLC for the same price of $11.5 million, residents believe they should get their money back or see a rate reduction.

At the 22 July 2026 Newtown Township Board of Supervisors meeting, several residents spoke out against duplicate billing, Chandler Hall sale and data centers and in support of safer crosswalks. Regarding the "dupilcate" billing: The two invoices were obtained via a RTK AFTER this recording was made. The first for $25,000 was actually a for a deposit to purchase the equipment/boiler, NOT the actual "replacement" of the boiler as indicated in the Bills List. The second invoice for $33,500 was for the work done to actually replace the boiler. I don't know why the Assistant Manager did not explain this at the public meeting where I made my comments. The correct names of residents making comments are: (1) John Mack, (2) Charles Feuer, and (3) Kim Caputo.

In Falls Township, Pennsylvania, an $800 million Amazon data center project is creating a new kind of friction in local communities. Occupying the site of a former industrial titan, this data center campus—part of a broader $20 billion investment in the state—is testing the limits of local infrastructure, environmental policy, and community patience. This “Deep Dive” podcast debates the pros and cons of this project based on a news report of the growing tension between Amazon and the residents of Falls Township, Pennsylvania. While Amazon highlights the promise of job creation and tax revenue, local activists and neighbors remain skeptical, fearing that the facility will strain the electrical grid and degrade their quality of life. Ultimately, this account illustrates the complex regulatory debate in Bucks County as local municipalities and state lawmakers struggle to balance the rapid expansion of AI digital infrastructure with the protection of public resources and residential peace.

This "Deep Dive" podcast recaps the July 8, 2026, Newtown Township Board of Supervisors session. At the very beginning a public comments by a resident regarding pedestrian safety and request for updates on progress regarding safe crosswalks is met with complete silence. Crickets were heard is how to best describe this, During the meeting, local officials discussed several infrastructure and safety updates, including pedestrian crosswalk improvements and road maintenance payments. A significant portion of the session was dedicated to reviewing a proposed data center ordinance and specific zoning variances for residential fencing and property additions. The Police Chief also delivered a monthly report detailing local crime statistics, recent traffic enforcement efforts, and the department's involvement in regional events.