WHY OUR TAXES INCREASED

Democrats Prioritize Destroying Warrington Township Over the Protection of Residents Interests

Warrington Township was one of the few bright spots for Republican in the 2023 election that flipped from Blue to Red in the 2023 Bucks County election slaughter. After more than a decade of Democrat control, the Republicans have the majority Board of Supervisors. The Democrats are not going to quietly relinquish control of the township as they continue to be agents of chaos.
 
Warrington Township’s first task was to Reopen the 2023 Budget, because the prior Democrat Board Majority realized once the balance of power would shift away from their party sabotaged the 2023 Budget refusing to address a five (5)-year structural deficit that had grown to an over $3 million short fall in the General Fund operating budget. The operating account funds crucial township services like police, fire and road paving/maintenance.
 
In December 2023 the outgoing Democrat Chair Fred Gaines that failed re-election in 2023 pushed for a zero-tax increase to pass along the unaddressed UNFUNDED budget for 2024 to the future Republican-controlled Board to secure a legacy of “no tax increase”. This was an act of spite towards the voters that did not re-elect him knowing the voters are the ones to be punished with a tax increase.
 
In 2019, the Democrats, who then controlled the Board of Supervisors, created a Tax Stabilization Fund. This fund was established using revenue generated from the sale of Water and Sewer assets. The intention behind creating such a fund was to provide a buffer against economic uncertainties or to stabilize taxes by using it to offset potential increases rather than conceal overspending.
 
In 2021 the 5-0 Democrat controlled Board of Supervisors discussed at length the structural deficit within the general fund operating account. The general fund operating account of the township faced a structural deficit, meaning that its expenses consistently exceeded its revenues over an extended period. Instead of addressing this deficit directly, the Democrats utilized the Tax Stabilization Fund to cover up the shortfall. This action essentially masked the true financial state of the township's operations, allowing them to avoid implementing necessary budgetary adjustments or tax increases.
 
The deficit continued to gain momentum over the years compounding the revenue short fall included: adverse economic conditions, lack of budget controls, overruns on all capital projects and spending pressures driven by special interest groups to include solar panels to the tune of $305,000 on Warrington’s newly built police station that continue to not work properly to date.
 
While utilizing the Tax Stabilization Fund provided a temporary solution to balance the budget and avoid immediate tax increases, it was not a sustainable approach. Depleting this fund to cover ongoing expenses only postponed the inevitable need to address the underlying structural deficit. Moreover, it jeopardized the township's long-term financial health by eliminating a crucial financial safety net and potentially damaging its credit rating.
 
The Democrats' decision to use the Tax Stabilization Fund to hide the structural deficit could be seen as a political maneuver to maintain their alleged image of “fiscal responsibility” while avoiding unpopular decisions like tax increases. By shifting the financial burden onto future administrations, they might have sought to secure short-term political gains at the expense of the township's financial stability. The Warrington Residents will be reminded that the decade long Democrat controlled board overseen by Chairman Fred Gaines, gifted the highest tax increase to them in the history of Warrington Township.
 
Ultimately this left the township facing deeper financial challenges and forced the new Republican Board Majority to confront the true extent of the budgetary shortfall. The collective board was forced into the regrettable position of communicating on the necessity of increasing taxes within our township in January 2024 to ensure the sustainability of the general fund budget to provide essential services.  The decision to increase taxes is not an easy one, however it was a responsible and necessary step to safeguard the financial health of the township and mitigate the ever-growing tax burden on the residents.
 
Balancing the budget was a multi-faceted approach incorporating cutting expenses, placing all future capital projects on hold, adjusting, or cutting back on programs, implementing a hiring freeze including the scaling back of hiring badly needed police officers amid the rise in crime. The township fleet was scaled back to include the police vehicles and cheaper alternatives to outfitting them. Although unpopular, cuts included elimination of the Link publication and Warrington Township Annual Report to be substituted for an online version that can be emailed giving the added benefit of being more environmentally friendly. Debates surrounding whether to continue to pay for both Zoom and Microsoft Teams to host online meetings were widely discussed. Online meetings are not required by Sunshine Law, and are an added administrative burden to township staff. It is imperative that residents are reminded that Democrats did not offer a single cut to the 2024 Budget.
 
Republicans stated their position as the new Board Majority, “As responsible stewards of our community, it is imperative that we address the current fiscal challenges facing us and take proactive measures to secure the financial well-being of our township for the long term and return back to basics:  safety, essential services (police, fire), infrastructure (public works – paving roads) and fiscal responsibility.”  Despite political differences, Republicans prioritize the township's financial health and residents' interests, opting not to engage in publicizing internal issues. Democrats, however, focus on political maneuvers and criticize the new leadership.