On Tuesday, April 14, Newtown’s Borough Board of Burgesses held a regular meeting to finalize the 2026-2027 fiscal year budget. This was the Borough’s third meeting spent discussing the budget, finally passing a unanimous motion to accept the budget.

During February’s meeting, the proposed budget was $313,120 with a mill rate of .90. At March’s meeting, the budget was raised to $336,350 with a .85 mill rate. The legal line item was added to, with Warden Jay Maher offering his stipend into the line item.

Maher said, “I’m okay with everything except … I want some more money for sidewalks. I want to add $4,000 to that line item.” The new sidewalk line item is $5,000. Maher said the extra money would cover maintenance and noted that it would raise the mill rate from .85 to .86.

Burgess Maureen Crick Owen asked about the website line item and the source of those funds, as there were leftover American Relief Plan Act (ARPA) funds from the website project. Borough Clerk and Treasurer Ann Scaia said that the leftover funds were included in the line item and that they will be used to pre-pay for website services as ARPA funds need to be spent or committed to be spent by the end of this year.

Burgess John Madzula acknowledged the “tight numbers” in the budget, and Crick Owen did not think any money could be “shaved off.”

“I mean, obviously the elephant in the room is the $75,000 for legal,” Maher said. “It’s a line item that might be challenged at next month’s meeting, but, we’ll speak to it.”

Maher asked for a motion to approve the budget as written, with the $4,000 bump to sidewalks, and it was approved unanimously. The proposed budget for 2026-2027 is $340,350 with a .86 mill rate. The budget will be voted on by residents of the Borough of Newtown at the May 12 meeting, 7:30 pm in Edmond Town Hall’s gymnasium, 45 Main Street. Forty residents are needed to hold a vote. Twenty residents are needed for a quorum at next month’s meeting.

Sidewalks, Trees, And Miscellaneous Borough Business

At the beginning of the meeting, Tree Warden Robbie McCulloch gave his report to the burgesses. As spring is now approaching, he explained he can now see what needs to be tended to in terms of tree work. He said that trees needed to be planted at Honan’s Funeral Home and possibly at Madzula’s house, if Madzula would like a new tree.

McCulloch also said that the bamboo issue is “nowhere near an issue that it was ten years ago.” He is trying to connect with the homeowners where the bamboo is growing but has not been able to do so. He suggested that the Borough prune trees on Main Street, and to hold off on the fertilizer injections until the trees are pruned.

“Why fertilize a tree with dead branches,” McCulloch said.

Maher updated the burgesses on the 21 and 23 Queen Street sidewalk project, saying that both homeowners are on board with the project and understand the scope of work that needs to be done.

Maher also briefly discussed a memo from Director of Economic and Community Development John Voket asking for Borough approval on verbiage recognizing Newtown’s cultural district. The verbiage was accepted as proposed by Voket.

The property at 69 Main Street was also addressed, as all burgesses agreed the property was “a mess” and unsightly. Maher said that Zoning Enforcement Officer Joe Chapman will work on getting it resolved.

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Reporter Sam Cross can be reached at sam@thebee.com.