Middletown supervisors adopt 2022 budget, labor contract and a string of ordinances and purchases

The Middletown Township Board of Supervisors on Dec. 6 approved a slate of budget, labor, ordinance and procurement items the board said will keep township services running without a tax increase.

Budget: Finance director Tilly Coles presented the 2022 budget as a $39,000,000 plan with no proposed tax increase; the board adopted the budget and Budget Resolution 21/37R by voice vote. Coles said the budget had been available for public inspection and had not changed since the November presentation.

Labor contract: Township management reported a tentative agreement with Teamsters Local 107 covering Jan. 1, 2022 through Dec. 31, 2024. The memorandum of terms includes a realigned pay scale, 3.5% increases in 2023 and 2024, formalization of parental leave and disability practices and the addition of Juneteenth as a holiday. The board approved the terms and instructed staff to finalize the contract.

Ordinances: The board adopted Ordinance 21‑07, an alternative energy ordinance intended to incentivize developers to incorporate solar, wind and geothermal systems during land development by offering bonuses (reduced fees and, in some cases, modest increases in density or building coverage) tied to demonstrated incorporation and a minimum time of operation. Mr. Esposito said Bucks County Planning Commission comments (historic‑preservation referral language, moving some technical standards to the subdivision ordinance, and requiring a minimum operational period for bonuses) were incorporated into the draft. The board also enacted Ordinance 21‑08 to designate the intersection of Parkview and Buttonwood Avenues in Langhorne Gables as an always‑stop intersection.

Code update authorization: The board authorized staff to prepare and advertise an ordinance to replace the township's 2015 International Fire Code with the 2018 International Fire Code, per the fire marshal's recommendation.

Procurement and contracts: The board approved multiple capital and contract items by roll/voice vote:

- Purchase of a Cellebrite cell‑phone extraction machine for the Police Department from Cellebrite for $19,460; the chief emphasized that data extraction will occur only with owner consent or a search warrant.

- Authorization to purchase 36 Microsoft Surface Pro 7 devices, 36 four‑year accidental warranties and mounts for in‑car technology in the amount of $75,153.24 to replace aging patrol PCs.

- Award of a municipal building surveillance camera replacement to PrismWorX Technology for $51,655.

- Award of the township financial auditing services contract to Beeburg Voll and Company following an RFP and staff recommendation.

Consent agenda: The board approved a bills list of $1,287,566, a change order #5 for the Langhorne Gables drainage improvement project ($31,936.09) and related payment certificates (including $22,584.10), and a road paving payment ($444,829.94), and adopted Resolution 21‑36R for the Oxford Valley Mall sewer planning module.

All of the listed motions were approved by voice vote with the board announcing unanimous support where recorded.

Context and next steps: Several speakers noted the township's continued focus on fiscal prudence — supervisors highlighted six consecutive years without a tax increase — and staff will proceed to finalize contracts and advertise or prepare ordinances as directed by the board.