Municipalities Reorganize To Start 2022

The Levittown-area’s municipalities held their annual reorganization meetings last week to start 2022.

The meetings are for the swearing in of municipal officials who were elected last November and governing bodies to appoint professionals for this year.

Bristol Borough

Inside Borough Hall, District Judge Frank Peranteau Jr. administered the oath of office to new council member Maria Figueroa, who represents the North Ward.

Reelected council members Betty Rodriguez, of the West Ward, Lorraine Cullen, of the East Ward, and Ralph DiGuiseppe, of the South Ward, were sworn in for new terms.

Tax collector Anna Bono Larrisey took the oath for another term.

The district judge also administered the oath to Mayor Joe Saxton. The swearing in took place ahead of the meeting via phone.

The council reappointed DiGuiseppe as president and Rodriguez as vice president.

DiGuiseppe said he was starting his 21st year serving as a member of council and he looked forward to serving. He also noted he had served as council president for 18 years.

The council voted to reappoint William Salerno as borough solicitor. His rate will go from $150 per hour to $175 an hour, the first increase he requested in 13 years. For litigation, Salerno will raise his rate from $175 an hour to $200 an hour.

Gilmore and Associates were reappointed as the borough engineer. They were granted a 5 percent rate increase.

Last month, Brian Johnson was sworn in to fill the North Ward council seat that was left vacant when Tony Devine resigned in November 2021.

All the supervisors are Democrats.

Bristol Township

The new year started with a new council member in county’s second most populated municipality.

District Judge Kevin Wagner sworn in Marcia Dunlap, who was elected last November.

Council members Craig Bowen, Cindy Murphy, and Ray Blalock were sworn in for new terms.

Bowen was again reappointed to serve as council president, and Murphy will remain as vice president.

“Thank you again. It’s my honor,” Bowen said.

Flager and Associates was appointed to serve as the township’s council.

The council reappointed Gilmore and Assoicates as the township engineer.

All the supervisors are Democrats.

Falls Township

Two supervisors were sworn in for new terms in Falls Township.

Jeff Dence was sworn in for his third six-year term as supervisor by District Judge Jan Vislosky. 

“Thank you to my fellow board members for your confidence again,” Dence said. “We do the best we can. It was a rough first year when COVID first hit.”

John Palmer was sworn in for his first six-year term as a supervisor. Palmer has served as a supervisor since being appointed to fill now-Bucks County Commissioner Bob Harvie’s seat in January 2020.

Dence was reappointed to serve as chairperson and Jeff Boraski will continue to serve as vice chairperson.

The firm of Rudolph Clarke, the township’s longtime legal counsel, was reappointed as solicitor.

Jones Engineering Associates will once again serve as township engineer. 

The supervisors set their meetings for 2022 for the first and third Monday of the month (as needed) at 7 p.m. 

All the supervisors are Democrats.

Middletown Township

Two new members have been sworn in to the Middletown Township Board of Supervisors.

Bucks County Judge Denise Bowman swore in Dana Kane, and Bernadette Hannah took the oath from Bucks County Judge Brian McGuffin for the two open supervisor seats.

The two new supervisors replaced supervisors Tom Tosti, who lost reelection, and Amy Strouse, who opted not to run for reelection.

Ray Chapman was sworn in for another term as township tax collector.

Law firm Curtin and Heefner was reappointed to serve as solicitor.

Remington and Vernick Engineers was reappointed to serve as township engineer.

With the election of Kane, the supervisors moved from complete Democratic control to one Republican and four Democrats.

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