Bucks County budget process clouded by missing state funds – Bucks Round-Up – September 4, 2025
Bucks County budget process clouded by missing state funds
Bucks County departments are drafting their 2026 budget requests, but a lack of state payments is already creating concern in Doylestown. At Wednesday’s Commissioners meeting, Board Chair Bob Harvie said the county is still waiting for funding streams that were supposed to arrive July 1. The delay is leaving county programs — and many nonprofit partners — without money they rely on to keep services running. “Right now, we are very much in limbo,” Harvie said, noting that the commissioners must approve a finalized budget before year’s end. The uncertainty, he warned, could force difficult choices. Harvie also pointed to concerns at the federal level. Harvie said Congress is expected to debate its next budget package in September and added that potential cuts could ripple down, impacting the county’s financial needs. “I think what has happened is a lot of people lose sight of the impact that the federal government and state government has on them,” Harvie said. For Bucks County, the challenge is not only balancing the books but also planning for when Harrisburg and Washington are slow to deliver funding. State dollars help support a wide range of programs, from human services to public safety initiatives.
New medic unit in Bensalem provides expanded coverage
Bensalem Township leaders met Wednesday for a ribbon-cutting event marking the addition of a new medic unit at Union Fire Station on State Road, which is aimed at bolstering emergency medical coverage in one of Bucks County’s busiest areas. Mayor Joe DiGirolamo, Public Safety Director William McVey, Council President Joseph Knowles, and Rescue Squad Executive Director Thomas Topley were on hand to unveil the expanded service. The unit will be staffed by highly trained paramedics and equipped with advanced life support technology; it will operate during daytime and evening hours. Officials say the new deployment is part of a broader “system status management plan” designed to better position resources during high call volumes, traffic congestion, or severe weather. By stationing the unit at Union Fire, EMS leaders believe they can cut response times and deliver faster, more effective care to residents and visitors. The expansion reflects ongoing cooperation between township government, volunteer fire companies, police, and EMS agencies. Mayor DiGirolamo, who has made public safety a priority of his administration, credited the working relationship as another example of the ability to plan in a township that continues to see a quick pace of growth. Officials emphasized that the addition is not just about more equipment, but about putting resources where they’re most likely to make a difference when lives are on the line.
Philadelphia man accused of 1,500 theft spree at Levittown
Tullytown Borough Police have arrested a Philadelphia man for allegedly carrying out a list of retail thefts at the Walmart on Levittown Parkway. Tullytown Borough Police officers responded to the store after a store employee reported a theft in progress on Friday, August 29. The suspect, later identified as 43-year-old Richard Smolda of Philadelphia, ran from the store, fleeing in a gray pickup truck. Officers spotted Smolda driving his truck out of the parking lot on Kenwood Drive and pulled him over. Smolda was positively identified by Walmart staff as the man who had allegedly walked out of the store without paying for merchandise. An overall investigation found that Smolda allegedly engaged in earlier thefts at the same location during the same week. In total, Smolda is accused of leaving the store with nearly $1,500 worth of goods over three separate occasions. Smolda now faces charges of retail theft and receiving stolen property. Walmart officials have barred Smolda from returning to the store.
Joe LeCompte hosts LeCompte in the Morning on WBCB 1490.
