New Britain Borough to outsource trash fee collections – Bucks Round-Up – February 20, 2026
New Britain Borough to outsource trash fee collections
In a move aimed at tightening up revenue collection, officials in New Britain Borough have approved a contract with Keystone Collections Group to pursue unpaid trash fees. Borough council voted February 11 to shift responsibility from the elected tax collector to the private firm after repeated issues with delinquent payments. Roughly 20 residents failed to pay their trash bills last year; that number has since dropped to 10, with about $4,000 still outstanding. Borough Manager John F. Wolff said some residents have been subtracting trash fees from their tax payments altogether. Under the agreement, Keystone will issue mailed notices and can pursue delinquent accounts through magisterial district court if necessary. The borough will pay $2 per initial notice and smaller fees for follow-ups, while late payers will ultimately bear collection costs. Trash service continues through Waste Management. Officials acknowledged the change may cause confusion, as unpaid trash fees will now be billed separately from the quarterly tax bill.
New Jersey man sentenced in straw purchasing case
A New Jersey man has been sentenced to ten to 20 years in state prison for funneling illegally purchased firearms into the region. Christopher Demond Lee Jr., 30, of Ewing, was sentenced February 13 by Senior Judge Jeffrey L. Finley following a multi-agency investigation led by the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office and the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Gun Violence Task Force. Prosecutors said Lee illegally obtained a Pennsylvania driver’s license and used a false Bucks County address to buy nine firearms in 2024, acting as a “straw purchaser” for individuals barred from owning guns. Several of those firearms later turned up at crime scenes, including a Trenton shooting and a Philadelphia narcotics arrest. Bucks County District Attorney Joe Khan called straw purchasing a “direct pipeline” for violent crime.
Fatal pedestrian crash in Sellersville
An 81-year-old woman was killed early Thursday after being struck while crossing East Park Avenue in Sellersville Borough. Police say the driver remained at the scene and is cooperating. Speed does not appear to have been a factor. The investigation remains ongoing.
Two teens arrested after stolen car pursuit
Two Philadelphia juveniles are in custody after allegedly fleeing police in a stolen Hyundai near Bucks Crossing Shopping Center in Lower Southampton Township. The vehicle later crashed in Philadelphia. Both teens were turned over to Lower Southampton Police and transported to Bucks County juvenile detention.
Joe LeCompte hosts LeCompte in the Morning on WBCB 1490.
