Message from Joseph DiGirolamo
Since being elected to the office of Mayor in 1994, Bensalem Township continues to experience a community renaissance! As the "Gateway to Bucks County", Bensalem Township is a great place to live, work, and raise a family. Throughout my administration, my goals have included aggressive programs that enhance the lives of our citizens. We have worked hard to make Bensalem a place in which we can all be proud. My vision for a strong, thriving and dynamic community has come to pass in my fourteen years of leadership as Mayor. Along with Bensalem Council Members Joseph Szafran, Edward Kisselback, Joseph Pilieri, Bryan Allen, and Joseph Knowles, we've had an extraordinary record of success improving the quality of life issues and have made Bensalem "A Model For America" (Bucks County Courier Times).
While holding the line on your township taxes, we have improved the quality of life in Bensalem and made us the envy of all Bucks County. We've expanded our Central Park, and in it we built our magnificent amphitheater. We have provided our senior citizens with a state-of-the-art Senior Center, and provided our children with a new multi-purpose Community Park, the Imagination Land Playground, and Rockhill Soccer Complex, that is currently under construction (2008). We have worked to address traffic concerns we all share by enlarging and improving almost every major intersection in the Township, and repaved every street. We have increased the size of our police force, and have worked to insure that all of our emergency personnel and first-responders are the best trained and best equipped in all of Bucks County. We are especially proud to have saved over 1300 acres of open space under the Bucks County Open Space Initiative for which Bensalem was the first municipality to support.
Projects on the horizon are the Bristol Pike (Route 13) Redevelopment Project which will transform this major Township thoroughfare into a landscaped boulevard. The Galloway Road Extension will help to improve traffic flow and safety along Galloway, Byberry, and Hulmeville Road. Our planned expansion of police facilities and the construction of our new fire training facility here in Bensalem, will keep our emergency services personnel the best trained and equipped first responders, anywhere. When completed our new Community Center and Field House will be state-of-the-art and will greatly enhance the quality of education and recreation for all our citizens, especially our children. Most exciting will be the transformation of our Delaware Riverfront to a destination that our residents will be able to share and enjoy.
These projects and services will be accomplished without costing the residents of Bensalem any additional taxes. In fact, not only have we been successful in keeping your taxes down, but we have even been able to provide each homeowner in the Township an assistance grant payment of $200. Council and I are very proud of these accomplishments and proud to serve the Bensalem Community!
Bensalem Township is a Community of Firsts
- First Skate Park
- First Entertainment Amphitheater
- First to adopt Open Space Initiative
- First to test and purchase energy efficient vehicles
- First to create the multi-jurisdictional Anti-Graffiti and Litter Program
- First to equip police department with computers and cameras in vehicles
- First municipality to be named by the Bucks County Courier Times as a "Model for America"
- First to build a state-of-the-art television studio offering a variety of different programming to residents
- First to enact sexual predator ordinance/law
- First to install AED equipment
- First transportation management agency
- First multi-accessible handicapped playground
- First municipality to create a website (1998)
- First to install customer service software known as "Request Partner" for residents/citizens to request a service or file a complaint online.
- First to initiate the joint municipal Delaware River Revitalization Study
- First Breast Cancer Hospital (DSI)
Bensalem is #1 in All of Bucks with its Open Space Program
Mayor and Council recently voted to add 64 acres to our Central Park, plus 20 acres to Bensalem Community Park on Galloway Road and 30 acres to the former Y.D.C property near Neshaminy Mall for active recreation. The Mayor and Council have preserved open space land along the Neshaminy Creek (Armstrong Park) and the Poquessing Creek for fishing, walking and bicycling trails. Bensalem residents can also enjoy an additional 470 acres along the Delaware River on State and County Parkland.
Immediate Plans are in progress to beautify Route 13 (Bristol Pike) into a “Village Type” shopping district with sidewalks, street lamps, shade trees and off street parking.
The Mayor and Council initiated the first joint municipal Delaware River Revitalization Study. Plans are being reviewed concerning Zoning with respect to recreational and residential uses down along the 4 mile area of coastline in Bensalem. This area is truly the “jewel” and “future” of our community.. This is a long-term project that will eventually change brown fields and antiquated factories into recreational and residential uses for all to enjoy.
All of our shopping centers and malls are as healthy as they have ever been generating additional mercantile taxes, which help all of our residents with keeping our taxes as low as possible.
Quality of life issues are the one of the mainstream issues of the Mayor’s Administration. During his administration Mayor and Council have built two successful senior citizen affordable housing complexes and are presently building another one.
Bensalem seniors can also enjoy a new state of the art senior center located on Byberry and Bridgewater Roads, thanks to Mayor and Council.
Plans are currently underway for a Community Center at the beautiful Bensalem Community Park, home of the first skate park in Bucks County.
Bensalem Township has recently acquired ownership of the historic Growden Mansion and the Bensalem Country Club and will be working closely with the Historic Society and a management company to preserve these two community treasures.