By Richard L. Gaw
Staff Writer

By a vote of 3-0, the Kennett Township Board of Supervisors adopted the township’s 2026 budget at their Dec. 3 meeting, but its passage was eclipsed by the continued voices of opposition to the proposed construction of a new police facility that, if built, would be located beside the Kennett Township Building and cost an estimated $10 million. 

The township’s 2026 budget forecasts revenues of $8.859 million which will include an anticipated $7.485 million from taxes. On the expense side of the ledger, the township projects that it will spend $8.307 million for salaries and benefits, maintenance and operations, contracted and professional services, community and economic development and $1.963 million in fire and ambulance services - an increase of $131,000 from 2025. 

The supervisors also signed off on a real estate tax increase of 1/10th of a mill – a 2.8 percent hike – that is projected to generate an additional $82,000 in revenue at a cost of an additional $21 per township household - an average $777 per household per year. 

The adoption of the 2026 budget came after several presentations by Finance and Human Resources Director Amy Heinrich and township Manager Alison Dobbins over the last three months and was advertised at the board’s Nov. 5 meeting. 

Perhaps the most discussed bullet point in next year’s budget – and the one that drew the most public ire at the Dec. 3 meeting – was the township’s proposed new police facility, a project that has yet to receive final approval but has been given a $700,000 Capital Budget investment to pay for engineering and design costs in 2026. 

Resident comments against the proposed building were far-ranging. One speaker asked why the township has not folded itself into the Southern Chester County Regional Police, which now includes the former departments in New Garden Township as well as Avondale and West Grove boroughs. Remaining a separate department, he said, has seen police force operational costs rise steadily over the past few years.

“We have looked at the regional police and also have tentatively explored other potential region [alignments] and didn’t feel it was a good fit for Kennett Township,” said board Chairman Richard Leff. “Usually, when you look at regionalization, it doesn’t save money, but it does give you a large organization to get specialized training and activities. The challenge with that is that with a regional group, you turn over control of your policing authority to the regional group.”

Another resident directed his complaint at the $10 million estimated price tag for the proposed building.

“Why does it have to be $10 million?” the resident asked the board. “It’s a big nut. It’s a lot of money. Can’t we get it for $5 million? What’s wrong with [the Township Building]?”

Many in the audience expressed their frustration in not being more informed of the proposed new facility, despite the fact that the township has held two public presentations – one on Aug. 6 and an open house on Oct. 22 – as well as further discussion about the possible expansion that was folded into its budget meetings, and two articles in the Chester County Press.

“We have provided the details of what the budget process looks like in part because we want to make sure that people understand that all of those presentations, all of that information, the time that we have taken to explain [the specifics of the proposed expansion] are still available to the public,” Dobbins said. “This is not something that we decided on Nov. 4 that we were interested in doing.

“When the design phase was approved by the Board of Supervisors on Nov. 5, the board made it very clear that they would like to address the size of the building and make sure that it is at the forefront as part of the design phase.”

Leff said that the township will continue to keep its residents informed about the proposed construction through additional meetings and possibly a second open house.

Petition gathers nearly 400 signatures

Public opposition to the proposed new police facility was not relegated to the Dec. 3 meeting. Recently, a resident-led petition was filed on change.org. that has already attracted nearly 400 signatures as of Dec. 9. The needs expressed in the petition is to ask the township to not approve tax dollars for unapproved projects; halt municipal expansion planning until the community is fully informed and consulted; and get “community buy in” to the proposed facility by soliciting additional public feedback using such modes as online surveys and mailers.

Over the past several months - despite proof to the contrary - there has been an unsubstantiated belief shared among several township residents that the Board of Supervisors and the township have already fully committed to the construction of the new police facility.

“Right now, we are still trying to understand how we can make this the right size for our needs, and we are not at the point of understanding what that is just yet,” said supervisor Pat Muller. “We still have a lot more work to do.”

“We haven’t voted on the building, and if we had to it would be public,” said supervisor Geoffrey Gamble. “Personally, I have been for some kind of accommodation for the police ever since I got on this board and I have said it for three years. My position has never changed, whether that would be the Fussel House or another facility that we have here or that we build a new building, it remains to be seen.”

‘We want to be partners in shaping the future of our township’

During the public comment portion of the meeting, township resident Monica Strauser, reading from a prepared statement, continued to reflect public opinion regarding the township’s exploration of a new police facility – as well as a tax structure that is projected to continue to rise to pay for added services. 

“The Board needs to answer: What new services will we get by having our taxes raised 20 percent?” she said. “How do residents benefit from this plan? Residents need to feel the board is listening to us — not simply preparing to grant whatever the employees of the township are asking for.

“The number one priority for the Board of Supervisors should be to meet the needs expressed by

the community and to deliver value for our tax dollars. I support the police, but that does not

mean I support giving them a blank check. It’s valid that we are running out of space, but that is

not a need expressed by the community. These proposed tax increases place a burden on the

citizens of our township with no appreciable benefit. Right now, many of us do not feel heard.”

Strauser urged the supervisors and the township to adopt a more fiscally conservative method of paying for its continued growth.

“We want to be partners in shaping the future of our township - not just the people who get the

bill,” she said.

Michael Bontrager receives Medal of Merit

In other township business, the township awarded its Medal of Merit award to Chatham Financial and Square Roots Collective founder Michael Bontrager for his dedicated service to the local community. Leff thanked Bontrager for his vision, financial backing and enthusiasm in forming the Kennett Trails Alliance, which continues to develop the Kennett Greenway, “with [Mike’s] goal to link Kennett Township’s open space with our neighbors in the Borough of Kennett Square, using over 14 miles of multi-purpose trails,” Leff said.

“When Mike decided to move Chatham Financial to Kennett Township, that was a fortunate decision, as it also came with many caring and talented people in our area. When congratulating Mike on anything, his first reaction is always to share the honor with those who actually put in a lot of the long and hard hours of work. Yet, without his vision, his personality, his organizational skills and resources, very little would have been put in place to permit those accomplishments to come alive.

“He’s given us the opportunity time and again to share, to do things, and thereby live happier, more equitable and enriched lives.”

The township also recognized its volunteers who have completed a full term on several boards and commission this year: David Gunyuzlu of the Environmental Advisory Council; James Guthrie and James Przywitowski of the Planning Commission; Tom Hanton and Diane McGovern of the Trails and Sidewalks Committee; Densie Klein, Karen Marshall, Fredda Pennock and Lori Stewart of the Historical Commission; and Robert Whipps of the Zoning Hearing Board. 

To contact Staff Writer Richard L. Gaw, email [email protected].