SEPTA to receive $220M in state capital funding to restore full Regional Rail service
Gov. Josh Shapiro directed nearly $220 million in capital dollars to SEPTA after the Pennsylvania state budget left out new funding for the beleaguered transit organization. The fresh funding from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation will allow SEPTA to complete necessary safety upgrades, specifically for Regional Rail cars, and ensure the organization complies with federal safety regulations. SEPTA has had to take Regional Rail cars out of service since early October to make federally required inspections and repairs, which has caused widespread delays, canceled stops and entire lines being halted at certain times. Shapiro's office says the new capital funding will allow SEPTA to accelerate the necessary repairs and restore Regional Rail service to its full capacity by mid to late December.
Source: Philadelphia Business Journal; 11/24/2025

Why AI data centers are so controversial in the Philly suburbs and beyond
At some proposed data center sites in the Philadelphia region, neighbors are rallying in opposition, saying the community’s health, safety and quality of life are at stake. Meanwhile, developers, elected officials and other proponents tout economic benefits. A data center is a building or campus that handles cloud-storage and computing needs of tech companies like Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Meta. Generative artificial intelligence (AI) has exponentially increased demand for specialized data centers powerful enough to execute ever more complex requests in the form of text, code, images, audio or video. The Philadelphia area has dozens of data centers already. Proponents say data centers can bring in significant tax revenue, create jobs and attract other businesses to the region without increasing demands on schools, roads or EMS services. Opponents worry about pollution, noise, power and water use, and the impact on electric bills. In some areas, they decry the loss of open space and express broader concerns about whether the AI boom is a bubble that could burst before all the data-center investment pays off. Read more here.
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer; 11/23/2025

PA electricity prices rise in December
Electric bills will soon go up across much of Pennsylvania, including for customers of PPL, Met-Ed and PECO. Supply prices for utilities regulated by the state Public Utility Commission (PUC) will increase starting on Dec. 1, the PUC said in a news release. For PECO customers, the price will increase 6% from $0.104 to $0.11024 per kWh. The commission noted that it does not regulate energy prices, which are driven by the energy market. That “price to compare” — a reference rate provided by the utility — accounts for 40% to 60% of a customer’s electric bill, but factors such as total usage, weather and the efficiency of a heating or cooling system also have an impact, according to the commission. Amid rising energy prices, the PUC is advising those struggling to pay their electric bill to call their utilities to learn about assistance programs.
Source: Public Utility Commission; 11/24/2025

The Philly area’s most flood-prone waterways, mapped
An Inquirer analysis of U.S. Geological Survey data shows the Brandywine Creek among the Philadelphia area’s most flood-prone waterways, with 61 major and moderate floods recorded since 2005 at Chadds Ford and other points along its main stem and branches. Rising impervious surfaces and population growth in the watershed, combined with more extreme precipitation linked to climate change, have increased flood risks, while tidal influences from the Delaware River and Atlantic Ocean contribute to repeated flooding in Philadelphia and nearby communities. Other waterways frequently affected include the Delaware River and Perkiomen, Chester, Neshaminy and Frankford creeks. Read more and view an interactive map at the Inquirer (gift link).
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer; 11/25/2025

Langhorne Borough to establish rental inspection program
Langhorne Borough Council will consider a draft ordinance that would create a Residential Rental Housing Registration Program, set administrative procedures for registering rental properties, and establish fees and penalties for noncompliance. The public hearing and vote are scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 10, at 7 p.m. at Borough Hall, 114 E. Maple Ave. A physical copy of the ordinance is available at Borough Hall during office hours and on the Langhorne Borough website.
Source: Bucks County Courier Times; 12/2025

West Rockhill proposes 34% tax increase
West Rockhill Township supervisors have advanced a 2026 budget that includes a 34% property tax increase — the first increase in 15 years — raising the millage rate from 7.25 mills to 9.75 mills to help cover a significant rise in Pennridge Regional Police Department costs. The increase amounts to an additional $73 per year for the average homeowner. Supervisor David Collingwood remarked that it is better to have a smaller tax increase now, rather than a large increase down the road. The budget also funds local amenities, such as the Holiday House pool and the Pennridge Senior Center and road repairs, and it adds the Historical Society as a budget line item. Final budget adoption is expected in December.
Source: The Reporter; 12/1/2025

Bucks County looks to fill budget gap with reserves rather than tax increase
Bucks County’s preliminary $516 million budget for 2026 shows a $16.2 million deficit but avoids a tax increase by drawing down its reserves from $76 million to about $60 million. The spending plan, up 3.2% from 2025, includes major investments like multi-year public safety radio system upgrades while cutting $487,000 from the district attorney's office and $216,700 from the coroner. County officials cite inflation and state and federal funding reductions — including a 2% cut to mental health funding — as key drivers of the shortfall. A final budget vote is expected on Wednesday, Dec. 17.
Source: Bucks County Courier Times; 12/2/2025

New Britain Borough to consider noise ordinance
New Britain Borough Council will consider adopting a new noise ordinance at its meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 10. The proposal would add a chapter to the borough code regulating certain noise disturbances. The proposed ordinance defines prohibited sounds, sets time restrictions, outlines exceptions and waivers, establishes enforcement and penalty provisions, and repeals conflicting ordinances. A copy of the full text of the ordinance under consideration may be examined at the borough's administrative offices, 45 Keeley Ave., or by e-mailing andrea@newbritainboro.com.
Source: Bucks County Courier Times; 11/2025

New Britain Township to overhaul sewer and septic ordinances
New Britain Township Council will consider ordinances overhauling its sewer and on-lot septic regulations. The proposals would revise Chapter 18 of the township code by deleting two sections, creating a new Chapter 18A with updated discharge standards, sewer connection rules, property-transfer inspection requirements, and regulations for grease disposal and grinder pumps, and establishing Chapter 18B to regulate on-lot septic systems. A public hearing will be held on Monday, Dec. 15, at 7 p.m. in the municipal building, 207 Park Ave. Council plans to vote on the measures the same evening. The proposed ordinances can be reviewed in the agenda packet from the Nov. 17 business meeting starting around Page 71.
Source: Bucks County Courier Times; 12/2025

Telford to consider rental inspection program ordinance
Telford Borough Council will consider adopting an ordinance that would establish biennial inspections of rental properties, along with annual registration requirements, fees, enforcement procedures and exemptions. A public hearing is scheduled for Monday, Dec. 8, at 7:30 p.m. at Borough Hall, 50 Penn Ave. The full proposal is available for public review at the Montgomery and Bucks County law libraries, or by request from the borough. Watch the Telford Borough Council meeting page for the agenda to be posted prior to the meeting.
Source: The Reporter; 12/1/2025 

$300M mixed-use development planned in New Garden
A Baltimore-area developer is planning a massive, $300 million, mixed-use development on former farmland in New Garden Township. Developer Stonewall Capital will begin work next fall on White Clay Point, a 235-acre project that will include 622 residential units, a grocery store, a Wawa convenience store and additional retail space, according to Stonewall principal Ray Jackson. The development will stretch across former mushroom farmland and Route 41 near the busy U.S. Route 1 corridor and Kennett Square. Settlement on the property is expected to take place in the coming weeks. The seller is a partnership of Philadelphia-based regional mall owner PREIT and JPMorgan, which acquired the site about 20 years ago with a plan to build a retail hub and sports complex there. Stonewall has hired Lennar to build the housing component of White Clay Point. The mix will include townhomes, villas, one-over-one condominiums and single-family homes with estimated prices ranging from $300,000 to $1 million, Jackson said.
Source: Philadelphia Business Journal; 11/25/2025

Valley Forge Military Academy selling 33 acres to Eastern University
Valley Forge Military Academy and College (VFMAC), whose campus straddles the border of Radnor and Tredyffrin townships, will sell nearly half of its property to neighboring Eastern University ahead of the academy's closure in May. The 33.3-acre portion of the campus in the deal includes a football stadium, a track, an athletic field house, pickleball courts, residential buildings and other sports fields and open space. Fast-growing Eastern University, a private Christian College, has been leasing the football stadium, surrounding track and field house from VFMAC since 2021. The transaction is contingent on approvals and regulatory requirements as part of a due diligence process. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Source: Philadelphia Business Journal; 12/2/2025

West Chester passes 2026 budget with no property tax increase
West Chester Borough Council voted to adopt a balanced $23.8 million general fund budget with no property tax increase for 2026. The millage rate will remain at 8.09 mills. A home owner with a median-value home assessed at $178,000 will pay $1,440 in annual property taxes. Borough Manager Sean Metrick warned borough council in a packet attachment that a tax increase for 2027 is likely because costs rise quicker than increases in assessed property values and earned income tax growth. “The borough continues to work towards controlling costs so that we only have to raise taxes once every second or third year, and only a modest amount,” Metrick said. “Nearly one-third of property values in the borough are tax exempt, the largest owners being West Chester University and Chester County.” Council will hold a hearing prior to its December meeting to consider raising the wastewater rate by 3% to fund capital projects. With the new budget, the rental license fee will increase by 50% to $66.
Source: Daily Local; 11/22/2025

Chesco water authority holds municipal stormwater summit
In November, the Chester County Water Resources Authority (CCWRA) hosted the 2025 Chester County Municipal Stormwater Summit for municipal officials and staff from across the county. The annual event featured state meteorologist Scott Stuccio discussing changing rainfall patterns and the implications for the region, along with presentations on stormwater mitigation, interactive web tools developed by the CCWRA to monitor and manage local water resources, and updates on initiatives related to the County’s Act 167 Stormwater Management Plan. In 2024, Chester County updated its countywide integrated water resources plan, Watersheds 2045.
Source: Chester County; 11/13/2025

Tredyffrin Township to increase taxes in 2026
Tredyffrin Township officials plan to consider an ordinance that would set the 2026 real estate tax rate at 2.811 mills for general purposes, 0.657 mills for stormwater needs and 0.845 mills for emergency services. The measure would also establish a 2% discount for taxpayers who pay within two months of receiving their bills and impose a 10% penalty for payments made more than four months after the tax notice. Supervisors will hold the public hearing during their regular meeting on Monday, Dec. 15, at 7 p.m. at the township building, 1100 DuPortail Road in Berwyn.
Source: Daily Local; 11/27/2025