Cops, Courts & Fire -Falls Township

Falls OKs Minimal Tax Boost for Parks & Rec in 2026

Published

2 months ago

December 26, 2025

Falls Township’s Parks and Recreation Department will receive additional funding in 2026 under the newly adopted spending plan.

During last Monday’s meeting, the Falls Supervisors adopted its 2026 budget that increases the current 8.97 millage rate by an additional 1 mill to 9.97 mills total. The tax increase will cost the owner of an average assessed property of $30,000 an extra $2.50 per month or $30 total per year.

Property owners currently pay $269.10 for an average assessment of $30,000. The owner of a similarly assessed Bristol Township property, by comparison, paid $1,099.40 in local taxes for 2025, while the owner of a similarly assessed Northampton Township home paid $1,550 in municipal taxes.

Unlike neighboring communities, Falls residents are not assessed for trash and leaf pickup.

The tax increase would cover the rising operating costs for the parks and recreation department, according to Finance Director Betsy Reukauf. The department oversees 408 acres at 18 parks, facilities and open space. Funds would continue to support various parks and recreation programs, including the annual National Night Out, Food Truck Festival, Community Yard Sale, Touch a Truck and Summer Concert Series, she said.

In addition, several projects are planned for township parks in the coming year, including renovations at Penns Grant Park which would feature the addition of a Safety Town, upgrades to the playground and resurfacing of the tennis courts; upgrades to the hockey rink at Falls Township Community Park to address drainage issues, continuation of the soccer field maintenance program, baseball field repairs; repair of the docks at the Quaker Penn Park boat launch; and improvements at Kirby Park. In all, $570,052 is earmarked for parks improvements in 2026.

During one of the budget sessions, Supervisors Vice Chairperson Erin Mullen said she “strongly supported” the planned renovations at Penns Grant Park, including the addition of Safety Town.

At Pinewood Pool, plans call for a new vacuum, chairs and security cameras to help prevent thefts from vehicles.

Reukauf told the board during the last of three budget meetings held last month that overall revenues for 2025 “far exceeded” what was allocated in this year’s spending plan. In particular, Reukauf said that various construction projects throughout Falls, most notably NorthPoint Development’s redevelopment of the former U.S. Steel site, have resulted in a $5.4 million surplus in anticipated revenues from building, electrical and HVAC permits.

Excess revenues mean that Falls can add $2 million back to its long-term savings and transfer just $5 million from host community fees to the general fund – as compared to the high of nearly $16.8 million in 2019.

Of the taxes collected locally, Pennsbury School District receives 85 percent, Bucks County receives 11 percent and Falls gets the remaining 4 percent – or 4 cents on every dollar collected.

Reukauf said $12 million is estimated to be collected in 2026 from the Earned Income Tax, which was enacted in 2023.

For decades, Falls officials have worked hard to do more with less. For every $1 paid in taxes, Falls Township receives just 4 cents. Yet, year after year the township sees spiraling pension contribution increases. Over the last decade, the township has seen its pension obligation nearly triple. Pension contributions surged from $1.3 million in 2012 to $2.6 million in 2017, with nearly $2.6 million projected for next year, while the state contributions have remained relatively flat.

Still, Falls plans a number of capital projects next year, including the full-depth reconstruction of Willow Drive, as well as mill and overlay repairs, upgrades to the South Olds Boulevard culvert and repairs at Martins Creek.

In all, $45,005,940 is projected to be spent in 2026.

While the budget adoption was the lone agenda item, Supervisors Chairman Jeff Dence and Vice Chairperson Erin Mullen acknowledged Supervisor Jeff Boraski, who will conclude two six-year terms on the board at year’s end.

“Jeff Boraski was just like relentlessly standing up for the taxpayer all the time,” Mullen said, adding that she was “very proud” of him and his work as a Supervisor, including his founding and coordination of the Touch a Truck event for the last nine years, as well as his participation on the township municipal building project subcommittee.

Dence lauded Boraski as the “ultimate family guy” and said, “he will be missed.”

“Twelve years is a long time,” Dence said. “It’s a big commitment too.”

Related Topics:Falls OKs Minimal Tax Boost for Parks & Rec in 2026

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Emergency Crews Prepare for Incoming Blizzard as Lower Bucks Municipalities Declare Storm Plans

Published

2 weeks ago

February 21, 2026

Joanne Ames

Credit:: Veinna Carcel

Lower Bucks municipalities have declared disaster/snow emergencies in advance of the expected snow storm that the National Weather Service says will dump anywhere between 14 to 18 inches on the area.

A winter storm warning is still in effect from Sunday, Feb 22 to Monday, Feb 23.

Each municipality has its own link. For more information and updates, please click on their associated link.

Bensalem Township – Disaster Emergency declared immediately for the pending snow storm. Click here to see more details.

Bristol Borough – Snow information/requirements have been posted on their website. Click here to see the details.

Bristol Township – Snow Emergency effective 12 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026 through 12 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. Click here to see more details.

Falls Township – Snow Emergency starts Sunday, Feb. 22 at 6 p.m. and expires on Tuesday, Feb. 24 at 6 a.m. Click here for details.

Langhorne Borough – Snow Emergency starts Sunday, Feb. 22 at noon until Tuesday, Feb. 24 at 10 a.m. No parking. Click here for details.

Lower Makefield Township – Snow information has been posted on Meta. Click here to see the details.

Middletown Township – Snow Emergency is in effect from Sunday, Feb. 22 at 12 p.m. to Monday, Feb. 23 at 12 p.m. . Click here to see details.

Morrisville Borough – Snow Emergency is in effect from Sunday, Feb. 22 at 5 p.m. to Monday, Feb. 23 at 5 p.m. Click here to see the details.

Newtown Township – A Snow Emergency is in effect from 4 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026 until 4 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 23, 2026. Click here to see the details.

Penndel Borough – Snow Emergency has been declared from 12 p.m. on Sunday, February 22, 2026, through 12 p.m. on Monday, February 23, 2026. Click here for more details and click here for more on the ordinance.

Tullytown Borough – Snow Emergency proclamation in effect from Sunday Feb. 22 – 6 p.m. to Monday Feb. 23 – 6 p.m. Click here to see more details.

Warminster Township – Disaster Emergency has been declared for the incoming snow storm, effective Sunday Feb. 22, 2026 at 12 p.m. through Tuesday, Feb. 24,2026 at 12 p.m.. Click here to see the details and click here to see the declaration from Township Manager Tom Scott.

Yardley Borough – Snow Emergency proclamation in effect from Sunday Feb. 22 – 4 p.m. to Monday Feb. 23 – 4 p.m. . Click here to see the details. and click here to see declaration/other information from Mayor Caroline Thompson.

The primary concern is safety. Take care of yourselves and check on neighbors and those who may be vulnerable.

Please stay safe, take all necessary precautions, and keep your devices charged.

Click here for updates from the National Weather Service

Click here for PECO’s outage map.

Cops, Courts & Fire -Falls Township

Fairless Hill Man Arrested on False Imprisonment, Aggravated Assault Charges After Text Breakup

Published

3 weeks ago

February 16, 2026

Jo Ames & Jeff Bohen

A 27-year-old Fairless Hills man is facing serious charges after his game of emotional blackmail involving his ex girlfriend got him three days in jail on aggravated assault, false imprisonment, terroristic threats and related charges.

Jonathan Boerner was taken into custody by Falls Township Police on the morning of Jan 24 and arraigned by on-call District Judge Joseph P. Falcone. Falcone set bail at 10 percent of $150,000. Boerner was remanded to County Jail for about three days and was released when bail was posted.

According to the probable cause, police were dispatched to the Commons of Fallsington Apartments on January 23, 2026 at 9:38pm. Bucks County Radio (BCR) advised officers the female complainant’s ex-boyfriend allegedly forced her to stay at his house in the 600 block of Trenton Road in Fairless Hills for three hours, physically assaulted her, and threatened her with a gun.

Arriving officers noted the victim was visibly shaking and said she was afraid for her life, officers wrote in court papers.

She explained, police said in court papers, she recently broke up with Boerner through texting. He refused to end the relationship over text and pleaded with her to meet in person, forgetting it only takes one person to end a relationship.

The victim told the police she arrived at his residence around 5:15 pm, and they entered his bedroom, The two talked for approximately 30 minutes, where the victim said she ended the relationship. Boerner then exited his bedroom and allegedly returned with a gun. The victim described the gun to be a “black pistol/small firearm,” and said Boerner recently bought the firearm from an unknown source and it was not registered to him.

Boerner then pointed the gun at his head saying “I’m going to kill myself,” the victim told police.

The victim, told police, she was terrified, took her phone out, and pleaded with Boerner to allow her to leave. He then grabbed her right arm, shoved her onto the bed, saying he was going to kill her, and she was not leaving, He then shut the bedroom door and blocked her from leaving.

Boerner allowed her to enter the living room 30 minutes later, but locked the front door, the victim said.

After another argument, the victim asked to go outside, which Boerner allowed, but demanded her to leave her keys in the living room, and to leave her phone in her pocket.

While outside, Boerner threatened the victim, saying if she attempted to run away, he was going to grab her and kill himself, the victim told police.

The young woman somehow convinced Boerner to let her leave at approximately 8:15 pm to “grab food”.

She left and instead immediately went home and called police.

The victim again told on scene police officers she was afraid for her life while Boerner was wielding the gun and had bruised her right arm, during the incident.

She was instructed, around 11:00 pm, to text Boerner to meet her out front of his residence to “talk about their relationship”. It was at this time police staged in proximity of Boerner’s residence. Boerner then exited his residence, attempting to evade police, in which a short foot pursuit ensued, according to the probable cause.

Due to the facts and nature of the incident, according to police, the possibility of Boerner concealing a firearm, and Boerner’s permit to conceal carry, the original officer deployed his taser, taking Boerner to the ground. Boerner continued to resist police and was eventually taken into custody.

He was read his Miranda Rights, which he said he understood and agreed to talk with police.

Police said, he denied having a gun, but said he had owned them in the past but no longer has any. Boerner admitted to grabbing the victim and throwing her on the bed.

He is scheduled to appear for a April 8, 2026 court date. Boerner, according to court records, is represented by Michael Kotik, Esq. of SKA Law Firm in Philadelphia.

Cops, Courts & Fire -Falls Township

Falls Twp Police Officer Retires After 39 Years of Distinguished Service

Published

4 weeks ago

February 7, 2026

Jeff Bohen

After serving residents for nearly four decades the longest tenured Falls Township Police officer Jonathon Caesar, announced his retirement last Sunday Feb 2.

Fellow officers lined the walkway into the newly completed home of the Falls Township Police Department last Sunday congratulating Caesar, wishing him a fond farewell.

Prior to policing the residents of Falls Township, he served his country as an active-duty member of the United State Marine Corps, before serving Bucks County as a Correctional Officer. Over the course of his career Officer.

Caesar was an accomplished member of the Bucks County South SWAT Team, a member of the Police Honor Guard Unit, was an Emergency Medical Technician, and a Drill Instructor for the Youth Police Academy.

Credit: Submitted

Well before working into his 39th year, Caesar earned the distinction of knowing just about everyone in Falls Township and the surrounding communities, while almost everyone also knew him.

His personal and professional life experience, and larger than life personality made him both approachable and relatable, as he was always able to charm, and disarm, when needed, the most volatile of people and situations.

Caesar was also incredibly courageous, and as tough as they come, each and every one of their police officers benefitted from the knowledge and mentorship when needed.

Officer Caesar served this agency and community with distinction, honor, and genuine care, police officials said

“His legacy consists of the countless lives he’s impacted and the knowledge, guidance, and mentoring he provided so many officers that came after him. Congratulations on your well-earned retirement, Jonathon, you will be greatly missed!”