Civic Issues
Topics getting the most attention in Delaware County, Pennsylvania public meetings, ranked by how frequently they are discussed.
50 issues
$120 Million Open Space Bond Referendum
Voters could decide in November whether the county borrows up to $120 million to protect drinking water, rivers, wetlands, parks, and natural areas from development. Council debates the actual vote Wednesday — the resolution just puts the question on the ballot.
November 3 General Election Preparation
A commenter argued Pennsylvania's online mail ballot portal wrongly excludes active-duty military members and their families, and asked county election staff to acknowledge the problem and meet with him.
Crozer Hospital Closure Aftermath
A $250,000 grant application would help partners offer nurse-practitioner primary care to Chester residents left without a hospital. The county is just the money-handler, not the provider.
Regional Youth Detention Center Agreement
Since the county's juvenile detention center closed in 2021, judges who order a kid held have no guaranteed placement — staff literally call other counties hoping for a bed. Resolution 2026-01 would join a Berks County-led regional facility with eight dedicated beds for Delaware County. Council members debated whether the county's own Juvenile Detention Board of Managers still makes sense alongside a regional authority.
County Road Conditions and Blight
A vacant, structurally dangerous building at 704 Pusey Avenue in Collingdale is coming down with a $75,000 county grant, including stabilization of the shared wall with the neighboring house.
Federal housing and homelessness grants
The county is directing about $210,900 in state housing money to two nonprofits for rental help, furniture, and financial literacy classes — funds targeted at homeless and near-homeless residents.
Human Services Block Grant — $51.15M
The county will contract with Share Food Program for $928,194 in state food purchase funding — up from last year — as SNAP restrictions increase demand. Council asked whether outreach on changing eligibility rules is underway.
Stormwater management and Chester Creek Trail
DVRPC is set to allocate $9.75 million to build the next 1.3 miles of the Chester Creek Trail with no county match. Separately, a $300,000 DCNR grant will fund an ADA-accessible loop trail, parking and bathrooms at Delco Woods (former Don Guanella School).
Darby Creek Trail washout repairs
A stretch of trail between the Swedish Cabin and Kent Park has been washing out since 2020 due to flooding and stormwater runoff. The county will seek a $500,000 state grant for drainage fixes, stream bank armoring, and a flood-resistant trail rebuild.
Sheriff's Office public safety drone program
The county will apply for a $50,000 grant to buy an American-made drone for the Sheriff's Office — used for search and rescue, warrant service, and situational awareness. Council supports it but worries the draft policy lets uses drift beyond what a sheriff's office is legally empowered (and insured) to do, and wants any drone policy subject to council approval before the purchase comes back.
Medical Examiner ARPA equipment purchase
With just over $1 million in leftover ARPA funds that must be spent by year's end — and construction on the new facility stalled — the county will buy forensic gear, including a $650,000 Rapid DNA machine, that it would have needed anyway for accreditation.
Demolition fund running down faster than it refills
Council approved advancing a $110,000 demolition grant for a collapsing Darby Borough house — well over the usual $85,000 cap. But declining real estate transactions mean the Recorder of Deeds demolition fund is replenishing more slowly, with only about 14 such grants left in the roughly $1.4 million balance.
Criminal justice and public safety funding
The council was scheduled to approve about $41,640 in federal grant money to buy body armor for officers in four Delaware County police departments — Chester City ($19,900), Darby Township ($9,480), Yeadon ($7,400), and Sharon Hill ($4,860). Departments must certify that officers are required to wear the armor while on patrol. It's a small budget item but directly touches officer safety in some of the county's busiest communities.
Darby Borough vacant structure demolition
A $110,000 grant from the demolition fund was proposed to tear down a vacant building at 939 Forrester Avenue in Darby — removing a potential blight and safety hazard.
Workday implementation risk
The county's big shift from paper to electronic HR, finance, and grants systems needs help. Council will consider a Workday Success Plan contract (up to $300,000 annually for up to three years) plus supplemental consulting to keep the rollout on track.
Sheriff deputy pay scale dispute
The deputies' union says a contract addendum promised a compensation study by September 1 and a new pay scale by January 1, 2027, but the county hasn't delivered the study or negotiated in good faith — and seasoned deputies are leaving.
Workforce development update
Council celebrated the community college's new Southeast Center in Drexel Hill — a $14.25 million public investment turned the old Prendie high school into a campus for healthcare, trades, culinary and early-childhood career training.
Data Center Utility and Emergency Preparedness Concerns
A resident warned that a proposed light-industrial data center district half a mile from her home could bring thousands of industrial lithium batteries, threatening firefighter safety, the Crum Creek watershed that supplies drinking water to 68,000 people, and nearby schools via noise — and asked the county to use its countywide jurisdiction on fire readiness, hazardous waste and stormwater rules.
County animal welfare crisis
Advocates pressed for a countywide animal welfare center, describing a stray-animal crisis in Chester where one rescue took in about 70 dogs in three months and found 41 deceased dogs since January. The county has offered a building, but advocates need details on space, terms and responsibilities.
Gun violence memorial support
Seifredan Simpson of Chester, grandfather of a four-year-old killed by gun violence, urged the county to keep gun violence prevention front and center and offered to work with Council on the issue.
Cybercrime enforcement grant funding
Two public-safety grants totaling over $1.8 million: one keeps the DA's digital-forensics analysts on the payroll working on cyber-enabled domestic violence, and the other funds a data analyst, client transportation, and evening reporting hours for people on probation.
George W. Hill Correctional Facility contracts and leadership
A speaker criticized jail leadership, warden Willie Bond's residency and policies, and the lack of a public corrections-week proclamation (council later corrected the record, noting a proclamation was presented at the prison).
Solar Arrays at Three County Buildings
The county wants solar panels on three county sites to grab the federal 30% clean-energy tax credit before it expires at the end of 2027 — good for sustainability and for dodging volatile energy bills.
Countywide housing study
A $100,000 state grant funds Phase 2 of the county's housing needs study, turning a mountain of data into usable findings and case studies that will guide housing policy.
No inpatient behavioral health beds in the county
Because the county has no inpatient psychiatric hospital since Crozer's closure, uninsured residents in crisis are being sent to Montgomery County at $847.52 a day — with new oversight procedures coming.
1724 Chester Courthouse rehabilitation
More than $215,000 from the Visit Delco collaboration fund goes toward restoring the nation's oldest public building in continuous use. Council wants the building programmed — tours, ceremonies, events — not just repaired.
Chester City Investment
A $311,000 contract with BSS Contractors will rehabilitate the historic 1724 Chester Courthouse, paid for entirely by a National Park Service Semiquincentennial grant.
Senior Evacuation Planning
A self-described baby boomer asked what evacuation plans and routes exist for seniors and vulnerable residents in a disaster. The question ties into the county's Emergency Preparedness Month messaging.
County Pension Cost-of-Living for Retirees
A retired Chester police detective asked whether county retirees — including county detectives excluded from a new state COLA law — could get a pension cost-of-living increase. Reuther said the pension is well-funded but any COLA raises the county's required contribution and must go through the pension board.
George W. Hill Prison Kitchen Modernization
The last of three big capital projects promised for the George W. Hill Correctional Facility is going out to bid: a full renovation of about 10,000 square feet of kitchen and food service space, done in seven phases so meals keep flowing, under the county's project labor agreement.
Veteran Suicide Prevention
The county's veterans book discussion program grew from 10 to 46 participants in six months, and a federal grant application would add contracted therapists and case management for veterans transitioning out of the military.
Tax Claim Bureau Payment Plan Practices
Speakers revisited the case of Gloria Gaynor, whose home was sold over about $30,500 in unpaid property taxes, and asked council and state lawmakers to add redemption rights to Pennsylvania's municipal claim and tax lien law. One speaker confirmed her passing.
School safety demonstration projects
Quick-build street safety improvements near schools in Chester and Collingdale are done at two sites, with two more coming this fall, funded by a federal grant.
Opioid settlement-funded services
A recovery group leader said nonprofits applying for county opioid settlement grants still haven't heard back, though awards were expected in January. Staff promised an answer and said awards will appear on a public agenda.
Glenolden District Court relocation lease
The county is leasing the old Antonucci automotive building on MacDade Boulevard for ten years to get Judge Burns back in his own district after three years of temporary space in Darby Township. Costs include about $347,000 in court-specific fit-out work paid over a decade.
ADA restroom upgrades at Government Center
After a successful ground-floor pilot, the county is spending $850,730 to design fixes for the remaining 15 restrooms identified in a Department of Justice ADA review.
Public Defender Office Performance
Public Defender Taylor Dunn reported the county jail population is down more than 50% since 2012, juvenile detention down over 90%, and crime down 35% — while his office handles 70% of criminal cases with an 82% staff retention rate.
Amended 2026 Capital Improvement Budget
The county cut its capital budget by $18 million to about $109.2 million, reflecting projects added, dropped, and deferred across 85 facilities and 15 parks. Leadership framed it as the county finally getting ahead of years of deferred maintenance — roofs, HVAC, bridges — while leveraging over $7 million in grants.
Pro bono legal services funding for low-income residents
A $25,000 grant to promote the Bar Foundation's pro bono services squeaked through 4-1 after Councilwoman Phillips questioned whether the Bar Association actually provides pro bono help, noting no Form 990 filings since 2010 and a website frozen since 2022.
Counter-Drone Grant (C-UAS) — Tabled
The county was one of only three grant recipients statewide for $1.4 million in drone-detection equipment to protect critical infrastructure and events. It got tabled after the solicitor raised late questions — staff will confirm waiting doesn't cost the county the award.
Transparency and Public Accountability Concerns
A speaker demanded council stop posting about national politics on official accounts, saying it erodes trust. Councilmember Schaefer strongly disagreed, arguing national election law, immigration enforcement, and climate clawbacks directly affect county residents.
Woodburn Mansion preservation at the new county park
A Darby Borough resident urged the county to preserve rather than demolish the 1906 Trumbauer-designed Woodburn mansion, citing its sound stone-and-steel structure and possible community uses; the Friends of Woodburn say the county has refused their offers to clear brush and the building is overgrown.
Property tax refunds and the common level ratio
Six years of court-ordered tax refunds are costing the county $652,000, driven by commercial assessment appeals and the state's falling common level ratio. Reuther wants a public explainer on how this cascading formula hits the county and school districts.
Fair Acres nurses' union contract extension
The PASNAP agreement covering employees at the county's Fair Acres Geriatric Center was extended through June 30, 2027, keeping labor peace at the county's nursing home.
Health and human services contracts
Two contract amendments with Child Guidance Resource Centers, Inc. were on the agenda — one adding $1,239 for family-based mental health services and another increasing the value of a drug-and-alcohol case management agreement by up to $25,484.30, both extending services through mid-2027.
County Cyberattack Recovery
Executive Director Barbara O'Malley confirmed the June 26 cyberattack didn't touch the county email system and that all systems were restored using secure backups, but the county is still reviewing exactly what data was accessed. Residents like Kathy Buckley say nearly two months without details has left them unsure whether their Social Security numbers, tax records, or voting information were exposed.
Jail healthcare contract rebid
The county will extend its Wellpath medical contract at the jail one final time before competitive bidding, and is shifting the New Leash on Life dog program from federal grant funding to the inmate welfare fund. A resident argued that use is illegal because the program serves only a dozen inmates; staff defended it as benefiting the whole facility.
Central arraignment room utilization
Councilmember Phillips toured the Media arraignment facility and found it underused — arraignments happen by video, not in person. Council is committing to a year-long stakeholder effort to decide whether to bring people there physically, shrink the space, or rethink central booking entirely.
Non-congregate shelter in Upper Darby
The county is committing $2.4 million to help Self Inc. find and build a 12-15 room shelter with private bathrooms. Council wants stronger protections — an outside date and revocability — before fully committing, and expects a zoning fight wherever the site lands.
Narcotics division lease authorization
Councilmember Reuther discovered the office housing the county narcotics division — funded by a HIDTA grant — was leased without Council approval, which she says the law requires. She has no issue with the grant itself but may ask to table it tomorrow until the lease question is resolved.