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Public commenters press Bucks County on health‑department enforcement, election integrity and ARPA spending
Summary
At the Dec. 19 meeting, residents criticized county actions and raised concerns including alleged rule‑of‑law violations by commissioners, unresolved health‑department enforcement at a Bristol Borough restaurant, election security and the use of ARPA funds.
Several members of the public used the county comment period to raise complaints and policy concerns ranging from local health‑department enforcement to election integrity and use of ARPA funds.
Fran Haller (Wright for Bucks, Newtown Township) accused Commissioners Marceglia and Harvey of attempting to “flout the rule of law” and urged support for recall legislation being discussed in the Pennsylvania House. Haller cited a news summary of a Pennsylvania Freedom Caucus recall bill and urged residents to contact their state representatives.
Rachel Kamen, who said she lives next to a Bristol Borough seafood establishment, described ongoing health‑code problems — including 18 refuse bins she said had not been cleaned in more than a year — and cited the county’s duty under Act 3·15 and the FDA 2022 food code to enforce storage requirements. Kamen said records show a license issued with missing owner signatures and asked commissioners to table the appointment of Phil Smith to the County Board of Health until her concerns are investigated.
Other commenters included Beth Curcio, who raised broad ideological criticisms of county leadership and alleged noncompliance with a judicial order to release emails, and Ed Mackhouse, who urged paper ballots and questioned nursing‑home ballot handling. Fred Horan read a letter from a student praising a school resource officer placed by the sheriff’s office. Andy Warren questioned ARPA spending totals and flagged personnel raises and specific expenditures such as a reported $7,500 line item for haircuts at a county nursing facility.
County staff did not provide on‑the‑spot answers in the public‑comment period but later referenced follow‑up options: the chair suggested Kamen raise her concerns through the health‑department meeting and suggested her attorney confer with department leadership and the county solicitor. No votes or formal actions were taken on the public comments themselves during the meeting.
