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Newtown Township Board elects Edward Marman chair, affirms slate of 2026 appointments and resolutions
Summary
At its Jan. 5 reorganization meeting, the Newtown Township Board of Supervisors elected Edward Marman as chair and Melissa Murk as vice chair, approved the township manager employment agreement for Michael Lewis, and adopted a series of appointments and resolutions setting bond amounts, fees and administrative procedures for 2026.
Edward Marman was elected chair of the Newtown Township Board of Supervisors at the board’s Jan. 5 reorganization meeting, and Melissa Murk was elected vice chair as the board moved through a slate of appointments and administrative resolutions for 2026.
The board, convened at 7 p.m., began with a moment of silence and the Pledge of Allegiance before Judge Petruchi administered oaths of office to newly sworn officials, including Supervisor Melissa Murk, Supervisor Edward (Ed) Marman, Tax Collector Tammy Sutton and Auditor Maryanne Adams.
Following the oath, a motion to elect Edward Marman as chair was made and seconded; the motion carried, and Marman accepted the role. "I plan to work extremely hard … and I look forward to getting support from that experience," Marman said, thanking outgoing supervisors and promising collaboration. The board then voted to elect Melissa Murk as vice chair; Murk told residents she was “honored” and urged community involvement, saying, "My heart is full."
The board approved an employment agreement recognizing Michael Lewis as township manager and appointed him as township treasurer and secretary. The board also approved a range of professional and administrative appointments recommended for 2026, including:
- Solicitor: Kil County Law and Jerry Shankman, Esquire (appointment recorded in the transcript as passing 4–1). - Assistant secretary and assistant treasurer: Kyle Davis (approved 5–0). - Engineers/consultants: Remington & Vernick for traffic, civil engineering, and GIS services (approved 5–0). - Auditor: Melee LLP to audit the township’s FY2025 accounts (approved 5–0). - Insurance brokers/carriers, pension actuary and investment advisor appointments were also approved by voice vote.
The board adopted several resolutions that organize township administration for the year. Among them, Resolution 2026R1 set bond amounts for township officers and designated Treasurer Michael Lewis’s bond at $3 million. The board also adopted Act 135 tax exemption certifications (2026R2), reaffirmed the administrative conditional use procedure (2026R3), reaffirmed pension plan investment policy, and adopted the 2026 fee schedule (2026R4). All of the listed resolutions were approved by unanimous voice vote where recorded.
Liaison and committee appointments for boards and commissions were read and affirmed, including planning commission, environmental advisory council, historical commissions and the Joint Municipal Sewer Authority; a late addition of Craig Deutsch to the sewer authority was noted and included. The board confirmed committee representatives for pension and occupational safety committees and designated official depositories (Penn Community Bank, First National Bank of Newtown, Invest of Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Local Government Investment Trust).
During the public comment period for agenda items, John Mack identified himself as a Newtown resident and incoming Human Rights Commission member, thanked the board and asked whether the appointment list would be published; the board said the appointments would be included in the meeting minutes.
The meeting concluded after miscellaneous items and no further public comment. The board set its 2026 meeting dates and authorized a procedure for issuing proclamations, directing the chair to sign proclamations after polling the board and the manager to attest.
Votes at a glance (as recorded in the meeting): - Elect Edward Marman, chair — passed (recorded as 4–0). - Elect Melissa Murk, vice chair — passed (recorded as 4–1). - Appoint Kyle Davis, assistant secretary/assistant treasurer — passed 5–0. - Recognize Michael Lewis employment agreement; appoint treasurer/secretary — passed 5–0. - Appoint Kil County Law / Jerry Shankman, solicitor — passed 4–1. - Multiple professional services, boards, commissions, and resolutions — generally recorded as passing by voice votes, most noted as 5–0.
Next steps: the board indicated appointment lists and meeting minutes for the reorganization will be published as part of the official record.
