DV Journal

Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump by a 53-point margin (76-22 percent) in Jenkintown four years ago. But the Montgomery County Republican Committee opened a satellite office on Old York Road last week in the heart of this Democratic-dominated community.

It’s a sign of just how upbeat Republicans are about the chances of voters returning former President Trump to the White House, and they’re bullish on Dave McCormick, who is running for U.S. Senate against 18-year incumbent Sen. Bob Casey (D). The Democrats pushing Biden off their ticket and replacing him with Vice President Kamala Harris hasn’t dampened their enthusiasm.

“There’s a reason we want to do this. We have to plant the flag in the ground and show that Montgomery County is not a one-party county. And so, this is not just to drive toward victory in November. This is to drive toward victory going forward,” said Montgomery County GOP Chairman Christian Nascimento.

“The Republican Party in Montgomery County is back!”

Two other auxiliary offices are planned for Pottstown and Harleysville, with the main  GOP location in Blue Bell.

The office is full of yard signs and literature for Trump, McCormick, and other candidates, including state representatives, state treasurer, auditor general, and attorney general.

The speakers praised Robert Asher, a businessman and Republican National Committeeman, who helped fund the additional locations.

(From left) R0bert Asher, Joanne Ayer, Christian Nascimento, Commissioner Tom DiBello

“The tide is turning,” said Asher. “For the first time in 15 years, this week, Bucks County switched back and has more Republican than Democrat voters. So that is hugely important.”

“And we are going to work for all Republicans from state representatives to the next president of the United States to have a united Republican Party victory,” Asher said.

The numbers appear to back up Asher’s claim about a turning tide. Data from the Pennsylvania Department of State showed there were 395,699 more registered Democrats than Republicans in April. That advantage dropped to 360,982 this month. Republicans added almost 30,000 registered votes while Democrats lost more than 4,800 voters, according to the state government.

And while Bucks remains the only county in the DelVal region with a GOP edge., the party has narrowed the gap with Democrats in Chester, Delaware and Montgomery Counties as well.

Scott Presler of Early Vote Action has been actively registering GOP voters in Pennsylvania. He says Bucks is just the beginning.

“We flipped Beaver County 🔵🔜🔴. We flipped Bucks County 🔵🔜🔴. Now, we’re turning our attention to Luzerne County. After Luzerne flips — because it will — we will focus on Centre, Chester, Erie, & Monroe,” Preslser posted on X.

Montgomery County Commissioner Tom DiBello said he attends events all around the county and sees the same enthusiasm.

“Wherever I go, the Republican and GOP energy is strong, vibrant, and ready to win,” said DiBello. “We’re seeing a shift that the communities are starting to look in the other direction back to our way. For 150 years in Montgomery County, we had Republican leadership, and Montgomery County was run very successfully. In the last eight years, its leadership has shifted, and people see what’s going on…And they are not happy. High taxes. High crime. And all this is happening in our communities and neighborhoods…People are starting to stand up, and they’re starting to fight back.”

Congressional candidate David Winkler said, “Montgomery County is in play…I’ve talked to so many different groups who are all going to be in Montgomery County because they see it as a win.”

“Guess what? Jenkintown and Abington, we’re here right now, and we’re making an announcement that Montgomery County is important,” said Joe Rooney, chair of the Abington Township Republican Organization (ATRO), who is running for state representative. “And we’re going to do everything we can, and there’s a lot of people right here that are backing that statement up…We’re fighting. Just like Trump said last Saturday. We are fighting for every GOP vote.  And the vote of people who love America.”

“This shouldn’t end at the end of the election,” said ATRO member Bob Jasionowski. “We’re working together with data and mail-in ballots. We’re firing on all cylinders here. We’re pulling the fuel in for turbocharging.”

Abington resident Ron Holt, the former county register of wills, volunteers for the McCormick campaign.

McCormick “is a little behind in the polls, but on election day, he’s going to win,” said Holt. “He’s a military man. He’s a family man.”

“I’m supporting all Republicans,” said Jenkintown resident Suzanne Hunter. “I think our country is going down the drain.”

Also from Jenkintown, Susan Krol added, “Everyone is complaining about the illegal immigrants. (Democrats) want to change the demographics…They want to control this country.”

About 75 people came to last week’s opening.

“I thought this was going to be maybe 20 people,” said Jim Saring, a Republican State Committee person from Plymouth Meeting. “It shows how excited people are about our ticket and putting President Trump back in office.”

Christine Baik, who ran for Upper Dublin Township commissioner last year, agreed it was a “good turnout. It shows people are ready to work to get their candidates over the finish line.”

Baik added, “I’m a young woman of color who votes Republican because the Democrats don’t write their narratives for me.”

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About 200 Jenkintown residents turned out Monday for a sometimes contentious meeting over whether the community should shut down its police department and contract with neighboring Abington or Cheltenham for police services.

Officials emphasized that no decision has been made. The police department costs the borough $2.5 million, about half its $5.1 million annual budget.

Most of those who spoke to the borough council and Mayor Gabriel Lerman vehemently opposed the idea of losing the 11-person department. Many residents were surprised to learn of financial issues that depleted the municipality’s reserve fund, which police Chief Tom Scott outlined during a slide presentation that kicked off the two-hour meeting. He also noted the police union contract expired on Dec. 31, and the union representatives “stopped negotiations and walked away from the table.”

Scott said he started the conversation, “Because I care. I care about the community, and I care about our officers.”

A 2020 report by a police consultant found 90 issues with the department. Scott has tried to remedy some of those, such as a lack of active shooter response training, since he became chief in 2022.

One issue that decimated Jenkintown’s savings was a $800,000 settlement with Salem Baptist Church after Jenkintown condemned some land behind it in 1998. The church fought the action, and the matter spent years in the courts until the 2015 settlement. Also, a tax settlement with a commercial property owner requires the borough to spend $92,000 yearly for five years. And a $190,000 court-ordered tax reassessment in 2023 for a business that Jenkintown will pay over two years is another factor.

Real estate taxes have increased 28 percent for the last three years, and the tax millage has doubled over the past five years. Jenkintown residents pay the second-highest tax rate in Montgomery County, behind Cheltenham.

Lerman said many small businesses have not re-opened since they were closed during the pandemic. However, residents pointed out that a new Giant supermarket is under construction on Old York Road and will be paying taxes.

The school district receives the entire earned income tax amount rather than half because officials believe it’s the town’s most important asset and a major draw for new residents. Other expenses include purchasing new fire apparatus, $20 million for sewer repairs, and wage increases for public services workers, which are now much lower than surrounding towns.

Reed Virgilio has lived in Jenkintown for 18 years and wants to keep the police force.

“My son got into a scenario with the police,” she said. “And the police, because they knew us like we knew them, treated my son with the utmost respect when a lot of other places wouldn’t, with his skin color and braids and dreads. I know it would have been different because I know what is out there. I think we’ve got the best police force.

“If we get rid of the police department, our taxes aren’t going to go down at all, so where’s that money going to go to?” she asked, to mixed hoots and applause.

“Our response time would go down 100 percent,” said Virgilio. Scott disagreed.

Council President Jay Conners said, “The amount of money we’d be able to save is just enormous. It exceeds $500,000. “

Joe Stanton, who’s lived in Jenkintown for 71 years and has a law office in town, also does not want to lose the police department.

“The officers of Jenkintown know the town well,” said Stanton. “They know the streets, the fields, the homes, the businesses, and most of all, they know the residents of this town.” The officers have prevented burglaries, robberies, and vandalism.

Officials haven’t spoken to neighboring communities, but they did talk to a public relations firm last spring to help them speak to the public about the issue.

“You are aware of this situation because it was leaked to the press,” said Conners. That revelation also drew outrage from some people, who said officials weren’t transparent.

Resident Janet Jones said, “I would like to see better management of the funds and what’s going on.”

Michael Gottlieb, an attorney, said that if the department closes, the former officers would struggle to find other jobs in law enforcement due to their seniority. And, he added, Jenkintown’s average officers’ pay of $126,000 “isn’t all that great compared with comparable municipalities.”

“These officers put their lives on the line every day for the good people here to make sure they have a safe place to live,” Gottlieb said. “Take a look at the videos that are coming from ‘Filthadelphia.’ There’s a war on police officers in Philadelphia.”

Another man pointed out the rising crime rate in Philadelphia and said he feared criminals would come out to Jenkintown if it no longer has its police department.

Joe Regan, president of the Pennsylvania Fraternal Order of Police, said there was a similar situation 15 years ago with Narberth Borough and Lower Merion Township, but Narberth kept its police force.

“Jenkintown officers are members of our organization. You’re talking about 10 lives. But you have to multiply that to their family members. It all comes as a cost,” said Regan. He told the residents to keep fighting for their police department and to contact former Narberth council folks, including Mary Jo Daley, a state representative, to find out why they kept their department.

“Communities lose their identities when they lose their police force,” Regan told DVJournal.

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