Central Bucks Regional Police News. Photo by James Short.
Doylestown Borough Council on Sept. 15 unanimously rejected the preliminary 2026 budget submitted by the Central Bucks Regional Police Department, following a recommendation from its Finance and Pension Committee.
The move is a standard step under the intermunicipal agreement that governs the regional department, which serves Doylestown Borough, New Britain Borough, and Chalfont Borough. Council members noted that the first draft is traditionally rejected each year to allow for revisions once additional financial details become available.
The draft budget was based on 2025 wage scales, as negotiations for both the police collective bargaining agreement and the AFSCME union contract remain unsettled. It also did not yet reflect finalized figures for health insurance, workers’ compensation, liability coverage, or potential grant revenues.
“This early deadline gives all the municipalities a preview of what things are looking like,” Assistant Manager/Finance Director Caroline Brinker said. “But we’ve never done anything but reject the first draft of the budget. The commission and the department have always made significant cuts and improvements before the final version.”
The police commission is expected to refine the budget in the coming months, with updates due back to member municipalities later this fall.
