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Bensalem Township Mayor (4 YR term)

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    Joe DiGirolamo
    (Rep)

Biographical Information

What do you consider to be the most important issues facing your community, and how do you propose to address them?

Why are you running for this office?

What qualifications and experience do you have that will assist you in the performance of the duties of this office?

Education North Catholic H.S., Penn State Agricultural Programs
Experience I have been Mayor of our wonderful community for over 30 years, and every day has been devoted to ensuring the safety and maintaining the quality of life of the citizens of Bensalem. Former CEO of DiGirolamo Farms, a Bensalem based regional agribusiness.
Public safety continues to be of paramount importance to our community. Bensalem shares a border with Philadelphia, and the culture of lawlessness that exists in the City, fostered by a liberal D.A. who supports criminals instead of the police, spills over that border into our community on a daily basis. Our costs for crime prevention and public safety are almost 70% of our overall General Fund Budget, but this level of funding allows us to maintain a Nationally Accredited Police Department that prevents crime and keeps us safe in our homes and on our streets. We have also worked hand-in-hand with our brave firefighters to restructure our Fire Services, and worked with our Rescue Squad to address their staffing and equipment needs, helping both our Fire and EMS Services to save precious minutes when they are responding to a fire or EMS call. The quality of life we enjoy in Bensalem starts with our public safety, and public safety must therefore remain our most important issue.
Mayor of Bensalem is the only political office I have ever sought or held. The same cannot be said of my opponent. I was born in Bensalem, I was raised here, I've raised my family here, and I've worked here my entire life. My deep community roots, my business experience, my love for this community, and my desire to serve the people of Bensalem made the Office of Mayor the only elected office that ever interested me. That still remains true today. I stepped away from my family's business so that I could run for Mayor, and since taking office, I have worked tirelessly to make Bensalem a safe place to live, work, and raise a family, achieving success by running our government like a business. I am proud of all that we have accomplished, but there is always more to be done, and I fear for what will happen to our community should an inexperienced, political opportunist suddenly be put in charge. Simply put, I am running for re-election so I can continue serve the citizens of Bensalem!
Bensalem is the 9th largest municipality in Pennsylvania, with over 60,000 residents and over 144 miles of roads within the 21 square miles that make up our Township. We have over 200 employees, more than 100 of whom are officers in one of the largest Police Departments in the Commonwealth. The Township has an annual budget of over a hundred million dollars. The Mayor oversees all of it. As Mayor, I have led this community, responsibly and successfully, for over 30 years. Before I was elected, I was CEO of DiGirolamo Farms, then one of the largest and most successful agribusinesses in the region. During my time in office, Bensalem has earned a reputation as a safe place to live, work, and raise a family, and our strong financial position, and our unrivaled quality of life, have over the years earned us national praise as “One of the 50 Best Places to Live in America,” "1 of the 100 Best Communities for Young People,” and most recently as “1 of the 50 Best Places to Live for Families.”