Thursday
April 25, 2024 
An informal group of residents from New Hope Borough has been formed to facilitate transparent communications between the borough council and the residents.
The group, known as New Hope Speaks has grown to 80-plus members in just four weeks simply by an opt-in process.
The group is initially focused on the borough financial system as the keystone piece of the borough’s rapid expansion. In the April 29 issue of the Herald it was reported that the borough presented its first midyear update on the borough budget.
Actually the borough reported a summary of the first quarter revenue and expenses and compared the totals to the 2021 annual budget.
The article reported that “the borough has stuck to its budget despite the effects of COVID-19.” This statement is not accurate as the borough has never developed a monthly or quarterly budget and therefore can only guess how it is progressing compared to a budget.
This method of financial tracking suggests the borough may not have time to adjust expenditures if revenues are not fully known until later in the year.
New Hope Speaks will also follow New Hope’s parking garage and other infrastructure developments for the informational benefit of the residents.
William Clapper, New Hope
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