Doylestown Mayor’s Report: Many opportunities during eight years

I have heard from many residents from the region these last few weeks, expressing thanks in a variety of ways. This is my chance to say thanks.
Thank you for the opportunity and the honor of being mayor of Doylestown during these past eight years. I’ve had the opportunity to listen a great deal over those years and I have learned a lot and, I hope, become a better person as well as a more effective mayor for a community that is unique and, in so many ways, extraordinary.
I have spent my lifetime trying to figure out who I am as well as my purpose in life. Being mayor has certainly provided purpose. I’ll leave it to others to say whether I made a difference, a good difference. If the answer is “yes”, you can be sure that I did it in cooperation with a host of others and not alone.
When it comes to COVID-19 and the pandemic, I certainly did not expect to see us with today’s challenges when I decided not to seek reelection almost a year ago. There is always work undone when you leave office and move on. That is so obvious with the challenges posed by COVID-19.
Few of us have done a good job. Doylestown has done better than many if not most communities but there is so much more to do, to contribute to shoring up our businesses and make sure residents are not left behind.
There is more to do to contribute toward the sustainability of our cultural institutions and our nonprofits that provide that safety net for those who most need it. Most of all, in spite of tiring of nearly two years of COVID- 9 bad news, we are learning much and we have new tools in reach with each succeeding week.
Now, more than at any time, every kind of mitigation method needs to be practiced. To be together requires no less. We all know what it means and what it requires when we say “roll up your sleeves and do your part.”
A few months ago, we could not say “go out and get vaccinated”, let alone get a booster. Now, there is no acceptable excuse. The dog did not eat your homework. It is no less than a civic duty, a duty to your community to finally put an end to this pandemic.
We are a community of individuals and families, choosing to live in Doylestown, work in town and visit our town for a whole host of reasons – our architecture, our rich history, our businesses, our faith-based institutions, our cultural institutions, our schools, our safe community, our community that honors diversity. The list goes on.

We also strive together for the common good, the greater good. All nine members of borough council stand for election and then serve without compensation or benefit. Another 100 or more volunteers serve on boards and commissions, some joining very recently and other serving for years. We have a dedicated staff that does work that is both appreciated and recognized by our community and other municipalities across Pennsylvania. It is a staff that has the respect of council and the mayor.
When it comes to preparation to meet the challenges of tomorrow, to continuing education, we come up short, particularly for those members of boards and commissions and members of borough council.
All too often, the talents we bring to service to community become the foundation, with not enough training and information resources to build on that foundation. Yet, we have access to resources that are essential for board and commission members and council members to do a better job and meet the ever-increasing complexity of moving Doylestown forward.
We have membership in the Pennsylvania Municipal League and through it, the National League of cities. Council and boards and commissions need systematic and regular methods of accessing and sharing information, ideas, and struggles too. There is a host of talent in nonprofits throughout Pennsylvania and the nation that can help each and every board prepare for current challenges as well as the future. No board is exempt and the approach cannot be ad hoc.
There is way too much attention to fighting the next fire or today’s fire. There may be few linear paths to advancement but whether employees or volunteers, we all enjoy learning. There need to be more and focused opportunities to learn. We need to establish a culture of commitment to provide training and expertise to our volunteers and council, and the mayor that keeps us current and competitive with every municipality in Pennsylvania and beyond.
Within the wealthiest, most powerful nation, we are a community that is both wealthy and influential. We are a community with incredible human talent. Doylestown is positioned to be a leader among communities in so many ways. But don’t take it for granted. It depends on participation, engagement, and dedication.
Thank you for the unique opportunity to be part of our community in such a meaningful way.
This is the final borough council presentation by Ron Strouse as mayor of Doylestown Borough. Noni West succeeds him in January.

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