Politics & Government

Newtown Borough To Get New Website

Mayor Dennis O'Brien cast the tie-breaking vote to authorize approval for the new website, which will cost $5,000 to set up.

Newtown Borough is getting an online makeover.

Borough Council on Wednesday approved a contract with Delaware.net for a new website. The new site will cost $5,000 to launch and $1,500 a year to be maintained.

The decision was not unanimous. Mayor Dennis O’Brien cast the tie-breaking vote to approve the new website. Gerard O’Malley, Bob Walker and John Burke voted against the measure, saying it was too much to spend in these trying economic times.

Find out what's happening in Newtownwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

But Council President Julia Woldorf disagreed, calling an informative website a service to the community.

“Residents of the community have been complaining about the website for years. In its current format, it’s not very helpful,” she said, adding that people are looking for information about Newtown Borough online and cannot find it on the current site.

Find out what's happening in Newtownwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The mayor, who has been updating the current site, agreed. He said the site as of now is antiquated and people need more. “We live in the information age,” O’Brien said.

Those opposed to the new website said the issue was based on cost. At a time when money is tight and other organizations like the library and the ambulance squad need additional support, a website shouldn’t be a top priority, Burke said.

“Right now, I don’t think it’s a wise thing to do,” Burke said.

Woldorf explained that the new site would have several user-friendly features that would keep residents abreast of community happenings. Residents will be able sign up for updates on particular items or emergency alerts, she said. “It has a lot of useful features,” she said.

According to Woldorf, Delaware.net has extensive experience designing and maintaining municipal websites.


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