Newtown Borough Says Goodbye To Its Longtime Treasurer

NEWTOWN BOROUGH, PA — Newtown Borough on Nov. 1 said goodbye to its longtime treasurer Pat Ours during a reception hosted by council at the borough hall.

Current and past borough officials, the community’s emergency responders, members of the borough’s various boards and commissions and borough residents attended the event to wish Ours well as she moves on.

For the past 26 years, Ours has worked for the borough in its financial department where she could be found crunching numbers, balancing the books and developing budgets.

“It’s been an opportunity of a lifetime,” said Ours of her work with the borough. “This has been my home away from home. But this is not an end. It’s just a new beginning. I’m going to take off for a couple of months and then look for another job. It’s the only time in my life that I haven’t planned anything.”

Pat Ours with Council President Tara Grunde-McLaughlin.

Pat Ours with Newtown Borough Police Chief James Sabath.

Ours was hired by Marcia Scull, Duane Buck and Lois Sauerman in 1997 as borough bookkeeper, a position she held until being promoted to treasurer in 2005.

Ours has been involved with and worked with Council on virtually every borough budget since the late 1990s.

All those years of crunching numbers came natural, said Ours, who has been working professionally with numbers since the age of 14. “My mind is constantly going,” she said.

Borough resident Rosemary J. Wuenschel, representing State Sen. Steve Santarsiero and State Sen. Frank Farry, presented a citation to Ours from the State Senate of Pennsylvania “in recognition and deep gratitude for your service to the borough.”

State Rep. Perry Warren, who formerly served on borough council and who worked with Ours for seven years, stopped by to present Ours with a citation from the State House of Representatives
recognizing her for more than 25 years of “exemplary service” to the borough and its residents.

He joined State Rep. Joe Hogan, who represents Ours’ hometown of Middletown Township, in signing the citation.

“I worked with Pat side-by-side for seven years. What a tremendous resource you were and that was years ago. I can’t imagine how much you have grown and improved,” he told Ours. “Thank you for all you did for me and my fellow borough councilors.”

From left: Mack Wagner (Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick’s Office), Borough Secretary Judy Musto, State Rep. and former Councilor Perry Warren, Pat Ours and Rosemary J. Wuenschel (State Senator Steve Santarsiero’s office).

Mack Wagner, a representative from U.S. Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick’s office, presented Ours with a flag flown over the U.S. Capitol and announced that the Congressman had read her service to the borough into the Congressional Record of the United States, making it part of the nation’s history.

At her final borough budget work session in late October, Mayor John Burke also presented Ours with a proclamation from the borough recognizing her contributions to the town and thanking her for her work.

“The borough of Newtown is honored to have had her as a contributor to our community,” said Burke in reading from the proclamation. “Her unselfish service inspires others to be better citizens.”

In addition, Council President Tara Grunde-McLaughlin, who organized the Nov. 1 reception, presented Ours with a plaque on behalf of Mayor Burke and borough council.

“You have seen many councils go through. You’ve seen many get their own plaque, but today, the citizens of Newtown Borough, through their council and the mayor, acknowledge you with grateful thanks for 26 years of dedicated service to the Newtown Borough community,” said Grunde-McLaughlin.

Chief Forsyth and members of Newtown Fire And Rescue stopped by the reception to thank Ours for her work and to wish her well.