Upper Dublin: The Making of a 21st Century Suburb ← All Chapters

How Upper Dublin’s Government Changed in Response to its Growing Population

In 1900 Upper Dublin became a Second Class Township under Pennsylvania’s longstanding statutory scheme establishing four classes of municipalities: Boroughs, Second Class Townships, First Class Townships; and Cities. All townships were considered to be Second Class until they acquired a specified population density and then, if approved by referendum, could select to be a First Class Township, with enhanced governance powers. CITE In the late 1930s a survey within the township gave rise to the expectation that it had achieved the requisite density. CITE. That expectation was realized when the results of the 1940 census were released. CITE That enabled the township supervisors to conduct a referendum on upgrading to First Class status. In 1943, in the middle of World War II, a referendum on adopting First Class status was defeated. CITE Other than an understandable preoccupation with the ongoing war, the reasons for its defeat are not reported.

However, as soon as the end of the war seemed to be near, the supervisors again approved putting the issue to the voters, and this time it passed. CITE

From the outset of the Township’s 1945 status as a First Class Township, Upper Dublin’s Board of Commissioners has adopted more than 2300 consecutively numbered ordinances starting with Ordinance No. 1 (the text of each of which is found on the Township’s website) together with hundreds of consecutively numbered resolutions beginning with October 31, 1960 -with numbers assigned 0906 for purposes of “ease of filing” through No. 0999, dated November 12, 1974) also found in full on the Township’s website). For convenience, when referred to below, they will be referenced as UD Ord. No. --- and UD Res. No. – respectively.

Upper Dublin’s more densely populated neighboring municipalities, Abington, Cheltenham and Springfield, each serviced by the commuter rail line that had begun in 1855 (per Wissahickon Valley Historical Society) facilitating travel to downtown Philadelphia, the major job center for the region, had adopted that status more than forty years earlier at the turn of the century. Upper Moreland, spurred on by Willow Grove and the nationally famous amusement park (located just across municipal line in Abington Township), having voted for status as a First Class Township in 1938.

In the 1930 census Upper Dublin, having a population of 4379, met the threshold for population density to elect to conduct a referendum for adopting First Class status, but it did not pursue a referendum. CITE By 1940 its population had increased to 4630. On July 13,1943 the Board of Supervisors voted to authorize a referendum on adopting First-Class Township status. (UD Board of Supervisors Minutes, July 13, 1943), but was deferred likely due to other priorities during World War II. Ultimately it was authorized as World War II was ending, with the vote held in November 1945.

Pursuant to section 205 of Pennsylvania’s Second Class Township Code, the Court of Common Pleas then appointed the first commissioners who served the township until the next general election in an odd numbered year.

In 1945, the last supervisors to serve Upper Dublin as a Second Class Township were:

W. N. Guthrie, Fort Washington, Treasurer

C. H. Phelps, Oreland, Chair

S. Irvin Woodward, -------, Ambler (having recently replaced B. H. Eves, prior Chair)

By 1950, Upper Dublin’s population had grown to 6637.

TOWNSHIP

Government structure (First Class Township under Pa. law since 1945, following referendum, Upper Dublin having grown per 1940 Census to the required minimum density of at least 300 inhabitants to the square mile.

From 1946 through 1963 Township offices were located at 1111 Bethlehem Pike, then moved to its current location on Loch Alsh (Ft. Washington Historical Society.) 1111 Bethlehem Pike is now the Urban Funeral Home.

Following adoption of First-Class Township status, there were four wards. The four wards, as shown on a 1949 map by Franklin Survey, were designated Lower, East, South and North, with one commissioner elected at-large.

The Lower Ward consisted of everything below Susquehanna Road to the boundary with Springfield Township from Abington Township up to a straight line from Susquehanna to Orlando at Pennsylvania Avenue, including the communities of Fitzwatertown, North Glenside and Oreland.

The East Ward included everything from Susquehanna Road to Welsh Road (from the boundaries with Abington and Lower Gwynedd), including what was then called Tyson Terrace, Paxcom, the Willowcrest Convalescent Home, and the communities of Dreshertown, Jarrettown, Maple Glen and Three Tuns.

The South Ward consisted of the communities of Camp Hill and Pinetown, including the Pinetown Golf Club, between Susquehanna Road and Pennsylvania Avenue

The North Ward consisted of the communities of Ambler Highlands, Fort Washington, Rose Valley below Susquehanna, the then Junior High School at Loch Ash and Lindenwold.

In 1967 The Commissioners petitioned for approval of a seven-member board. See 2 Additional Commissioners Confirmed for Upper Dublin, p. 151 (Phila. Inquirer, Nov. 23, 1967) (at-large commissioner seat, had been held by George Olsen; Upper Dublin will become seven wards, with Olsen appointed as Ward 7 commissioner and Feller and Lane appointed to newly added seats).

Ward boundaries are established (may be reset) after the decennial US Census. Since 1970 the wards are intended to be relatively equal in population, with boundaries adjusted after the Census to comply with those requirements while respective state legislative district lines. (There is no similar requirement for the drawing of congressional district lines in which the equal population standards are very exacting, resulting in sporadic splits of voting districts between congressional districts). However, the essential neighborhood components of each have been respected.

UPPER DUBLIN’S PARTISAN LEAN SHIFTS

FROM REPUBLICAN TO DEMOCRATIC

Upper Dublin’s trend toward electing Democrats is most noticeable at the presidential level:

In addition to the Township Commissioners, Upper Dublin voters have elected other officials:

Township Auditor (three elected for 6-year term until mid-1960s and then one until mid-1970s (likely 1975?) when Commissioners voted, in its place, to appoint an independent auditor, pursuant to section 503(3)(ii) of the First Class Township Code, as amended 1949, all of whom were Republicans:

Dates are uncertain

1946-1952 Daniel A. Murphy

Maurice S. Neiman

Thomas Tressler, Jr.

1948-1954 Charles Donat

Henry C. Jones

Mark Z. McGill

1952 Thomas Tressler, Jr.

1954-1962 Daniel A. Murphy

1962-1980 George Schmalenberger

Township Treasurer (in reality, Upper Dublin’s tax collector) has served a four-year term), all of whom were Republicans until Democrat Michael Klein was elected:

Walter Simmers, 1937-1941

Under Arrest in Upper Dublin Tax Shortage, North-Penn Reporter, March 13, 1942, p. 1; Reveal $27,982 Tax Shortage in Upper Dublin Equity Suit, The Reporter, March 5, 1942, p. 1; On Probation, Republican and Herald, March 28, 1942, p. 1 (following plea of guilty); resulting civil litigation: Globe Indemnity Co. v. Simmers, C.P. Montgomery Cty.

U.S. Grant Funk (1941-1947)

Louise Funk (1947—1955?)—relationship to U.G. Funk?

W. H. Guthrie (1955-1966), treasurer became an elected office

Jean Nester (1966-1989) (her election to six four-year terms gave her the second longest tenure in any Upper Dublin municipal office; she resigned in 1989).

Judith Flaxman, interim (three months in 1990).

Albert Zaffarano (1990, interim treasurer succeeding Flaxman)

Helena “Scotty” Brown (1991-1997) (she refused to start upon Nester’s resignation, advising the Board of Commissioners that the records of the Tax Collector office were not computerized and could not be easily organized) Charlotte Kidd, Phila. Inquirer, June 15, 1989)

Leslie Nylund (1997-2017)

Michael Klein (2018--)