Editing Millbourne, Pennsylvania (section)

== Government ==
=== Politics ===
[[File:Millbourne Borough Hall.jpg|thumb|Millbourne Borough Hall serves as a central location for various government activities.]]
Millbourne is within [[Pennsylvania's 5th congressional district|District 5]] of [[Pennsylvania's congressional districts|Pennsylvania's Congressional Districts]], [[Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 164|District 164]] of the [[Pennsylvania House of Representatives]], and in [[Pennsylvania Senate, District 26|District 26]] of the [[Pennsylvania State Senate]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=June 15, 2022 |title=2022 Congressional Districts |url=https://www.vote.pa.gov/Pages/Pennsylvania-Redistricting-US-Congress.aspx |access-date=June 15, 2023 |website=Pennsylvania Department of State - Voting & Election Information}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=July 2, 2023 |title=Dist. 164 DELAWARE County. |url=https://www.redistricting.state.pa.us/Resources/GISData/Districts/Legislative/House/2021-Final/PDF/LRC%20House%20Final.pdf |website=Pennsylvania Redistricting}}</ref>

==== Political shift ====
For decades, Millbourne was a [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] majority. But due to the large arrival of immigrants, Millbourne became [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]].<ref name=":8">{{Cite news |last=Denvir |first=Daniel |date=July 26, 2012 |title=Millbourne Identity |pages=12 |work=[[Philadelphia City Paper]] |url=https://issuu.com/phillycp/docs/cp_2012-07-26 |access-date=July 9, 2022}}</ref> Joseph Artmont Sr., former [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] mayor of Millbourne, and his son Joseph Artmont Jr., and their political allies were replaced. Over the course of the 2000s, the composition of the council gradually changed, with Thomas Kramer being the sole remaining Republican member. Later on, Kramer underwent a political realignment and joined the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]], subsequently running in the 2009 general elections and securing a victory.<ref name=":8" /> Kramer won 126 to 58 from then mayor William Donovan Jr.<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 3, 2009 |title=Mayor Millbourne 4YR |url=http://election.co.delaware.pa.us/eb/november_2009/official/28M.html |access-date=July 8, 2022 |website=[[Delaware County, Pennsylvania]]}}</ref> Under the Kramer administration, Millbourne enacted new taxing laws, improved aging infrastructure, and removed itself from the [[Financially Distressed Municipalities Act|financially distressed municipality list]].<ref name=":63" />

=== Public safety ===

==== Millbourne Police Department ====
The Millbourne Police Department was founded in 1909.<ref name=":122" /> Millbourne maintains its own police department, which provides frequent coverage of each street.<ref name=":17">{{Cite web |date=July 3, 2022 |title=Millbourne Police |url=https://millbourneborough.org/departments/millbourne-police/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180905121851/http://www.millbourneborough.org/departments/millbourne-police |archive-date=September 5, 2018 |access-date=July 3, 2022 |website=Millbourne Borough}}</ref> Millbourne had an unreliable relationship with its police department in the early 1950s due to Millbourne's civil service laws being "carelessly" administered, according to the [[Delaware County Daily Times]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=February 26, 1959 |title=Judge says Millbourne Police Used as 'Pawns' |pages=2 |work=[[Chester Times]] }}</ref> Police officers in the police department were also the lowest paid officers in [[Delaware County, Pennsylvania|Delaware County]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Maitland |first=Harry |date=July 24, 1986 |title=Millbourne pays raise but vows to press fight |pages=26 |work=Delaware County Daily Times}}</ref> Since then, tensions between two parties have been resolved.<ref name=":17" /> During the early 1980s, Millbourne had the highest crime rate in all of [[Delaware County, Pennsylvania|Delaware County]].<ref name=":10">{{Cite news |last=Baldwin |first=Bonnie |date=August 31, 1981 |title=County's crime rate title copped by tiny Millbourne |pages=4 |work=[[Delaware County Daily Times]]}}</ref> Since then, crime has lowered, with exceptions in the rise of [[larceny]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 2, 2023 |title=Crime in Pennsylvania Online |url=https://www.ucr.pa.gov/PAUCRSPUBLIC/CrimePublication/CrimePublicationReports |access-date=July 2, 2023 |website=Pennsylvania Uniform Crime Reporting System}}</ref>

Millbourne has a [[Neighborhood watch|Town Watch]], a volunteer organization run in cooperation with the police department.<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 3, 2022 |title=Town Watch |url=http://www.millbourneborough.org:80/townwatch.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110625134653/http://www.millbourneborough.org:80/townwatch.html |archive-date=June 25, 2011 |access-date=July 3, 2022 |website=Millbourne Borough}}</ref> The [[Town Watch]] was formed after [[Upper Darby Township, Pennsylvania|Upper Darby]] officials urged nearby residents to form [[Neighborhood watch|neighborhood watch groups]] in 2011.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Mccafferty |first=Lyn |date=February 26, 2011 |title=Upper Darby officials urging residents to form town watch |work=[[Delaware County Daily Times]] |url=https://www.delcotimes.com/2011/02/26/upper-darby-officials-urging-residents-to-form-town-watch/ |access-date=July 4, 2023}}</ref> Magisterial courts with presiding jurisdiction for Millbourne are located in [[Upper Darby Township, Pennsylvania|Upper Darby]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=January 4, 2022 |title=Delaware County, Pennsylvania Magisterial District Courts By Municipality |url=https://delcopa.gov/courts/districtjudges/pdf/MDJList.pdf |access-date=July 3, 2022 |website=[[Delaware County, Pennsylvania]]}}</ref>

==== Millbourne Fire Company ====
The Millbourne Fire Company was founded in 1909 and provided Millbourne with firefighting services until its closure in 2019.<ref name=":4">{{Cite news |last=Quinn |first=Rose |date=May 6, 2019 |title=It's last call for the Millbourne Fire Co. |work=[[Delaware County Daily Times]] |url=https://www.delcotimes.com/news/it-s-last-call-for-the-millbourne-fire-co/article_9ae60006-6df7-11e9-b627-cb32ea414b8e.html |access-date=July 9, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190507184428/https://www.delcotimes.com/news/it-s-last-call-for-the-millbourne-fire-co/article_9ae60006-6df7-11e9-b627-cb32ea414b8e.html |archive-date=May 7, 2019}}</ref> Upper Darby Township Fire Company, the East Lansdowne Fire Company and the Yeadon Fire Company now service Millbourne.<ref name=":15">{{Cite news |last=Horn |first=Taylor |date=April 24, 2019 |title=110-Year-Old Millbourne Fire Company in Delaware County Shuts Down |work=[[NBC10 Philadelphia]] |url=https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/110-year-old-fire-company-in-delaware-county-goes-out-of-business/200462/ |access-date=February 18, 2022}}</ref>

===== 1990s Finance Issues =====
In October 1989, the Millbourne Fire Company temporarily ceased operations due to insufficient funds for insurance. However, an extension was granted by the insurance company after Millbourne Borough could not afford the insurance premiums. To ensure fire protection, Millbourne Borough voting to contract services with [[Upper Darby Township, Pennsylvania|Upper Darby Township]], replacing the volunteer-run fire company with a paid one.<ref>{{Cite news |date=December 5, 1989 |title=Millbourne OK's U.D. fire contract |pages=5 |work=[[Delaware County Daily Times]]}}</ref> The Millbourne Fire Company disputed Millbourne Borough's decision and was shut down again due to lack of funds. In response to the challenge, Delaware County Judge John Diggins ordered a referendum. On May 16, 1990, Residents were presented with the following question in the referendum: "Do you support the replacement of the Volunteer Fire Company with a paid fire company in the Borough of Millbourne?" Subsequently, the referendum was held, and the results revealed that 66 individuals voted in favor of the replacement, whereas 76 individuals voted against it. Millbourne Fire Company was allowed to stay and Millbourne Borough was ordered to pay $12,000 (${{Inflation|index=US|value=1200|start_year=1990|end_year=2022|fmt=c}} in 2022) for funding.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Reilly |first=Linda |date=May 16, 1990 |title=Voters line up behind volunteers |pages=38 |work=[[Delaware County Daily Times]]}}</ref>

The Millbourne Fire Company only received $500 (${{Inflation|index=US|value=500|start_year=1990|end_year=2022|fmt=c}} in 2022) both in July and August 1990.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Reilly |first=Linda |date=November 25, 1990 |title=Firemen seek support next door |pages=6 |work=[[Delaware County Daily Times]]}}</ref> Millbourne Borough appealed the Diggins decision, and the [[Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania]] reversed the decision. The Millbourne Fire Company attempted to appeal to the [[Supreme Court of Pennsylvania]] but was rejected on March 11, 1992.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Reilly |first=Linda |date=March 11, 1992 |title=Pa. court rejects firemen's appeal |pages=24 |work=[[Delaware County Daily Times]]}}</ref> On October 1, 1992, after Millbourne Borough presented Millbourne Fire Company with $4,200 (${{Inflation|index=US|value=4200|start_year=1992|end_year=2022|fmt=c}} in 2022) in funding, Millbourne Fire Company finally reopened after over 2 years of closure.<ref name=":13">{{Cite news |last=Reilly |first=Linda |date=October 6, 1992 |title=Millbourne Fire Company finally returns to service |pages=24 |work=[[Delaware County Daily Times]]}}</ref>

===== 2019 Closure =====
On April 23, 2019, in a meeting, ten members unanimously voted to close the Millbourne Fire Company after 110 years of service. Fire Chief Joseph Artmont Jr. and President Andy Formanes were elected to handle any remaining tasks. Failed negotiations with Millbourne Borough led to the closure, and the firehouse has been locked with agreements of sale on two fire trucks.

The Millbourne Fire Company issued a letter addressing misinformation and outlining issues between Millbourne Fire Company and Millbourne Borough. They had requested funding for part-time paid firefighters, but the proposals were rejected. The department faced challenges due to a shortage of volunteers and insufficient resources. The closure leaves Millbourne relying on neighboring fire departments for coverage.<ref name=":4" />