Editing Millbourne, Pennsylvania (section)

==== Financially distressed municipality ====
The [[Sears|Sears Roebuck & Co.]] store operated from 1926 until 1988. The owner of the property Morris Willner, president of Willner Realty and Development Co., announced in April 1988 that [[Sears]] would move from Millbourne to a former [[Gimbels Department Store|Gimbel's Department Store]] in 69th Street in [[Upper Darby Township, Pennsylvania|Upper Darby]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Reilly |first=Linda |date=August 3, 1988 |title=It's official: 69th Street developer buys Sears |pages=28 |work=[[Delaware County Daily Times]]}}</ref> After the move, Millbourne continued to collect parking fees from the former [[Sears]] parking lot. But in May 1990, Willner announced that Millbourne was no longer permitted to collect fees.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Reilly |first=Linda |date=May 8, 1990 |title='Worst' hits Millbourne |pages=14 |work=[[Delaware County Daily Times]]}}</ref> There was plans to develop a discount supply store, but the company went bankrupt before plans could be arranged. The former [[Sears]] site was demolished in the 2000s.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Stoll |first=Michael |date=August 27, 2000 |title=Razing of Sears raises borough's hope for rebirth |pages=ML01 |work=[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]]}}</ref>

During the early 1980s, Millbourne had the highest crime rate in all of [[Delaware County, Pennsylvania|Delaware County]].<ref name=":10" /> In 1989, The Millbourne Fire Company was temporarily closed due to budget problems. After years of negotiations, The Millbourne Fire Company reopened in 1992.<ref name=":13" />

After the relocation of [[Sears]], Millbourne went into financial hardship.<ref name=":12">{{Cite web |last=Charles |first=J. |date=August 19, 2019 |title=Leaning on the Land |url=https://www.governing.com/archive/gov-land-tax.html |access-date=June 15, 2023 |website=[[Governing]]}}</ref> By the 1990s, due to mismanagement of borough funds, Millbourne was on the brink of bankruptcy. To receive enough funds to stay afloat, Millbourne had to be designated as a [[Financially Distressed Municipalities Act|financially distressed municipality]] by the state of Pennsylvania, be absorbed back into [[Upper Darby Township, Pennsylvania|Upper Darby]], or contract municipal services within Millbourne out to [[Upper Darby Township, Pennsylvania|Upper Darby Township]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=O'Connor |first=Dan |date=October 28, 1992 |title=Tiny town battles bankruptcy |pages=52 |work=[[Delaware County Daily Times]]}}</ref>

Millbourne was designated a [[Financially Distressed Municipalities Act|financially distressed municipality]] on January 7, 1993, by the state of Pennsylvania. Factors that led to a distress determination included revenue loss created from the closure of [[Sears]] and an evaluation by the [[Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development]].<ref name=":02">{{Cite web |last=Kelley |first=Marita |date=July 2013 |title=EVALUATION REPORT BOROUGH OF MILLBOURNE |url=https://dced.pa.gov/download/millbourne-borough-act-47-evaluation-rescission-report/?wpdmdl=60106 |access-date=June 15, 2023 |website=[[Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development]]}}</ref> Fairmount Capital Advisors Inc., hired by the state of Pennsylvania, presented a five-year plan to recover Millbourne. The plan included:

* reducing the numbers of officials in Millbourne council;
* hiring a borough manager;
* establishing a business office and a civil service commission;
* acquiring market-rate, tax-exempt bond financing to finance bank debt, and raise capital for infrastructure repair; and
* improving financial management with new computer systems.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=Reilly |first=Linda |date=August 5, 1993 |title=Millbourne gets 'common sense' tips for survival |pages=5 |work=[[Delaware County Daily Times]]}}</ref>

Susana Smith of Bloomfield, New Jersey was hired as the borough manager.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Reilly |first=Linda |date=January 6, 1994 |title=New boss hired in Millbourne |pages=18 |work=[[Delaware County Daily Times]]}}</ref> Taxes for homeowners in Millbourne rose between 1993 and 2014.<ref name=":12" /> A 40% increase in real-estate taxes in the 1995 preliminary budget was adopted by Millbourne due to the distress determination.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Reilly |first=Linda |date=December 6, 1994 |title=Millbourne hit with 40% tax hike |pages=29 |work=[[Delaware County Daily Times]]}}</ref>